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TC Drop Nightmare.

C

Cherokeekid88

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Carolina
OK so had some free time today to tackle the TC drop thats been sitting in my jeep for a couple months now. I started with the stud on the drivers side. Luckily the stud came out with the nut. Then i went to the bolt, and my socket is not catching it, almost like the bolt is rounding itself. So i went to the passenger side. (by the way, I soaked all the bolts in pb blaster) and started with the nut with the stud, and it snapped. I didn't even try with the bolt with no stud, but now im stuck with only 2 bolts holding up my crossmember, 1 on each side. So I have a buddy of mine that has alot of tools and a welder. What can i do to get this stupid thing installed? Also is it safe to drive at all with 2 bolts missing?
 
I wouldn't drive at all with only two bolts holding it up. What I have had to do in the past was drille some extra holes, tap them, and thread extra bolts to hold it up to help me get by for a couple days. You need to get an extraction socket to get that rounded off bolt out. You put the socket on, and tap it all the way on with a hammer, and it will get tighter as you loosen the bolt. That should extract the bolt. Now on the stud, I am guessing it is broken off smooth with the "uniframe rail"? If that is the case you will probably have to drille it out, and then run a tap through it to rethread it.
 
x2elite said:
I wouldn't drive at all with only two bolts holding it up. What I have had to do in the past was drille some extra holes, tap them, and thread extra bolts to hold it up to help me get by for a couple days. You need to get an extraction socket to get that rounded off bolt out. You put the socket on, and tap it all the way on with a hammer, and it will get tighter as you loosen the bolt. That should extract the bolt. Now on the stud, I am guessing it is broken off smooth with the "uniframe rail"? If that is the case you will probably have to drille it out, and then run a tap through it to rethread it.
Click to expand...
X2.

now on the rounded.. just get your buddy to weld a nut onto it and then break it loose with that.
 
lite use of a gas axe coupled with any candle melted on the offending bolt is THE best for problematic extractions.plus it smells wonderful . I have used this to remove many 50 plus year old rusted fasteners that would not budge. truly amazing, i did not think it would work but it does. hope this helps
 
flatlandr said:
lite use of a gas axe coupled with any candle melted on the offending bolt is THE best for problematic extractions.plus it smells wonderful . I have used this to remove many 50 plus year old rusted fasteners that would not budge. truly amazing, i did not think it would work but it does. hope this helps
Click to expand...

I too have used this method, worked on origional bolts on a rusted old '58 F100 I had..... And my 93 Ranger....
 
256offroad said:
X2.

now on the rounded.. just get your buddy to weld a nut onto it and then break it loose with that.
Click to expand...

That was my next recommendation.
 
flatlandr said:
lite use of a gas axe coupled with any candle melted on the offending bolt is THE best for problematic extractions.plus it smells wonderful . I have used this to remove many 50 plus year old rusted fasteners that would not budge. truly amazing, i did not think it would work but it does. hope this helps
Click to expand...

More info on this please, completely new to me.
 
He is saying to heat the bolt or stud with a torch, and then use wax (either from a candle or some other source), and let it melt down into the threads. It works wonders, but isn't always the most convenient method.
 
Well My buddy and I got the TC drop on there. Had to drill out the rest of the stud that broke and then one of the nuts in the frame rail was stripped and wouldn't catch the new hardware, so had to drill an access hole in the frame and put a nut on top of the old one. Wasn't too bad, just glad its over with.
 
Good for you..... I know how much of a pain it can be, and alot of people use that as an excuse to do things half assed, but it sounds like you took care of the situation properly. One other thing you may have tried is, if the nut was still firmly welded in place inside the frame you could have tapped it with a slightly larger tap, and just installed a slightly larger bolt.
 
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