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Upper rear shock mounts all broken.

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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 01:45 AM
  #1  
R Cannon's Avatar
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Default Upper rear shock mounts all broken.

:Can I get away with dlilling and or beating the 4 bolts out.? Then drilling through the floor too, using the largest washers I can find for the floor side? Using long bolts to "sandwich" the whole thing? If that will work temporarily can I come back and fab 2 plates around 1/4 inch thick to bolt through to stiffen it up? Ive looked @ the previous threads and I dont think this was an easy fix.

Last edited by R Cannon; Mar 21, 2010 at 03:40 AM. Reason: no smilies
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 04:24 AM
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Try this: http://www.rocklizardfabrications.co...ock_mounts.htm
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 08:44 AM
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yes. punch out the nuts, drill up through the floor to give you a pilot hole, then drill a 9/16" hole in the floorboard to give you room for a bolt and a socket.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 09:59 AM
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i seriously don't think all of that racket is necessary. just rotate the location by 90 deg. redrill and install with self-tappers. shocks do not put as much load as you think.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Tural
i seriously don't think all of that racket is necessary. just rotate the location by 90 deg. redrill and install with self-tappers. shocks do not put as much load as you think.
Wow Tural, that is one of the easiest fixes for this common problem I have heard yet.

I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.

Good luck!
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Tural
i seriously don't think all of that racket is necessary. just rotate the location by 90 deg. redrill and install with self-tappers. shocks do not put as much load as you think.
They dont put load but they do pulll load. If you flex the axle it can rip out the selftappers. Not a good idea. Same thing happened to mine and I used 1/8" x6"x8" steel plates for the top of floor boards and 3inx5/16 grade 8 bolts . Silicone around the holes before you put the bolts through to seal it from water.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 02:22 PM
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Default Im taking a bit of everyones suggestions.

Im going to DREMEL the bolt heads flush and try to beat the tacked nut out. If I cant Im going to drill through the bolt and get my pilot hole through the floor. Then use a hole saw for access to that pesky nut. The rest should be gravy. Knock on wood!
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 04:05 PM
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It's a pretty easy fix. As someone else said, just break off the old bolts, punch the old tack welded nuts upward w/ a hammer and drift. Then fish bolts through the holes w/ the threads facing downward; do it with a magnetic flexible tool. You can still get a box end wrech on the head to hold the roll. You can even fish heavier bolts down through the bigger hole than you started with, so you end up w/ a stronger setup. I think the stockers are #8, and you can get #10's in there to replace them. Good luck!
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 08:24 PM
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Originally Posted by suburban_sam
Wow Tural, that is one of the easiest fixes for this common problem I have heard yet.

I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.

Good luck!
i don't get it... was that an insult for my comment or a compliment. because, mine is a redrill and it works fine.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 08:32 PM
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Really I think its best to just to weld a peace of 2x1 1/2 c chanal and replace the barpin with a bolt. I wish I could show you picks but I can't. Anyway it would cure it once and for all.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 11:48 PM
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Default I couldnt have done it without CFs advice. Thanx!

I took info from every source I could find. I ended up with no holes in my floors, 5/16 X1 bolts flat and fender washers on the bolt head side. Nylocks and flat washers on the shock end after fishing the bolts in. Mine had 3 different bolts/ screws out of the 4. 1 was stock! I cut them off with a Dremel, Air Chiseled the nuts out. Fished the new bolts in, after anti seezing them. Im going to be lifting itg soon, so I'll get an easy shock removal then. What surprises should I expect with the front shock change?
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 12:51 AM
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Originally Posted by suburban_sam
I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.

Good luck!
Worked great for me and only took like 10 minutes start to finish.

IMO the easiest and best way to go.
No drilling the bolts out or cutting your floor boards necessary.
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 01:36 AM
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Default you are a lot faster than me!

I have 10 screws and 2 bars in my back. It still took longer to find fixes than do the work. I did it right and took my time.
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 01:51 AM
  #14  
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Try the wire to fish the bolt in. It works great with beer and patience. Use a 13mm Wrench to give that extra tape clearence. If you are using 5/16 X1 bolts. I even fit a flat and fender washer on the inside. Flat washer and PolyLock on shock side. Too easy! Left side is harder than the right to do. You can always step up to a3/8 bolt with a little shock work.
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 10:45 AM
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easiest way was to drill a hole between the shock bolts through the floor and use that as a guide to cut a hole in the floor and use a die grinder to remove the weld nuts, then just use new bolts from the top and nut below.
then you can just either tack the piece back into the floor, or make a slightly larger plate and use tech screws to make it removeable for later access.

or at this point, you could bolt in some bar pin eliminators.
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