Stripped 19mm front control arm rear transfer link bushing bolt

[idosubaru 2025]

a front control arm rear transfer link bushing bolt is stripped and it didn't come out...so can't check threads.

 

is it 12 x 1.25 mm threads?

 

how safe to drive with one bolt holding that rear bushing in place?  it's been knocking all year - couldn't figure it out, got worse recently and figured it out today.

 

i assume i'll be helicoiling/timeserting this thing.  if i remember correctly those bolts have have a hefty torque value, helicoil i assume is still good?

 

any other tips?

 

i'm guessing there's not enough threads/room to just use a longer bolt which often works, this thing is huge and heavy torque.

[Fairtax4me 1439]

If its just spinning in the hole the captive nut in the floor pan has probably broken off. Not fun to get those out.

 

Those bolts are M14 x 1.5 IIRC.

[lmdew 533]

Way back when I had one cross threaded.  I had to saw the bolt off and then I drilled down through the floor pan with a hole saw to give me access to put a nut on.

 

Those cross thread very easy.

[idosubaru 2025]

a hole saw - indeed!!! wow.  do you recall roughly where you drilled - like in front of the seat or under the ECU...?

 

If its just spinning in the hole the captive nut in the floor pan has probably broken off. Not fun to get those out.

do tell - how is it done?  i have no idea where/how to get to that nut.

spinning - that's exactly what mine is doing.

[Fairtax4me 1439]

You may find yourself making multiple holes in the floor to get to it.

 

Basically, remove the other bolt (if possible) and run a punch up through it to make an indent in the floor pan. Measure the center-to-center spacing between the bolts, then measure from the dent to figure roughly where the hole should be.

If you can't remove the other bolt, some very detailed work with a ruler or tape measure and a t-square or straight-edge will get you in the ballpark.

 

I dont remember if those are under the ECU or if they are a bit further back.

[idosubaru 2025]

Copy - that doesn't sound too painful...crazy, dumb...absurd...yes, but hopefully not a waste of a day.

 

Is that what Subaru would do? Hard to imagine them drilling holes in floor pans?

[idosubaru 2025]

Just went and looked - appears way forward in the passengers side foot well - it is further forward than the blower motor and ECU.

 

I guess I'll be pulling the ECU and drilling at an angle maybe?

Doesn't seem like any room or anyway to get anywhere close enough to get access, but i forget what's under the ECU...

 

If I just slap a nut in there then it'll be a problem every alignment or bushing replacement right?

 

How about drilling/cutting a hole from underneath?

 

Then I could also bolt a cover over top that at least allows future access for alignments/replacement or maybe even have room to weld in a new captive nut?

 

This car is in excellent condition and I was planning on a lot more miles.

[heartless 583]

if you cut/drill a hole from underneath, you are opening the chassis to more dirt/debris getting in there and causing potential rust issues.

 

I realize West Virginia isnt as bad with rust as Wisconsin is, but I personally would not go from underneath unless I absolutely had to - ie: there is no other way to fix the issue.

[idosubaru 2025]

i thought about that.  i'd have to cover/treat it somehow.

 

if i do it through the cabin then the alignment isn't adjustable or if they try to - it'll loose that captive nut and have to be accessing through the interior again.  unless I can get enough access to weld another captive nut in place, but based on what i've seen so far i can't imagine getting enough access with my welder in there.

[86BRATMAN 352]

I can't tell you how damn scared I was of cross threading those bolts when I changed out my bushing a few weeks ago, they are ridiculously far forward, the manual transmission's crossmember bolts end up right under your feet in the cabin on the up slope of the floorboard. If that helps give you an idea of where these may be, had to do the floor cutting in my friend's GT.

[idosubaru 2025]

I had to do the floor cutting in my friend's GT.

you've done it before?  i've seen mention on other sites - but no one has really said what/how/where to do it?   you just pulled the carpet it up and started cutting? 

 

pull the ECU or any dash stuffs first?

[86BRATMAN 352]

His was driver's side, and was a front transmission crossmember bolt, used a hole saw, can't remember the size now. But we took many, many measurements to make sure it was in the right spot. I'm going to have to do a rear trailing arm bolt sooner or later on mine.

