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Seeing Red... Wheel Stop In Left Knuckle

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Mr Plow, Mar 12, 2018.

  1. Mar 12, 2018
    Mr Plow

    Mr Plow Member

    Boston, Ma
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    So... PO must have put thread locker on the wheel stop - left side Dana 30 - disk break set up.
    Broke bolt off. heated it, soaked PB Blaster etc. Had to literally grind nut off where I found 'red something' under the nut. Drilled out and tried easy out with what is left of the bolt and no go. Its not perfectly centered - close but not exact. What should I do. Simply drill and tap a slightly larger bolt? I have the knuckles off of the Dana 30 but with drums. Are the knuckles interchangeable? Bummed out because I thought I did everything right and slowly but now at a bit of a stopping point. Thanks for the advice!
     
  2. Mar 12, 2018
    TIm E

    TIm E Aggressively average

    NW Arkansas
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    Some of the guys here swear by a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone, but you may be beyond that point...and I have yet to try it to verify.

    I have had pretty good luck with the real stubborn ones by drilling them out using progressively larger bits until you get to where you can just barely start to see threads...or what looks like threads. Then use a pick to well...pick the remaining bolt threads out. If you can at least get the first few clean, a thread chaser/restorer will usually run in there and do the rest for you.
     
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  3. Mar 12, 2018
    Mr Plow

    Mr Plow Member

    Boston, Ma
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    Thanks! Yeah I think I am past that point. Read somewhere that propane torch would have softened the thread locker - nope... haha Supposedly 400 deg is what it takes.
    I have been at it but will work it over some more. Dam thing is bloody solid in there. Thanks for the input!
     
  4. Mar 12, 2018
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    On red thread locker at 450* there should be a white poof of smoke that means the threadlocker seal is broken. If you’re beyond that just drill and tap it to whatever fits.
     
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  5. Mar 12, 2018
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    Could get away with cutting flush and welding a nut there and making a stop that is the right length. Not like that is ever going to be adjusted once it is set.
     
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  6. Mar 12, 2018
    TIm E

    TIm E Aggressively average

    NW Arkansas
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    FWIW, I have yet to have an easy-out work...ever. As an aside, odd that someone put red thread locker on a wheel stop...seems excessive. I am not familiar with the Dana 30, but on the 27, it has a jamb nut on the stop bolt to bind it in there once set correctly.
     
  7. Mar 12, 2018
    Mr Plow

    Mr Plow Member

    Boston, Ma
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    Thanks Guys! I guess it wasn't LT 450!! haha. Sat outside for 20 minutes with propane torch. What a PITA this little bastard was. Solid advice guys much appreciated! Well in case anyone is lurking... I got as much of this bolt out as I could with a hammer and screwdriver chipping around the edge. Then I drilled one more size up. It wasn't centered perfectly but didn't look like I bit much into the original threads (really didn't have much of a choice at this point). I was also terrified that the easy out would snap inside - that didn't budge it in the least!
    By some miracle I had a 3/8 24 tap. So I tapped it again. Kept testing and the old bolt (from the other knuckle) seemed to go in fine. As its just a wheel stop I would think that the re-tap would be solid enough footing for the new stop. Cheers.
     
  8. Mar 12, 2018
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Just as an FWI so that you don’t get discouraged. I use ez-outs almost daily, I am successful probably 85-90% of the time with them. Do not use a crescent wrench on them unless there is no other option. Use a T handle wrench of some kind, drill them with the recommended drill bit size and keep them centered in the bolt as close as possible.

    These are some of the best I have used and you can use a ratchet or wrench.

    1674FE4E-60FB-455A-9464-196E40A9538D.jpeg
     
  9. Mar 12, 2018
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Genuinely curious… what percentage of sucess do you have with old crusty stuff? My only luck has been with new work, or where I could apply red heat first.

    Do you prefer the spiral type over the square ones?
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
  10. Mar 12, 2018
    WYOMIKE

    WYOMIKE Oct 1971 pic

    Parkman, Wyoming
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    I can see why you should not use a crescent wrench, the sideways push could break the ez-out BTDT, and a can see why the best would be a T bar. But this being the case I would think the same would apply to not use a ratchet because of sideways push. I have no doubt that you are correct and know what you are talking about, just wondering if my thinking is wrong about the crescent and there is some other reason that I do not know about for not using a crescent.
    Thanks
    Mike
     
  11. Mar 12, 2018
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Know your thinking is correct Mike , most people when torquing on things with a ratchet tend to support the end of the ratchet which helps with the torque twisting.
    I would say the vast majority of problems with using ez outs is not centering or unable to center the drill bit in the middle of the bolt your extracting. Wallering the hole out to big with the drill, using the wrong sized drill bit or torquing on the ez out crooked and breaking it.

    Always use a center drill to start your hole, much easier to maintain center. Just because the drill runs 1200rpm doesn’t mean you should drill at that speed, that’s why most people can’t drill stainless steel or why they can’t drill the metal, spinning the bit at the wrong speed.
     
  12. Mar 12, 2018
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Probably close to the same for the crusty ones. Most of the ones we do at work are rusted/corroded in or worse yet one's that have been hit with something that weighs 10,000 lbs and smeared the metal and hole everywhere. In most weeks we will have to remove around 20-30 bolts per week per shift and there are 4 shifts. For us its like a normal job hazard.
    I will say that the guys I work with would be after all these years be considered old pro's at this compared to most people. As far as EZ outs we use all kinds, I like the irwins I posted above, but we do use the spiral ones, the straight bladed ones and the square ones. We literally have an entire drawer in a large Stanley Vidmar cabinet full of them. We generally buy them 6-10 sets at a time, about 4 times a year.
     
  13. Mar 12, 2018
    Tom_Hartz

    Tom_Hartz Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I have always had great luck using left handed or reverse drill bits. Start small and get bigger as you go.
     
  14. Mar 12, 2018
    Mr Plow

    Mr Plow Member

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    Always an education. Thanks for the info. I only had the longer spiral ez out. I was also using a crescent but luckily didn’t push it too far. Looks like the stubby type you have should have a better chance of holding up. I recently read read the same thing about using a center bit. Much better/ accurate center hole.
     
  15. Mar 12, 2018
    TIm E

    TIm E Aggressively average

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    Thanks Mike. Off to shop for a set of Irwins...
     
  16. Mar 13, 2018
    Rick Whitson

    Rick Whitson Detroit Area 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I agree with you on the left hand drill bitts, a friend gave me a set so I don't know where to get them, but if you get the center punch right in the middle of the broken bolt and start drilling small hole and keep getting larger a lot of the time the drill will spin out the broken bolt. Good Luck Rick
     
  17. Mar 13, 2018
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

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    Related, but applies to breaking stuck bolts, as mentioned earlier, heat can be your friend. If you had known your bolt had locktite, it may have helped before the bolt broke, but locktite takes more heat than I typically use.
    When I feel the bolt will likely break, I get out either a propane bernzamatic, or the oxy/acet torches if its a larger bolt. My best trick is to quickly melt some paraffin candle wax on the stuck bolt. It wicks into the threads and really helps.
    I do all I can to avoid having to drill and extract broken bolts.
    -Donny
     
  18. Mar 13, 2018
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Left handed drill bits can be bought at Travers tool, MSC industrial and Drills and Cutters, the latter one being the cheapest most of the time. I buy my dies from them and some larger drills and taper shank drills for my lathe.
     
  19. Mar 13, 2018
    Tom_Hartz

    Tom_Hartz Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    McMaster Carr.
     
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