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Best way to remove broken bolt

tms8582

tms8582

New member
My son's winter car (01 Grand Prix GT) has been clunking from the rear when backing down the driveway and going over curb at the bottom of the driveway. I thought it was a bad strut but after further inspection I see that the rear right control arm (the one parallel with the car) is badly cracked and about to break. I found a used one at the local junk yard and with much elbow grease got the old one off. However one of the smaller bolts broke off. Basically there are three smaller bolts that bolt the front part of the control arm to the under side of the body. I've drilled out bolts and used taps in the past but I'm wondering if there is a better tool available now days that can save me some time. I've got the car back together now and it's drivable but don't want him to drive it with only two of the three bolts for long.

Thanks,
 


Likely it's sheered off flush as I've had it happen a couple of times, right?

Drill and tap is your best answer that I'm aware of.
 


Yes I beleive they are called trailing arms. I didn't know when I went to the junk yard and I called it a control arm. The junk yard guy just asked me if it went parallel to the car or across. The junk yard just unbolted the bracket from the bottome of the car with the trailing arm. They said it was easier to take off and change that way. I will drill it out this weekend but I'm going to try a left handed drill bit with the first hole and heat it up first.... maybe I'll get lucky and it will come out without having to drill the full size out.
 
They make extractors too... You drill a hole down the middle of the bolt and then the extractor is like a left hand drill bit but it's tapered and bites pretty hard. On really stubborn one's I've had about 50/50 luck with them.


Screw-Extractor-Spiral-Flute-Screw-Extractor-.jpg
 
Kejross said:
They make extractors too... You drill a hole down the middle of the bolt and then the extractor is like a left hand drill bit but it's tapered and bites pretty hard. On really stubborn one's I've had about 50/50 luck with them.


Screw-Extractor-Spiral-Flute-Screw-Extractor-.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah I've used these too. I doubt it will work with as tight as it is but might be worth a try and a good set to have around for future issues.
 


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