34 replies to this topic

[fenghuang]

My steering column bracket is secured with a shear head bolts I want to fit a drop bracket and need to remove this bolt.
What is the best way to remove it?

[nicklouse]

IT depends on your tools.

Mole grips can work to hold it. As can a spot of weld. As can an angle grinder (watch out for the glass)

[neal]

My steering column bracket is secured with a shear head bolts I want to fit a drop bracket and need to remove this bolt.
What is the best way to remove it?

Three ways that I know of are:

1, Use a sharp chisel and a hammer and tap it at angle in an anti-clock wise direction, (usually works)

2, Drill the centre, use an EZ (easy) Out, (left handed spiral thread that bites and locks the more you turn it anti-clockwise)

3, Place a large nut on the shear bolt and mig weld the two together through the threaded part of the nut.

 

Your choice

[Its a min]

I got mine off by simply using a hacksaw blade to cut a groove then used a screwdriver to hold the bolt whilst undoing the nut.

[Carlos W]

Mine aren't sheered off

[sledgehammer]

as you probably already know - loosen the rack clamp bolts before starting the job

 

after the drop bracket is fitted , re tighten the clamp & recheck the column pinch bolt is good & nipped up

 

saves a bit of trouble later on

[fenghuang]

No access to a welder, so it'll probably be the hacksaw, angle grinder or a drill and EZ-Out.

 

Any thoughts on whether a Dremel might be up to the task? (I've no sense of how hard the bolt is.)

[Shep76S]

I just drilled the head off and then unscrewed the remaining stud by hand. Replacements weren't sheared off

[Steve220]

I just used a set of mole grips

[Ethel]

You could cut a slot with a Dremel, an impact driver will reduce the risk of chewing it.

[Northernpower]

I used a Dremel, just make a shield (cardboard will do) and tape it in position to stop the sparks.

[tiger99]

NEVER use an Eezi-out for anything, especially when you are desperate. It WILL break, leaving you much worse off than before, and then the only way forward, which is slow and tedious, is spark erosion, They are utterly abominable tools, being made of hard carbon steel, which is brittle.

 

It is much preferable to drill with a left-hand drill bit, obviously in a drilling machine which can run anticlockwise. The torque of the drilling is sufficient to loosen the bolt without having to drill all the way in many cases.

 

If you "think" that you should add a set of Eezi-outs to your toolbox, I respectfully suggest having another think and Googling for "left hand drill bit". A few well-chosen sizes of these, which are fairly easily available, will cover most needs.

 

There are other fancy tools too which are for removing damaged nuts etc and may be successful on a shear head. I think Frost have some, but a full set is not cheap.

[neal]

NEVER use an Eezi-out for anything, especially when you are desperate. It WILL break, leaving you much worse off than before, and then the only way forward, which is slow and tedious, is spark erosion, They are utterly abominable tools, being made of hard carbon steel, which is brittle.

 

 

 

If you "think" that you should add a set of Eezi-outs to your toolbox, I respectfully suggest having another think and Googling for "left hand drill bit". A few well-chosen sizes of these, which are fairly easily available, will cover most needs.

 

 

Hmmmm............

 

If you use the wrong size of EZ-out (this is a product name by the way, there are others very similar with finer spirals and differing tapers all are slightly different in quality and prices) and drill size combination yes they break, especially if used on high tensile steel bolts torqued up enough to hold the earth on it's axis

 

 

If you use a too large EZ-out and only screw the tip in whereby it doesn't travel enough into the hole it will not operate as it should do, YES, it is highly probable that it WILL break the tip off.

 

Also, if you use a too small EZ-out for the given bolt size and torque then it will break again.

 

However, If you use the correct drill bit size and make sure you use the correct size of EZ-out in the box and you screw it in well you will stand a good chance.

 

I have broken the odd one or two in the past, but in contrast I have used these many times more without breaking them, but you have to put things into perspective (as mentioned) and clearly another that I don't share with you is the correct use of equipment, which is probably why you are knocking them, they work in given circumstances using them correctly, in the correct application, in the correct hands, but not always.....

 

 

Remember....We're just trying to help and OFFER IDEAS, we don't know what tooling fenghuang has got, as Nicklouse mentioned. Perhaps  mole grips/ vice grips as Steve220, OR maybe a Dremel  as Northernpower SUGGESTS, I'm sure will all work.. We don't know fenguang's personal mechanical capabilities, well I don't anyway. 

 

I'm looking at all plausible ideas, but unless fenghuang has a workshop to carry out a little moonlighting manufacturing turbo fan blades for Rolls Royce, I doubt he has a spark eroder.....

 

 

Tiger99......This job is not rocket science nor Aeronautical Engineering, lets assume basic tools, Yes???

 

(fenghuang....I haven't checked your profile so I don't know if you are male or female, apologies if I assumed you wrongly as a male)

Edited by neal, 02 December 2016 - 06:39 PM.

[sledgehammer]

you need to take the same precautions with an ezi-out as you would a tap , as above hardened steel that is quite brittle

 

Luckily , I've never had a problem with them - but there is always a first time

 

if they do break , try welding a nut onto them & undo from the part you are trying to extract (clockwise)

 

if the hole is too big that the ezi-out is going into - the ezi-out expands the broken stud & jam's stud & thread up - this is a common mistake 

 

I use ezi-outs when removing broken sparkplugs - esp on the ford ka's - they are prone to it , it can be a head off , if the plug is well siezed

 

neal explains hole size relating to the ezi out - better than me

 

too big a hole  just jams the whole lot up , by expanding the broken stud , which will end up breaking the extractor,

Edited by sledgehammer, 02 December 2016 - 06:41 PM.

[neal]

you need to take the same precautions with an ezi-out as you would a tap , as above hardened steel that is quite brittle

 

Luckily , I've never had a problem with them - but there is always a first time

 

if they do break , try welding a nut onto them & undo from the part you are trying to extract (clockwise)

 

if the hole is too big that the ezi-out is going into - the ezi-out expands the broken stud & jam's stud & thread up - this is a common mistake 

 

I use ezi-outs when removing broken sparkplugs - esp on the ford ka's - they are prone to it , it can be a head off , if the plug is well siezed

Absolutely, to the above info.

 

Excellent for removing broken spark plugs, like I said......they work in given circumstances using them correctly, in the correct application, in the correct hands, but not always.....