47-55.1 Spring eye bolt

[Matt_50]

Ok so I have a checklist of things to do and I'm going through it one by one. Next up was making sure suspension was torqued and greased. I got to the passenger front spring eye bolt and realized it wasn't tightened up. It was sticking out a bit. I got to tighten it and it just spends. Same on other side.

It was broke in half on the inside! I haven't driven it or anything... Murphy's Law

I got the half out with the hex head. But it's the other half that's a problem. Looking at a couple bad old mounts, I realized it is threaded on one end. So the half a bolt needs to thread out the way it came but that can't happen. So I cut it flush and tried to drill it out.

My drill bits hardly scratched it. Please tell me a good quality bit can go right through it. Or help me with a better idea.

[MARTINSR]

The spring bolt or shackle kits come with the bushing. So you could simply hammer the bushing with the bolt out.

Brian

[Matt_50]

I tried to hammer it out. I then remembered that the bracket itself has a threaded hole on one end like in my second picture. One side it slides through then gets screwed into second side. I thought to cut it flush and drill it out carefully... but I need a bigger and better drill bit.

In hindsight I should have put a notch in the end so a flat head screw driver could possible spin in out the front. I don't really think it would have worked though.

So I need a very good quality 11/16 drill bit or a new bracket. I've made the mistake of buying cheaper bits and after 1/2 they start getting pricey for good quality. So I have been searching either or.

[Driver_WT]

You can weld a nut onto the piece that is still in the bracket. Then heat up the bracket with a torch and then turn out the nut and the bolt half attached to it.

[Matt_50]

It would have to be small and turn back through the leaf spring out the other side. I originally tried turning it to pull it through until I remember that wouldn't work because the shank of the bolt would just stop at the threads.

[paulspickupparts]

You may still have to weld a nut on to the end of it . Drilling it out will be very difficult as the pin should be hardened. It will have to come out toward you as they do bottom out on one side of the spring shackle. I would heat the threaded area first . They often times have never been out and are froze up. Spray them for a few days with penetrating oil would not hurt anything. Good luck.

[Matt_50]

The picture is from the back side... where it is bottomed out. I need to go out through the spring right?

[paulspickupparts]

Yes, the opposed direction of the threaded side of the shackle in the second picture.

[Matt_50]

I might try to fix that bracket in second picture if I mess this one up lol

[paulspickupparts]

Good idea . Almost all of them look like that . The usually show a lot of wear on the sides.

[Matt_50]

Well found a couple front brackets for the cost of a drill bit... thankfully I already went through the trouble of cutting out rivets when I replaced the original that looked like something hit it.