 

I'd be afraid to say where the one you're after is going to fall in the cabin Gary, those things are far up. If it was me, I'd almost consider doing it from underneath and welding a new nut in place and plating the frame. Looking at my other 97 with the dash out, it appears that the bolts you're after will fall under the ac condenser, way up there.

[idosubaru 2025]

copy, thanks.  ECU comes out easy enough so i'll take a look under there but i'm not wasting much time, i think cutting and welding that frame area sounds like a pretty decent idea.  if i can come in from the side it almost seems as if i won't need much room either, not much cutting at all.

[lmdew 533]

I had the bolt out so I drilled up from the bottom to locate the hole.  Mine was on the drivers side.

 

If you can't get the bolt out, just measure over an inch or two and drill up from the bottom to locate the hole.  You can use an 1 1/2 or 2"  hole saw and drill from the top down.  Then just put in a plug.  If you ever have two remove it again, no problem.

[idosubaru 2025]

I had the bolt out so I drilled up from the bottom to locate the hole.  Mine was on the drivers side.

 

If you can't get the bolt out, just measure over an inch or two and drill up from the bottom to locate the hole.  You can use an 1 1/2 or 2"  hole saw and drill from the top down.  Then just put in a plug.  If you ever have two remove it again, no problem.

there's plenty of room in the floor board? where your feet sit?  it appears so far forward i can't picture it being accessible from inside the cabin? 

Edited September 30, 2013 by grossgary

[lmdew 533]

One way to mark it for sure, cut the head off, push the nut and what's left of the bolt out of the way and drill up from the bottom.

 

Larry

[idosubaru 2025]

for those that have done this - you've done this on a Subaru before, what year/models? 

mine is a 2003 Outback Sedan H6

 

i've drilled multiple holes and I've cut a huge swath out - like 5 inches or more with a sawzall and i see nothing - zilch just empty cavernous space and metal folds.  i can't imagine drilling or going through those folds....not without making a 8"x8" hole to work through but you haven't mentioned that.

 

truthfully it doesn't seem like what i'm doing is possible and this seems like the worst possible way to attack this.

 

it seems from the underside cutting a notch is the only way to do this?

[idosubaru 2025]

i started a new topic with updated title to grab anyone else that's seen this before:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142509-who-has-done-this-repair-captive-nut-broken-loose-front-transverse-bushing-link/?do=findComment&comment=1197532

Edited November 24, 2013 by grossgary

[WoodsWagon 108]

I busted the captured nut loose on my Loyale where the radius rod bracket attached, pretty much the same spot as where the rear bushing bracket on the EJ's is. I measured to get an approximation, took a look at the spot weld pattern on the floor to see where the "frame" channel attached, and started by drilling a small hole and peering in. Then drilled another hole and got centered on the bolt and used a hole saw to cut a big enough hole to get a socket in on the captured nut. Then I could snap the bolt off and put a new one in.

 

I just left the hole in the floor and put a strip of tape over it.

[ivans imports 161]

My outback sport had thiss problem mine the bolt was broken off in hole i drilled the center of bolt and taped it to a smaller size I also had a broken trans xmember bolt was able to air chisel a hole above it and replace it with bolt and nut was hard to get to but doabble

[idosubaru 2025]

wrong link posted, i posted a link to this current thread.  here is the new one:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142509-who-has-done-this-repair-captive-nut-broken-loose-front-transverse-bushing-link/?do=findComment&comment=1197532

[lmdew 533]

Did a 97 Impreza OBS to forester Strut change today.

 

The rear link mounts broke 4 of the 6 nuts loose inside the frame.  

 

I had one bolt on each side out and the other 4 loose.  

 

Removed the rear seat bottom and plastic door sill plates.  Drilled up from the  bottom in the good hole and then used a cardboard template to locate were to drill the 1 1/2" hole down from the top to access the other nuts.  

 

Worked well.  The bolts were corroded above the nut, the nut and bolt part that was inside the nut was pretty good.  A few breaker bars and some work allowed us to remove all six bolts and reuse them as we installed the new trailing arms.

 

All of the holes were under the rear seat, so we just left them.