Broken spare-wheel carrier-bolt.

[bilko]

Hi all. I have a snapped spare wheel carrier bolt and would like to get the broken bit out. Plenty of wd40 and wire wool wouldn’t get it out more than an inch, so a 4ft persuading Pole was needed, hence the broken bolt. It was that or sit next to 40ft lorry s trundling past for hours.
I presume it’s a cut and drill out job .any advice please?

 

[DXX]

If you drill it will need to be drilled dead centre, not easy without a guide, plus you’ll need a tap to clean out the thread. If it was so tight is unlikely that a stud extractor would remove it.
If there is some bolt shank sticking out I would go down the route of welding a nut on, the heat will also help break the rust. If it still tight apply some WD40 and leave it a day before trying again, time will allow it to penetrate.
Alternatively if there is enough bolt shank sticking out try a Stilson type pipe wrench, once again after a good long soak with WD40.

 

[Paynewright]

Plusgas is better than WD 40. Often there is bolt protruding on the back side of the nut. Perhaps get some mole grips on and wiggle (once its soaked a bit)

 

[bilko]

Thanks for a couple of good ideas. The drill out method is a last resort but an option. I would then have put a long nut and bolt through ,ignoring the original thread altogether . It will make future removal hard but no harder than I’ve had on a 3.5 year old rusted bolt. Really bad design when considering the wheel should accessible from inside when paying so much for a caravelle. I think on the new caravelle they have cured the problem by not providing a spare wheel anyway. My tyre was shredded , so no amount of gunk in a can would have helped...thanks again I’ll borrow a pipe wrench after a 48hr soak in wd40..

 

[bilko]

Again thanks and I’ll get some plus gas tomorrow for a good soak..do they make 4ft mole grips with the pressure of a gorrila

 

[Paynewright]

If it was un-done an inch then undoing from the backside will hit this clean section quite quickly!

 

[bilko]

Luckily the bolt broke off at its bolt head so plenty of bolt shaft (road side) to grab .. there is some shaft remaining body side but there isn’t much room for tools if memory serves right, ..lots to look forward to laying on my back in the sun sweating, grunting and some swearing in sure..ta for advice guys

 

[Wafu]

Heat is the key, I’d use a plumbers gas burner, the type we used to use on copper pipes for plumbing. Gentle heat on the stem of the bolt where it enters the retraining thread ‘should’ release any corrosion. Two rules though....
1. Look past where the flame is pointing, maybe you need to put a burn mat behind the direction of your flame Rothenberger Plumbers Soldering Mat
2. Never try to turn it out all the way in one go, get the thread to undo, then tighten slightly then undo again, slowly slowly, catchy monkey

 

[bilko]

Thanks for another idea. I did think about heat and found the kitchen blow torch (obviously never used and covered in dust). I also thought what my insurance would say as the van went up in smoke...I’ll have to borrow a heat mat along with the pipe wrench also suggested.. when we were by the side of the road we did the release a bit , rewind it up a bit, spray more wd40 start again. The recovery man was a little concerned about the speed this method was working, and about his feet being so close to the thundering lorries going past . Hence the 4ft extension to expedite the tyre change...;-)

 

[bilko]

Hi. I couldn’t do much about my broken bolt recent due to my new knee went kaput.now it’s a bit better I was able to crawl under back of the van with my pipe wrench after days of spray ..nope it still wouldn’t budge. I really didn’t like doing the heat method because that area on the caravelle is covered in rubber under there. Lucky after much searching we found an old wheel nut that fitted the remains thread of the bolt (after a little thread repair). Using a jack, to compress the tyre as much as possible in its holder the wheel nut just fitted over the bracket on the bolt..job done , that is until I need to change a tyre again. Thanks for all the advice ..mike..ps engine light came on tonight. More money