Top mount bolt just spinning

gary1365

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The captive nut on my top mount is no long captive the bolt is now just spinning. There’s no space to get a grinder in at the top and I can’t get a spanner or socket onto the captive nut. Any smart ideas 😩😩😩
image.jpg
 

Antoin

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E60 535d
Can you get any downward force on the strut while trying to undo it? Ideally undoing it with a windy gun.
Only other option is to cut the head off it.
 

salster

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belfast
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mini
Normally just put the welders torch up underneath and melt the rubber then you can get a socket onto it. it happens all the time.
 

BobSpounge

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6,150
Centre dab the bolt head and start with a small drill, drilling down just beyond the depth of the bolt head. Work your way up drill sizes to one around the size of the threaded bit of one of the bolts you have already removed. The head should then shear off easily with a tap from a hammer and chisel if it didn't already break off while you where drilling.
 

gary1365

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gary1365
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Can you get any downward force on the strut while trying to undo it? Ideally undoing it with a windy gun.
Only other option is to cut the head off it.
Tried pushing on the strut and giving it ugga duggas but no luck.
Normally just put the welders torch up underneath and melt the rubber then you can get a socket onto it. it happens all the time.
Don’t have a welder’s torch but I was trying to think of ways to melt the rubber.
Centre dab the bolt head and start with a small drill, drilling down just beyond the depth of the bolt head. Work your way up drill sizes to one around the size of the threaded bit of one of the bolts you have already removed. The head should then shear off easily with a tap from a hammer and chisel if it didn't already break off while you where drilling.
I don’t have any hss drill bits at the house.

Honestly I think I’m just going to send it to a mechanic as getting the strut back in is a pain in the hole anyway. I broke the scuttle panel too in a bit of a strop getting the impact gun onto the bolt and the rubber boots on the drop links are perished so I’ll have to buy a pair of them anyway while I’m at it.
 

stevieturbo

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21,096
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Antrim
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Old Ford
No space ? is it the bolt head you've actually pictured ? looks like a ton of room for either a grinder, drill, all sorts of tools

Just rip the head off it.
 

gary1365

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gary1365
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No space ? is it the bolt head you've actually pictured ? looks like a ton of room for either a grinder, drill, all sorts of tools

Just rip the head off it.
You'd get a dremel in there but not a mission would you get a normal grinder anywhere near the head of the bolt without hitting the surrounding metal. You could get at it with a drill but I have no HSS bits in the house.
 

stevieturbo

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Looks like there is a ton of room to just slice through the head in multiple cuts, then just whack the top off.. There are no obstructions in that picture to depth of cut.

And likewise for a drill.
 

gary1365

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gary1365
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Looks like there is a ton of room to just slice through the head in multiple cuts, then just whack the top off.. There are no obstructions in that picture to depth of cut.

And likewise for a drill.
Yea you could get at it from above and chop it enough to knock it off. I’m leaving it for now as I’ll need to buy another top mount. I have a pair in the shed but they have 80k on them and the bearings are a bit rough may as well do it right the first time.
 

mikey

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Celica
Happens all the time in work. Depending what mood I’m in, either the mini air grinder with a cutting disk or the air chisel to take the head off it. Not a very helpful answer as I assume you have none of these to hand lol. Failing that remove the wiper arms and the scuttle panel and you should be able to get in with a regular 4.5 inch grinder the way that one is positioned.
 

gary1365

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gary1365
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Just thinking about it even with the scuttle off the bonnet might get in the way of drill or grinder
 

mikey

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Just thinking about it even with the scuttle off the bonnet might get in the way of drill or grinder
If you pop the clip on the bonnet ram and pull it off you can lift the bonnet up slightly further which may allow a bit more access if you have a willing assistant (or brush shaft) to hold it up!
 

gary1365

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gary1365
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If you pop the clip on the bonnet ram and pull it off you can lift the bonnet up slightly further which may allow a bit more access if you have a willing assistant (or brush shaft) to hold it up!
I now have a £250 basket sitting in Autodoc I need to gather the cash to pay for before I do anything else 🤣 I wasn’t going to bother replacing the front dampers as they’re still rebounding ok but with 80k on them it’s probably best to anyway.

The coilovers are leaking already at 14k I’m a bit disappointed but not surprised. I’ll drive at them another couple of months then get the standard stuff back in. I might still pay someone to throw the front struts in as it’s a ball ache to fit them.
 
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