Snapped shock mount -- what to do??

zPike00EB · Nov 10, 2009

Recently bought a 2" rough country lift for my girlfriends xj, came with shocks. When trying to remove the upper shock, one of the heads of the bolts of the upper shock mount snapped.

I knew these were sensitive and applied pb blaster, still snapped without even using a breaker.

It's a 2000 but it has decent rust, what do I do?
I'm workng on it as we speak, so please answer soon if you can

go1lum · Nov 10, 2009

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82329&highlight=busted+shock+bolt

hubs97xj · Nov 10, 2009

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=934954&page=2

I drilled and tapped new holes in the broken bolts because I'm an idiot and hadn't found this forum yet. Do not go that route.

dagr8tim · Nov 10, 2009

Forgive me for not reading the two linked threads, and thread jacking. But I think I saw somewhere that somebody makes an adapter for the tops of the shocks that makes for easier future removal.

Does anyone have a link for those? I'm going to be doing shocks soon and would like to have the adapters before I start.

go1lum · Nov 10, 2009

^look at the link that hubs97xj posted.

hubs97xj · Nov 10, 2009

Not ironically, some of the available options are in the links.

kastein · Nov 10, 2009

you and everyone else... :roflmao:

It's a real common problem, check the threads linked above and down at the bottom of the page in the "related threads" box. Also see: http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/broken_shock_mounts.htm if you really get desparate.

Had exactly the same thing happen to me a few months before I found NAXJA

, worst 7 hours of wrenching ever. Should take you about 45min max.

cal · Nov 10, 2009

I encountered this problem no more than two weeks ago.

We took the swaybar links off of the rear swaybar (where they bolt to the axle u-bolts) and welded them to the body of the jeep where the broken bolts are, and bolted the shocks to them.

99SJ_Ex · Nov 10, 2009

I encountered snapping all four rear bolts this past weekend... I used a blue cobolt drill bit to drill em out and then tapped them to 1.25mm threads for an 8mm bolt... Funny thing is I replaced the shocks 1.5 yrs ago and they came out fine, went to put in lift and all four broke...

zPike00EB · Nov 10, 2009

I tried to push the bolts through with a 5/16 pin and a good and hammer... Nothing. Tried a pnuematic air hammer with no such dice. What do I do

altierior · Nov 10, 2009

99SJ_Ex said:
Funny thing is I replaced the shocks 1.5 yrs ago and they came out fine, went to put in lift and all four broke...

kastein · Nov 10, 2009

^^^ also goes well with my "never reuse bolts unless I absolutely have to" rule when working on my Jeep.

OP, either drill em out or go with the rock lizard method (and break them off from the back, or cut the welds holding the nuts in with a dremel)

Or weld new brackets on, like Cal did.

tigerchief · Nov 10, 2009

zPike00EB said:
I tried to push the bolts through with a 5/16 pin and a good and hammer... Nothing. Tried a pnuematic air hammer with no such dice. What do I do

I did this last night, matter of fact. I used an air hammer, took me less then a minute to punch them out. I then fished new bolts into the holes using fishing line.

I'm surprised you couldn't knock them out with the air hammer, the welds are pretty weak.

Edit: Shot in the dark here, and just in case: when you use the air hammer, you have to press the bit against the bolt, pushing the bit all the way back into the hammer before you pull the trigger.

FlexdXJ · Nov 10, 2009

dagr8tim said:
Forgive me for not reading the two linked threads, and thread jacking. But I think I saw somewhere that somebody makes an adapter for the tops of the shocks that makes for easier future removal.

Does anyone have a link for those? I'm going to be doing shocks soon and would like to have the adapters before I start.

www.detoursusa.com

jeeperjohn · Nov 10, 2009

You could drill the bolt out with a drill bit big enough to remove it (maybe 1/2") then use a flag nut and fish it up inside. Run the bolt in just a few threads then you can put one side of the bar pin in under it then put the other bolt in and tighten it all up.

Rmart30 · Nov 11, 2009

You could also drill out the broken bolts and put in Rivet nuts....
They work sorta like a pop rivet. Its a threaded insert that ya tighten down with the tool to make permanent.
If ya got a 5/16 bolt, you drill a 7/16 hole, put in a insert and tighten it down with the tool...
Heres a link with some good pictures.
http://www.google.com/products?hl=e...esult_group&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CCkQzAMwAw

Khary23 · Nov 11, 2009

Welcome to the club. I used a punch and BFH to knock the bolts through then fished them through with some fishing line.

Randeezy868 · Nov 11, 2009

i drilled mine out and drilled clean through the floor (after removing carpet) then uses a hole saw, cut 4 1 1/4 holes and then just used regular bolts. Put the carpet back in and your couldnt even feel the holes in the floor.

thechief86 · Nov 11, 2009

cal said:
I encountered this problem no more than two weeks ago.

We took the swaybar links off of the rear swaybar (where they bolt to the axle u-bolts) and welded them to the body of the jeep where the broken bolts are, and bolted the shocks to them.

i did this too! worked like a charm!

pajeepman · Nov 24, 2009

all 4 of my bolts broke. I was gonna cut the floor then my brother find the post saying to go throught the "triangles" underneath and fish bolts down after punching the factory ones out. Drivers side was a bitch. Passenger side was pretty easy. I just wish I had a BB lift and some of Detours shock mounts to install.

Snapped shock mount -- what to do??

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