Bolt broken need advice...

[Blaze69]

I opened my donor front diff this week and noticed that the bolt that holds the pin for the spider gears is broken off. The pin is still in there nice and tight. Is there anyway to get it out without tearing s#%t up? Should I even worry about it? I was looking to bolt it up within the week and need some advice.

[694X4]

If it was me I would throw it in. If you could get it out with an ez out I would try to get it out. If it is tight I would say the only problem you will ever have is if you ever want to take it apart. Just don't break an ez out off in the bolt because they are harder steel then a drill bit so then you are screwed.

[1971Stepside]

I assume the broken off part did not go through the gears and shed some teeth. I wouldn't want to leave it that way, because it would fail at the most inopportune moment.

I hate getting broken bolts out, good luck.

[JJR]

If some threads are still left on the bolt you could probably run it as is but I would go ahead and replace it while it is out of the truck. Those bolts are notorious for breaking. I was all set to replace the axle seals in my 93 GMC until that bolt broke off about three threads deep. I called my friend who runs an auto shop and he said it was common and Snap-On had a kit to get the rest of the bolt out. The kit is basically a self centering drill bit (about 24 inchs long for easy access) and a easy out. I took it in and they had it out in no time. It did not cost much. I would call some of your local shops and see what they would charge you for removing it if you brought it out of the truck.

[Blaze69]

How far does the bolt extend on either side of the pin? Right now it looks as if there is about 1/8-3/16" .

[Piston]

Yep those are a PITA once they break off. Although its fairly common, I'd say about 25% of the rear ends I deal with are either already broken or break when removing. The trouble is, to gain access to the broken part you have to remove the carrier but you can do that unless the axles are out, cant remove the axles until you remove the pin LOL!

2 methods... Alot of the time the pins break and are somewhat loose inside the carrier. Use a magnet to remove the pin if possible.

If the head is broken off and there are still threads remaining, you can use a scratch awl or pick to turn the bolt.

Last case senario- Take another carrier pin shaft and a large sledge and drive the pin about 1/2" forward. DO NOT drive it all the way through just yet, you want to remove the broken peices of the pin before turning the carrier back. This method does work but often ruins the large pin.... You'll be ordering a new retainer pin anyway so its no big deal. Alot of the time the pin snaps right off and you dont have to work at it much.

[Blaze69]

From what I can tell, the broken end looks flat. No treads are visible, then again I don't know what the bolt looked like to begin with.
Now did I read you correctly, are you saying that the only way to remove the carrier is to take out the axles? I hope not.....LOL

If I do take another pin and bang out the old one, how will I get the old pin out? The other end of the bolt hole looks smaller.

[Piston]

Yep, to get the axles out you have to remove the main pin then slide the axles inward about 3/8" to remove the C-lock, then the axles will slide out. Cant remove that stuff till you get the pin out. lol vicous circle.

Once the main pin is driven back a bit, you'll be able to use a magnet and remove the remaining peices. I like the other idea of a drill/extractor but it would be tough to gain access since the carrier is recessed.

[Blaze69]

Wholly cow, I finally hit 100

Thanks for the advice, I'll try some of those ideas when I get a chance.

[jerry moss]

if you're dealing with a dana 44 front axle, there are no c-clips. the axles slide in and out freely, the rear axles on semi floaters have c-clips(12 bolt and 10 bolt) the tool that JJR was talking about is the easiest way to get that little S.O.B. out. you can break it as said but if you miss once with the hammer and hit your hand you'll wish you had spent a few bucks on the correct tool,lol.