Broken trans cross member bolt.

In the process of removing the TC last weekend I broke off one of the cross member bolts in the frame, then broke off the grab-it extractor as well. :flame: Now I have to get that damn ez-out removed, I've tried drilling smaller holes around it, but there isn't much to work with and the smaller bits break really easy.

Has anyone ever had this problem? Suggestions?? I do not have a torch, or a welder.

I may make a run to HF for a small dremel style grinder and see if I can grind out the extractor with a diamond bit or something harder than the extractor.

Do you have a picture? Can you get some channel locks on the extractor and turn it out? Can you cut a straight line across the broken bolt with a cut off wheel and try and get a flat head screw driver in there to try and spin the rest of the bolt out?

Depending on where your at and what your situation looks like maybe I could weld on a socket or a nut that you can try and break it loose with......

Yuck. That does suck.

I'll assume everything that has broken has likely broken either flush with the frame rail.....Or deeper inside.

Your best bet might actually be to get at it through the floor under the carpet. There are floor plugs that can be removed just above these nut-serts or welded bolts inside the frame rail and you may be able to simply use a socket with an extension and breaker bar and twist the welded nut from the frame rail, then simply use a regular bolt and nut to assemble the crossmember back in place and replace the plug over the hole.

Best way to access these holes is to remove the plastic trim along the door sill, and then the seat, then roll the carpet away toward the console.

This is the best I could find on Google in a few moments of searching, but this is a shot of the floor with the plugs already removed (on a nasty rusty floor.......)



This is what it looks like looking through the hole - the holes aren't always lined up perfectly above the welded nut.



This is an extreme example of accessing the welded nuts, but most newer XJ's have floor plugs over these welded nuts. You can see one of the nuts was left in place and this guy drilled next to it (I believe he was installing an aftermarket cross member anyway).

if you do have to cut, just cut a U shape and then bend up that way it will be easier to seal up if you want

Thanks ALL! I ended up using a diamond tip on a rotary grinder to remove the extractor, and then I was able to drill out the the old bolt ( 2 bits ) and retap it with 7/16-14 and use a new bolt. the threads did not cut as tight as I would have liked but I think it will hold. If not I will have to go in through the floor pan. The pics will be very helpful.