Ok here a little background on whats been going on. Where I live they have been repaving the main road I am normally on 80% of the time with the cav. This winter was horible and they started tearing up the old asphalt about a month ago and haven't paved anything yet and the road is bumpy and there are some pot hole still. ( I mainly take side roads home and to work b/c of the road. ) Last week I was driving home from work in the 04LS and I got on the gas to merge and the car pulled hard to the left...and i was all wtf? but when I got out of it and would shift to another gear it would pull hard to the right.

So I figured I had a shot control arm bushings....parked the cav and drove my Blazer all week until I could take her apart to assess the issue. i got the control arm off and looked at the bolts that hold it in and the front bolt sheared off in the welded nut in the sub frame .....so how the hell would you recommend getting this thing out?

Drill a hole into the center of the portion inside the sub frame still.... and then hope there is an eazy out long enough to reach that far...

Look for a new subframe is next option.

Same exact thing happened to me only I had a friend fix it I think he used one of those reversed drill bits or watever they're called to get it outta there

I'm sure I'll get it out eventually......I'm getting ready to head into work now. Does anyone have part numbers for the bolts? since the car is apart I'd like to replace all the bolts at once....if not I'm going to hit up the stealership on Monday morning.

that's what happens when you buy a car from Ryan.
I kid I kid

Yikes. Ive had that happen with the knuckle to strut bolt. they were like 18bux a piece. Prepare for high prices on those bolts. Let us know how you fix it!!



]:-> 287 TimeSlips In Hand. Car Still Runs Strong... 3 Differentials Later ]:->

Schnupper wrote:Yikes. Ive had that happen with the knuckle to strut bolt. they were like 18bux a piece. Prepare for high prices on those bolts. Let us know how you fix it!!

Dam....hope the bolts aren't that expensive...but I will post pics of the repair once i get time to do it.

honestly, i'd just replace the subframe

the skwirl broke in the same area, only it was the nut inside broke free of its welds. I was wondering why i couldn't get my damn a-arm off and why this bolt magically wasn't loosening until I looked in the other side and saw the welds broken and the nut spinning free.

THAT was a pain. I rigged it for the time being, then ended up just replacing the subframe

all this replacing the subframe sounds discouraging... but we'll see how it goes.

Wow man, those are supposed to be heavy-duty bolts!! I can't believe they are breaking for so many people. I don't know if it would be worth your time, but you could try to snatch some from a junk yard - depending on your moral integrity, bolts fit in your pocket Good luck.

I'm not worried about spending cash for new bolts.....I just cringe at 10+ a bolt

odd are from gm you'll be buying an entire BAG of said bolts, not just one or two. at least thats what ive had to deal with in the past... which really shouldnt be a big deal considering if this really is a big problem then im sure you can sell them to people.





I'm tired of wasting my time... now I'm breakin' free.

JUCNBST wrote:all this replacing the subframe sounds discouraging... but we'll see how it goes.

Replacing your subframe isn't really that big of a deal, and you should be able to score one at a yard fairly cheap.

As Cody mentioned, you've got to hope that you can find an extractor that's long enough to reach in there, but I've never seen one that long.

ive never seen an extractor that long either. I'd say just try to get the bolt out first before you go buying another subframe. Regardless you need a new bolt anyway. See if you can extract that broken one first.










~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

the bolt didn't break for me, it was the welds on the nut

directly related to the impact of a ford explorer into my fender, and breaking the suspension on that side (broke the gravana coil right off the knuckle)

Alright, I just got back from running around and ordered the bolts for the f/r of the control arm and could only get them in a package of 5 5each.......so I'll have 3sets of extras since I'm going to do both sides. But since I have part of the bolt sticking through the nut still I'm going to try and use a broken nut/ bolt extractor kit my buddy has used. since I can get access to the bolt on the opposite side of the nut I might be able to pull it through.

I sprayed the broken bolt and nut down with pb blaster yesterday and today. I plan on doing so until my parts come in on thursday Then I'll heat the nut up and try this tool out. I'll keep you guys posted.

JUCNBST wrote:I sprayed the broken bolt and nut down with pb blaster yesterday and today. I plan on doing so until my parts come in on thursday Then I'll heat the nut up and try this tool out. I'll keep you guys posted.

If it doesn't come out after being soaked with PB for days and then heated, it's permanent. LOL.
15 minutes of PB and some heat has never failed me. After days, you should be able to take it out by hand.

One more thought for you: if you have access to a tap set with the correct size for those threads, I'd run it through to clean it up after removing the damaged bolt.

Good luck with it.

Good luck ! But like said replaceing the sub frame is EASY. Probably less work than getting the bolt out. Seeing stuff like this makes me so happy i dont live out east anywhere. BOO RUST!

Got damn thats a lot of rust for an 04, I live in Missouri, and my car has like 2% surface rust.

I had a bolt break on my old 93 shadow, it was one for the hinge on the trunk lid. and it was like yours how it snapped off in the threads, and mine was rusted hard on it.

I just drilled a hole through it, and soaked it in rust remover, and it basically fell out.

well in chicagoland we love our salt....but I'm planning on working on this tomorrow morning once I'm out of work. so I'll let you guys know what happens and I'll take pics.

Well it's fixed and all went smooth. I heated up the bolt but the stripped bolt remover couldn't bit into the bolt well enough and it rounded off......so I put some welds on the bolt and it came right out....but here are the pics on how i did it in order....

I simply cut the welds so I could gain access to the bolt.


Then I put 3 tack welds onto the bolt


Applied some heat



and out it came.....


Then I beveled the edges of the cut piece and tack welded all the corners into place


and welded it back into place and reassembled the suspension.

nice job.

Thanks It's nice to be back in the cavalier again instead of the blazer all the time.

Nicely done, good save.




14.330 @ 96.37mph

Yeah and lots of people said it would be easier to swap the sub frame....I'm still happy I didn't have too.