4.0cherokee

I need help. My skyjacker bushings were loose and allowed a lot of play and made a clunking noise when I go over and bumps. So I took the front shocks off and put a bigger pin ( Do not know that actual name for the pin with two slots for the botls). Anyway I was doing the same for the back and went to take off the rear shock and the bolt twisted off with very little force. So I used an easy out and the easy out broke off in the whole. I tried to remove the other bolt and it also twisted off with just barley any torque. So I just drilled the second hole out, but the first one with the broke easy out will not drill out. The drill bits I have used will not penetrate the metal of the easy out at all. I need help. What do I do to get my shock back on there? I am going to tap the second hole, but I just do not know what to do about the other hole. Here is the pictures
http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...521092216a.jpg



http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...0521092216.jpg

Sorry they were taken with my cell phone.I tired to post them,but they wouldnt load so here it the direct link.

OnlyInMyXJ22

Those are a very common break.

Buy some BPE's (Bar Pin Eliminators) and weld them in and call it good. You will love them.

a1racer

yeah that happens all the time on these jeeps they should have used anti seize but did not. best way i have found was drill them out and then you can retap if that don't work remove your carpet in the rear drill all the way through untill you get to the floor and drill through then use a small whole saw to cut a small hole to allow access to the bolts from on top

Destro

There are a bunch of write-ups on the web on how to do the broken shock bolt repair.

I was lucky in that all four of mine came out without breaking, but I was prepared for it in case they did break. The easiest of course is to weld in some BPE's but my welding skills suck (and so does my welder) so I was going to cut a hole in the rear and get access from the top. Punch out the old weld nuts and drop a bolt in from the top with two nuts on. Seemed the easiest route to me.

4.0cherokee

How exactly am I going to keep the water out of the back if I do it this way? I will need it so be kind of water tight. Mother nature washes my Jeep sometime LOL...http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...0510091502.jpg

Destro

Use a hole saw to make a round hole, then patch it with a slightly larger round piece of tin/metal (square will work too- I think round because I have a bunch of large round hole saws). Once the repair is done you can put a bead of silicone around the hole and put patch in place on top. A few self tapping sheet metal screws and you are good to go.

4.0cherokee

What kind of bit is going to drill through my easy out? I have used a few bits and it just folds over the edge on it? I am not at my house so if i have to use one bolt to hold it on then that is ok just going to limp home.

Destro

That is why I suggest punching it out- from the bottom use a punch and BFH and drive it out (break off weld nut). The other option is to cut the hole in the back cargo area floor first and use torch or small dremmel to cut the weld nut off.

Drilling out a hardened easy out is very difficult and I think the alternatives would be easier (either weld in a BPE made from your rear sway bar brackets or drive out the weld nuts and replace with new grade 8 bolts going down).

TrekkerJmm

I did the same here with an air hammer, it took all of 5 minutes to get all the back bolts out...Tj

a1racer

yeah this is what i did works awesome and super easy to get to them again if need be

4.0cherokee

can somebody take a picture of their xj so I will know where to drill the hole. i am going to try and make it as little as possible and i would prefer not to just cut randomly.

a1racer

i can post some either later today or tomorrow

Destro

You can wait for the pictures but you can do what I was planning on doing (I had lots of planning for something I ended up not having to do, because I was 99% sure they were going to break!). Use a scratch awl in the open hole and tap with hammer- it will leave a dent in the sheet metal where you will need to cut (obviously it will be off to the one side, but will give you the area you need access to).

~K