14 replies to this topic

[TotemoToi]

Mates,

 

Just got my Mini, and previous owner did some mods in an amateur way.  He added the steering column drop bracket, but there's like probably 3mm or so of play where the drop bracket's bolt's sleeve is between it and the stock steering column bracket.  So, basically, the whole column and steering wheel is a bit wiggly left/right, up/down.  Perhaps he used the wrong bolt or wrong drop bracket...not sure.  If you look at the pic, it seems like perhaps the shear bolt's nut end sheared off?  Is that supposed to be like that???  And the other side there's just nothing to grab onto to remove this thing.  The whole stock black bracket looks like it's attached by similar shear bolts up top so no way to remove the entire thing and cut the shear bolt off and install a normal bolt across.

 

First, I'm wondering why all the play.  Second, how the hell do you get a shear bolt off that's had it's nut end sheared off.  I'm just guessing when the previous owner installed this thing he tightened the shear bolt too much and the nut end broke off.  Is that why they call it a shear bolt?  What the hell is a shear bolt anyway??? Lol.  Who wants bolts to shear?  Jesus.

 

Anyway, any ideas???

 

Cheers!

 

Attached Files

•  shear bolt.jpg   53.25K   7 downloads

[nicklouse]

Standard sheer bolt. Are you sure the play is not from worn bushes or splines? Time to get cutting/grinding.

[Tupers]

The head of a shear bolt is designed to shear off on assembly so that later down the line the thief couldn’t simply unbolt the column in order to defeat the steering lock. Any you’ve seen with the bolt head still attached weren’t tightened to the breaking point which sort of defeats their purpose.

To remove a shear bolt you’ll need to either cut a slot into the remaining head and undo it with a slotted screw driver or weld a nut on and remove it as normal.

As Nick says check it’s not your column bushes at fault or the second bolt on the drop bracket.

[Tds76]

Another method is to tap the bolt undone using a centre punch. 

[Revd]

I remove shear bolts by taking a short length of sawn off bolt, thread a nut half on/half off, lock -nut this nut on to the sawn-off bolt with another nut; thread the half on nut over the exposed thread of the shear bolt, and tightening will slacken the shear bolt. No grinding or hammer blows required

Attached Files

•  5D9291FA-0F7A-4347-86EB-217A16AC908D.jpeg   77.94K   4 downloads

[PoolGuy]

I remove shear bolts by taking a short length of sawn off bolt, thread a nut half on/half off, lock -nut this nut on to the sawn-off bolt with another nut; thread the half on nut over the exposed thread of the shear bolt, and tightening will slacken the shear bolt. No grinding or hammer blows required

I had to read that 3 times, but yes that would do it. (Luckily I have to do nothing more complicated than fish turds out of pools)

[Cooper Mac]

I had play in my lowering bracket when I fitted it. I had to fit washers between the lowering bracket and the original black bracket to remove the play. 

 

Thinking about it, I also had to sleeve the bore of the lowering bracket as the shear bolt was smaller in diameter than the bore if the bracket.

[SolarB]

The head of a shear bolt is designed to shear off on assembly so that later down the line the thief couldn’t simply unbolt the column in order to defeat the steering lock. Any you’ve seen with the bolt head still attached weren’t tightened to the breaking point which sort of defeats their purpose.

I think half the Minis I have owned in the past still had the shear bolt heads present.

[TotemoToi]

I remove shear bolts by taking a short length of sawn off bolt, thread a nut half on/half off, lock -nut this nut on to the sawn-off bolt with another nut; thread the half on nut over the exposed thread of the shear bolt, and tightening will slacken the shear bolt. No grinding or hammer blows required

That's clever.  I'll try it.  Cheers!!!

[TotemoToi]

Well, guys, it's certainly not the lower bolt.  It's the shear bolt that's wiggling around.  I guess I just need to get it off and perhaps what's needed is a few washers on either side of the outside of the drop bracket where it attaches to the stock bracket.  That's where the play is.  The drop bracket might not be flush.  Or perhaps something going on with that shear bolt, or the sleeve.  Anyway, I'll try to get it off via the clever method above.

Cheers!!!

[Ethel]

Replace it with a normal bolt. It's achieving nothing with the hex heads below. The slot in the original bracket is to let it bend to clamp on the sides of (in this case) the drop bracket.

 

Also, slacken  & retighten the nuts on the rack U clamps if it wasn't done by the previous owner it could misaligned with the column & stressing the splined coupling. 

[Maccmike8]

Thats the single cleverest thing ever   . 

 

I remove shear bolts by taking a short length of sawn off bolt, thread a nut half on/half off, lock -nut this nut on to the sawn-off bolt with another nut; thread the half on nut over the exposed thread of the shear bolt, and tightening will slacken the shear bolt. No grinding or hammer blows required

[austinseven]

Another method is to tap the bolt undone using a centre punch. 

Thats how I remove them, just make the centre punch has a nice point on it, or use a very small and sharp chisel.

[TotemoToi]

What 'Revd' suggested totally worked!  Clever fix!!!  Thank you SO much man!

[TotemoToi]

 

I remove shear bolts by taking a short length of sawn off bolt, thread a nut half on/half off, lock -nut this nut on to the sawn-off bolt with another nut; thread the half on nut over the exposed thread of the shear bolt, and tightening will slacken the shear bolt. No grinding or hammer blows required

That's clever.  I'll try it.  Cheers!!!

 

What you suggested totally worked!  Clever fix!!!  Thank you SO much man!