BeingOriginal Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 At my service we unfortunately noticed the rear right bolt pictured supporting the diff has broken. I’ll be adding the strut supports to prevent it happening again.Any opinions on if it's possible to extract the bolt in situ with an easy out or is this definitely a diff out job? I know a few have suffered the same failure.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Have a go at the bolt first - youve got 2 chances! There are special packing washers to go between the bush and diff.With an assistant diff out is < 2 hours especially if you can remove the boot floor (easy if the hole for the filler has been cut out on the rear edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 As it's broken in use (as opposed to snapped during removal) there's a good chance that the remaining part is free in the threads and just needs spinning out. I'd try a blob of araldite on the end of a piece of dowel. You may find it just spins out with your fingers. If that doesn't work pilot drill it (carefully) through the hole then see if you can get a big left handed drill bit to bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 how much of the bolt is left in the bush... wondering if you can remove the other bolts drops the shims out and wiggle it out, this way you have proper access, if the remaining portion is tight you can slip a not over the exposed portion and mig weld it in place down the centre..... and Roberts you mothers brother.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.mole1 Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 It should just drift out in situ, it is a nut and bolt it doesn't really matter which end has sheared off. Just knock out the remaining bit with an old screw driver. Just make sure you replace the missing washers when you renew the bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Pretty sure its one of the lower ones thats sheared not the long top bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 7WOW - swinging is a good idea and leave the long one in! :-0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 thats what I was meaning, maybe with a prybar to ease it past the bush,if not you may need to use a thin cutting disc and nip it out hopefuly only sacrificing the shims.... if you do kiss the inner bush you can always add another shim to recentre it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 I think remove the other lower bolt, slacken off the long bolt and swing the diff nose down exposing the sheared bolt. Then its fingers, glue, sharp punch or welded nut to get the remaining bit out. Like you say, if its the correct length bolt, correctly torqued then the head shearing off should release any gripping force / tension on the threaded portion left in the casing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 one problem you might encounter is you can get the odd bush thats not perfectily in line and you might end up lowering the whole final drive to align the bolt with the bush to take this interference out of the equation thus enable an easier removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeingOriginal Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 Thanks for everyone's help, I think the way forward is removing the bolt the other side and trying to swing the diff out to ease access to it, none of the bolt is left in the bush thankfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Its happened before to one of our brethren..came out when reversing drill out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Easy outs . . . 9 and half times out of ten get you deeper in the do-doo than you were originally when they snap . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeingOriginal Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 This looks exactly like my situation only the end of offending broken bolt has already gone somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Durrant Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 The lower diff bolts work loose so a regular spanner check is recommended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I'd be inclined to change both lower diff bolt if one has sheared. The other would have been under extra load.If you're missing the spacer washers too maybe get the diff bolt pack from Redline?Scrub that idea - you can get the spacer washers on their own - bolt is a bolt. Local fasteners shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeingOriginal Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 This was checked less than 500 miles ago, but I'll paint mark and check more frequently going forwards, I'll check if I've got the right grade bolt if not the pack from redline sounds a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishmaninwales Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Check the chassis in the vicinity of the lower mounts for cracks as a result of diff movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Richard Price Posted June 13, 2020 Area Representative Share Posted June 13, 2020 bolt is a bolt. Local fasteners shop!Not neccesarily!It depends on if the car is imperial or metric. On Imperial cars, these bolts are specials. M12 thread with a 1/2" shank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Every day is a school day - I didnt know that!!I wonder if how they are made means they are more prone to shearing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerobod - near CYYC Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Manufacturing technique for the bolt shouldn't be any different, probably is a case that if the bolt loosens, then it is exposed to fatigue due to excessive side loads instead of being held in tension.This is the special bolt if the bushing bore is 1/2", but the diff thread is M12: https://caterhamparts.co.uk/bolts/1465-bolt-m12-x-65mm-long.html. You can see the small step in the shank from 12 to 12.7mm a few mm beyond the thread area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECR Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Are you sure that's right Richard? I don't recall that when I was building my car (it is 30 years ago though).Although I suppose the imperial chassis would have been made to take an imperial metalastic bush which would have had a half inch bore. The thread in the Ford diff would be metric.I wouldn't be surprised to find that I wrongly built the car with metric bolts. Whatever, I've never had a bolt shear there although that could be because I have diff braces fitted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 The photos I posted were from a 200+ BHP VX seven (KRUSSELLI) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Richard Price Posted June 13, 2020 Area Representative Share Posted June 13, 2020 Are you sure that's right Richard?I am! Tom had one fail, but didn't notice until the second one failed... (causing an expensive trip to Arch to repair the damaged tubes caused by it :-( )I now make sure I've always got a couple of spares in my box (an insurance policy so I never need them....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 So it begs the question how do you make a metric threaded bolt with imperial shank while maintaining the required hardness rating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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