Ya know I'd love to learn to weld just can't afford a welder..

I think with 1" bolts, you can still use two nuts. First the bolt goes in, and then a washer and nut to secure the bolts to the frame. That way the bolt never moves and you just slide the shock on and use another nut to hold them. Whenever you take the shock off, just twist the nut off and it comes right off. There won't be any need to hold the bolt while you twist the nut since the bolt is already secured with another nut.


Or just tack weld the bolt to the frame.

Best way IMO is to use a bar pin eliminator kit like Full Traction's:


You will never have to worry about taking those two bolts off ever again. Just one cross bolt and the shocks comes off.

i didn't have time to read all three pages, but drilling, cutting and extractors are a waste of time here. i've replaced more rear shocks on xj's than i can count, and almost everytime one bolt breaks.

the first time i started drilling it cuz i didn't know the trick to punch out the welded nut, and replace with regular nut and bolt.

before i got done drilling a buddy showed me what to do, and i have punched out every broken bolt and just put in a regular nut and bolt w/ washers since. i have done dozens of all different years xj, it is the only way to do it.

takes about 10 mins, instead of hours.

i know i replied on a thread a while ago with instructions on it, might want to consider putting it on a write up, i would be happy to give thorough write up if anyone wants, or if its been covered good enough thats cool to.

This may or may not work upside down, but if you break a bolt somewhere, install the easy-out and get a candle and a torch and heat the easy-out with the torch and put the candle on the hot easy-out, the wax will melt and through capilary action the wax will work its way down through the threads and voila, out the bolt comes. Works really well on aluminum engine blocks.

ok there was to much to read so im skipping ahead and hopefully im not repeating. i broke all four when i lifted mine. re drilling is a pain. i then redrilled different holes and placed in bar pin eliminator's but i didnt like the whole bolt set up so i just did the same thing intrepidxj just suggested this weekend.





and now they will be much easier to change in the future without bar pins!

welded in stock location

I like this fix, and it is similar to what I did. I punched out the old nuts and then drilled the holes just big enough to accept the outside profile of the 5/16" nut. Then I welded the nut to a 3/8" flat washer. Put the nut inside the hole with the washer side facing you and mig weld the washer to the bottom of the body. This is a very close simulation to what they did factory and not to hard to do...although you must have a welder handy!

I like yours too, JakeWI! That is the ultimate fabricator's fix! Nice work!

I'm in the middle of doing my 4.5 Rusty's kit on my 2K XJ. of course I broke all 4 shock bolts LOL, air hammer is definitely your friend. broke all 4 bolts out in a few seconds. now I just gotta fish new bolts in there. whoever designed this setup should be throttled!

What is this space where everybody is talking about? The space where I can fish in the new bolts in. I don't want to cut up my floors either.

you can rent welders from rental co. as well as compressors and air tools