I am in the midst of replacing the shocks on my 97 Cherokee Country just to update them and get them ready for my move to Texas.

Of course the bolts and nuts are really stiff. I am working on the back shocks right now. With liberal shots of blaster (but not long soaks like over night) I could just manage to get one side done. When I started working on the passenger rear shock the first bolt on top broke.

What's the best way to get the rest of the bolt out of the threaded hole?

 

Do you have an impact gun? I used this on three cherokees and it gets them off very easily. You loosen just a little, then tighten again, then loosen a little more, then tighten and repeat till it comes out. Try this method with a socket wrench if you don't have an impact gun. The key is to not force them. If it feels like it's not turning, tighten it back up and try again. This loosens the rust so it doesn't build up and seize in one thread. You shouldn't have any problem with the front shocks. Those are easy and hardly ever break. Even if they do it's just a matter of getting another bolt. The rear's have to be drilled out or the welded on nut has to be knocked off.

Try using alot of pb blaster and let it sit and work overnight if you can. You can spray it on the welded nut through the access hole right next to the shock. Stick your hand up through there and u will feel it.

This is a very common headache that most cherokee owners deal with. I had the problem on my TJ where all four broke.

 

"Slow and easy wins the race." At least thats what dad always said.

I will be dealing with this problem soon enough.
Had ONE break on our 91. Just drilled and re-tapped.
But I think I may have some snap-age on MY 94.

Talked w/ old friend about it.
Here's his suggestion:

Drill thru center of broken bolt.
All the way thru. Rear floor included.
Remove rear carpeting. Drill thru floor using the first holes as guides.
USE step-drill to make hole big enough for socket.
Fit socket w/ breakerbar into hole and "SNAP" nut loose. It is only tacked into place.
Fit new (longer) bolt down into hole. Use nut/lock washer on underside and torque (as he put it) the livin hell out of it.
Coat threads w/ anti-sieze compound to keep it from happening again.
Install shock w/ washers on top and bottom of bar.
Find plastic hole plug to cover holes in floor and re-install carpet.

He said it works alot better than just re-tapping, or whacking a gapping hole in your rear floor.

I may "try" his suggestion only if I have the need. I've been soaking all the hardware on the rear in anticipation of the new spring/shock set-up.

 

Thanks guys, I was hoping there might be some other way. Like the broken bulb equivalent of using a potato

I can't say I'm glad it happens to others, but at least it's a common thing. I'll soak everything else in blaster and try the loosen tighten thing.

If I drill and tap this instead of braking that weld nut and putting a bolt through there, the hole will go up a size, right? Can I find the right size tap by knowing the bolt head size I broke? It took a 1/2 socket.

I like looking under there and doing things myself. Especially to get the Jeep ready for a big adventure, but this? Not so much.

Thanks for your help!

Anybody ever use one of those Bob Vila craftsman stripped screw sets for something like this?

 

the screw and stud extractor rarely works. i hear alot about them breaking off. they arent designed to remove a rust-welded bolt. best bet would be to drill them out or punch out the nut and use new bolts with large grade 8 washers to cover the hole. someone did this, i think xj stryker, and it was a good setup. do a search and u will find it in this forum. maybe in the build thread.

 

XJ Stryker did the writeup. And the Bob Vila thing works great for screws that have a messed up head like the numerous torx screw heads on an XJ but for the larger bolts I think they are a little to flimsey to be effective.

 

Yep it was me forget about trying to extract rust it is PIA and if you break your extractor off in it you wont drill through it lol.

You can find some pics by going through this thread any questions feel free to ask.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f40/my-waggie-build-3065/

You could do a better job than me I am sure But i knew it would be easy to fix so I didnt care how ugly the holes were.