Myles Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Mucho-ar*e! I was just running the Caterham up to temp with fresh fuel ahead of its mot next week - when I spotted one of the damper bolts protruding from the wishbone. After trying in vain to screw it back into place, I tried pulling instead - and it became clear that the bolt has sheared. There is approximately only 40mm of the shaft of the bolt left on the head - it has sheared pretty-much right at the start of the threaded section. By complete chance (ok, a boy-scout mentality for spares), I do have a spare bolt somewhere - but how do i get the damper off and the old one out without mullahing the damper or wishbone...? Clearly, there's not a huge amount of bolt left in there ( ) and there is dome clear movement of the damper - my thoughts are to try and bend the bolt such that I can get the damper off - and then remove the bolt itself. At this point, I have a reasonable level of confidence that the bolt is not seized too... The bushes look to be in poor condition - but if I can get through this without replacing them (which would force me to miss my mot and therefore and chance of shaking the car down), they'd be great. Fwiw, the shear is brand-new. The car has only run 300 yards up and down our cul de sac this year and lives outside - so I think the break must have happened then, somehow. Glad I spotted it as i did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Is there enough room to carefully aim a hacksaw blade and cut through the bolt to enable damper removal? And then remove the rest of the bolt on the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Firstly, this would almost-certainly kill the bush - but it would leave very little to get at. I did try this 10 years ago when I rebuilt the car - in the end, I gave the wishbone (with seized stub of bolt) to Bruce at Arch and I think even they cut their losses and just gave me a new wishbone! I've had a closer look - there really shouldn't be much of the bolt left within the bush. I think I'll try forcing the damper bush eye away from the spec of the wishbone and see if that gives enough wiggle to slip the bush off. It does make me wonder why the bolt is blind - I had a seized bolt ten years ago - neither of the issues would occur with a through-bolt..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markiebabes Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Had the same happen just before Mot last year and John bio helped refit the bolt From memory he drilled a pilot hole and then used an old Allen key that he tapped into the hole in bolt and then removed it 😬 I now treat this as a consumable item and replace everytime the bolt is removed ! HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Markie - not sure I follow... Did you get the damper off before drilling the bolt.... ...and was the bolt drilled along the normal axis - or through the ways to get leverage? Stupid, stupid design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mav Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 cut it with a junior hacksaw... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Yeah, but what will that leave me In terms of something I can then grip/work out of the wishbone.... ...and it may compromise the bush (which isn't the happiest bush in the world to start with... If I did have just a couple of mm left to grab, how would I best grab it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markiebabes Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Myles No we had to drill in situ as bolt was sheared at the end of the threaded section! So the shock wouldnt have had enough space to remove it,drilled as straight as possible ! I have nitrons fitted so had to be cautious not to damage eyelet sorry should have made it clearer Yeah agreed the loading from the shocker must be high and such a thin bolt !! Hope that's a little clearer ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Myles Normally they're seized in the damper bush not the wishbone, alu sleeve-steel bolt. Cutting it on the thread side will let you remove the damper and i bet the thread will just unscrew from the wishbone, your problem will be getting the remaining bit of bolt out of the alu damper sleeve, which itself will be welded into the steel damper Edited by - F355GTS on 13 Jun 2014 21:52:32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 F355, Thanks - I don't think anything is seized - there was no evidence if corrosion on the bit of the bolt that came out. I'll be taking a proper look later this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Well, it took me until today to look at it. In the end, I cut the bolt as suggested. I'll need new bushes but these can wait. I was extremely fortunate that the bit of the bolt left in the wishbone came free with little other than a stern glare. It looks as if the early bit of the threaded boss has actually lost its thread - I suspect that this bolt has been doing interesting things for a while.... Anyway, new bolts are back in and I've a fighting chance of making my mot. I have no idea what I'd have done if the bolts were seized.... I replaced the drivers side one as a matter of course. It might be my imagination, but I could be persuaded that there're is some wear / dull scoring of the bolt at exactly the point the other one broke - I.e. On the transition between the thread and thread less sections.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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