9 replies to this topic

[beardylondon]

I bought a steering drop bracket to fit to my 1991 Mainstream Cooper and I'm unable to fit it as the nut and bolt are the shear variety, which I'm told are designed to break off when first fitted and hence can't be tampered with, see photos. Any ideas of how to undo?

 

Edited by beardylondon, 15 August 2019 - 02:21 PM.

[nicklouse]

cut it off. and replace with another bolt.

[beardylondon]

cut it off where, I can't get to it!

 

cut it off. and replace with another bolt.

[nicklouse]

 

cut it off where, I can't get to it!

 

cut it off. and replace with another bolt.

 

remove stuff so you can. or buy tools so you can cut it. some people cut a slot in the pointy bit and then use a screw driver to remove/hold.

 

there is no magic way.

[rally1380]

I think I managed to do it with mole grips.

 

But as above, angle grinder if all else fails.......or, mig weld a nut onto the end?

[beardylondon]

Thanks both, I thought I might be missing a magic way, oh well!

[KTS]

drill a hole in the centre of the sheared end and use a stud extractor to unscrew it

[RedRuby]

When I had to remove one I used a dremmel and cut flats in the edge of the conical nut so I could get a small spanner on it. That way it is re-useable should you need to.

[beardylondon]

Thanks again for the all the suggestions, I got my old man to help me and we centre punched the flat end, then drilled it out, was relatively easy, the head wasn't that hard, it just popped, no need for the stud extractor.  We presume as it wasn't intended to be used as bolt head, the metal was quite soft.

 

As a side note, the supplied bracket from Minispares was loose in the original bracket and needed an additional washer each side internally to pack it out, so it wasn't loose in the slot.

Edited by beardylondon, 16 August 2019 - 12:56 PM.

[mini-mad-mark]

Cut a reasonably large slot with a junior hacksaw and it will probably screw out with a decent sized screwdriver - they aren't normally that tight as they are screwing thought a thin-ish quite compressible bracket.

 

But you're sorted anyway so I'm too late for you but maybe for anyone else who sees this thread in future