Broke a body bushing bolt

[blackgn1]

Anyone ever broke a body bushing bolt off in the frame?

 

[ttaowner]

It's pretty common I break them all the time. You need to probably cut the floor open especially if you broke the cage in the floor

 

[blackgn1]

Thanks for the information. How do you normally remove the broken off piece?

 

[ttaowner]

Did the whole cage inside the body break loose? Or only the body bolt break? If only the bolt broke you might be able to redrill and tap new threads. Otherwise a hole will need to be cut into the floor the cage around the caged nut cut out and might as well make a new caged nut. It's not really like a traditional nut. Once you make a new nut and cage reweld to the body and weld up your floor. This is pretty common don't be surprised if your frame is rotted either around where the bushing goes that's also common. I have had about 70-80 g bodies off the frame.

 

[blackgn1]

I'm hoping for no rust but I know how that goes. The bolt broke off. I can't picture how it would look. I've never had a body off a GBody. Can't find any close up pictures in the search function. Looking though the hole it looks like the frame is threaded.

 

[chopped39]

Which bolt broke off? I broke the one in the middle of the frame before and I removed all bolts from one side and jacked up the body and I was able to see the broke off bolt.I just heated it up and used vise grips and it came out.If it broke off flush you will have to drill it out. Get the bushing out of the way so you can see what your doing. Good luck

 

[charlief1]

I've got 1 on mine now but not driving it since I'm having to do a full frame off. What you need to do is loosen all the body bolts and see if any others are damaged first. It's time to do bushings so do some reading up on how to do it and understand that you will have other issues. Kirbans sells a complete bolt kit but you need to decide if you want rubber or poly bushings at this point. Like chopped said, if you heat the bolt up and use vice grips you may be able to get it out but I'd also tell you you're going to need to lift the body off the frame to fix it. Also, as James said. you probibly have rust issues on the frame that will need to be taken care of. Once you get all the bolts loose then you leave the bolts in 1 side loosly and remove the bolts out of the other side. Lift the side that the bolts are out and put blocks in to keep the body safely up where you can work. If the bushing is stuck on the bolt then you'll have to burn it off first. The heat the it up and use vice grips to slowly remove it. If the mount in the frame isn't to badly damaged you can get a washer from Kirbans to fill the hole up and install the new bolt and bushings for that side. I made my own so I can tell you the hole is 1 & 5/8" diameter.

This sin't fun but it is a learning experience. If you look in the B4black section Adam (Warwagon) just did this on his car. The thread is called repeat procedure and it's on the last page I believe. This might help you to see what you're up aainst.

 

[blackgn1]

Well this is going to be a frame off project anyway. I just bought this car and it will be my race car. The frame look ok from the bottom. Still got good round bushing holes. Excluding the engine bay what else needs to be diconnected to take the body off. I'm hoping to leave the engine and transmission in the car and remove them after the body is off. The fenders, inner fenders, bumper, radiator support, hood, ect will all be removed first. Tired of beating on my good car at the track.

 

[chopped39]

Its not that easy. Do you have a lift? If so thats a big help. If not its going to be pretty rough. Lighing and enngine harness .steering shaft and linkage to trans. engine harness. ac lines. I pulled my front clip before pulling body off. The front parking brake cable,cross brace (drive shaft loop) fuel pump wiring front and rear bumpers. There is a lot more I just woke up so that is some of the things that have to come off .Have fun and good luck

 

[blackgn1]

I don't have a lift. I have come up with a southern hillbilly approach. Since I'm from Tennessee I'm going to use straps and lift the body off with a tractor with a front end loaded. Pick it up, roll the frame out from under it, then sit the body on my trailer so I can move it around.

 

[usetaboost]

Did it all in my 2 stall garage with minimal tools. Dare I post the link?

 

[usetaboost]

I can almost guarantee you will need to weld in the frame repair washers. Just wait til you get a good look at the TOP of the frame. If you need some lmk, I got 4 left from gbody I'll sell you cheap.

 

[SMV6LOL]

Did it all in my 2 stall garage with minimal tools. Dare I post the link?

I DARE YOU.... (im interested in seeing an approach to doing this with no lift)
0

 

[blackazz]

Like usetaboost said very little tools,an a two stall garage doing my frame off now,used camper jacks an a cherry picker.

 

[usetaboost]

http://turbobuick.com/forums/threads/my-progress-thread.245736/
Better get some snacks lol

 

[novaderrik]

race car?

don't sweat the broken bolt... just throw away the body mount bolts and weld the body to the frame..

 

[bob86gn]

I had the nut strip on the number 4 bolts on the drivers side. Took the rear seat out, cut out the floor, cut the nut off the caged plate and got a new ARP nut for the body bolt.
Not really that big of a deal.