Tranmission cross member

Here is my dilemma...

I snapped off 2 bolt heads on the cross member while trying to install my RE control arm drop bracket. I tried to air hammer the weld nut out so I could fish a new bolt through, but the weld nut is not coming loose.

I cut a small hole in the frame rail to look in from outside to see if I could knock it loose from that way, but that is the reinforced part of the frame and inside it was packed with a second channel and a bunch of black gooey tarry type stuff. I can't even access the part of the frame channel where the weld nut is.

So, here is my solution. I'll get the brace in place under the cross member, tighten up the one good bolt on each side, then drill a pilot hole though the cross member, brace, and frame, and secure it with a self tapping screw and locktite.

Any thoughts? Better solutions?

Drill and tap the weld nut. I tapped them to 1/2-13 threads.

Or, drill a new bolt hole and then make a flag bolt (similar to the stock track bar flag bolt) and snake it into the frame rail. I welded a nut at one end of a piece of 1 x 3 1/4" steel. Then tack weld a coat hanger to the flag bolt. Snake it into the frame, and align it to your new bolt hole with the coat hanger. When the bolt spins the steel will stop the spinning on the frame rail, and the bolt will tighten.

I would not trust self tappers to hold for the cross member.

What about adding an ear on the x_member to pick up the 3rd hole in the. Unibody?

souske said:

What about adding an ear on the x_member to pick up the 3rd hole in the. Unibody?

Click to expand...

Huh?

There are three holes in the unibody rail on each side. One is usually not tapped. If you could pick up that extra hole on each side, you would be back to having 2 bolts per side

souske said:

What about adding an ear on the x_member to pick up the 3rd hole in the. Unibody?

Click to expand...

Kind of an involved solution when a drill and tap will fix the problem.

Tim_MN said:

Kind of an involved solution when a drill and tap will fix the problem.

Click to expand...

If he can get the old bolt drilled out.

I think I have found a solution, by drilling a different hole in it and sleeving a bolt with an old bushing center sleeve though the unitbody.

Should work. I have have good hold on the front bolts on both sides, so this should be a good fix. I'm not conviced on the drilling and tapping with these bolts.

Also, I didn't see a third hole on my frame rail that I could tie anything into as you suggest Souske.

It may have been deleted ont the redesign. It was for the BA-10

I Knocked the weld nut out, drilled the hole out to accept a shouldered nut up to the shoulder and welded it, ground the weld almost flush. New threads and a 1/16th inch transfercase drop.