sheared nuts anyone !!!

[malmac]

Hi, just removed rear axel from my mk1 scirocco in order to get welding underway when one of the nuts holding the axel on sheared of along with the bolt (lovely). I've bought some "easy outs" or stud removers but havn't got much faith in them and heard horror stories of them snapping off too. Should i just drill rest of old stud out and put new thread in, also what do i ask for when buying new stud, size etc.

Any advice most welcome.....

thanks
mal

[Village Idiots]

Horror story!
If you have any of the stud left, try to get something on it to unscrew it.
If you have to resort to drilling, I would advise making up a plate drilled to the same centres as the studs should be, one hole the stud diameter, the other the tapping size. Bolt this to the good stud, lined up with the broken one. Use a drill the same size as the hole in this plate to start with....this will effectively centre mark for subsequent drilling to remove the stud remains. If the plate is good and thick it should prevent drill wander. Afterwards you can rent it out to people with similar problems! Any fastener factor will sell you replacements. Check on EKTA for sizing.

[PeteGLi]

Horror story!
If you have any of the stud left, try to get something on it to unscrew it.

It is a captive stud and you cannot unscrew it. Drilling and re-tapping is one option. I think Haynes gives the drill and tap sizes. Or, as has been done on one of my cars, drill and insert a bolt from the top. But ,you will have to cut a small access hole in the interior panel under the rear seat to be able to do this.

I suggest that you take your mechanic's / body shop's advice.

[malmac]

Thanks alot for replys, both good ideas which i never thought of. I'm gonna have a bash over the weekend, i'll put the ideas to my mechanic mate and see how we get on. (ps, as usual, the stud has sheered off flush with chassis and it's corroded, the joys of motoring)

thanks again.
Mal.

[The Autoad]

Or, as has been done on one of my cars, drill and insert a bolt from the top. But ,you will have to cut a small access hole in the interior panel under the rear seat to be able to do this.

Pete, you wouldn't happen to have a photo to hand to pinpoint the exact location and size of that access hole would you? Just happened to me to on a certain blue GTi...but enough of the stud left to tackle

[PeteGLi]

Ant - You can see the slot on the right hand side in this photo, but I cannot give you dimensions as this car is still 80 miles away from me.



However, if you can wait until Inters, you can have a look at the BELGIAN (not Dutch) LHD and measure that.

[SCOTMCDOT]

Is the bolt going into a thread on the bodywork or into a bolt attached to the bodywork?

They may be a pain in the arse but i have used helicoils a couple of times. Will have to drill out the original bolt first though. If you cannot get a purchase on the bolt head as it has rounded or something i have also welded a nut onto the bolt head a few times in the past.

Apologies if i have completely picked up the wrong end of the stick here, but i am not totally sure of the bolts you are looking at, but thought i would stick my oar in anyhow.

Scotty

[PeteGLi]

The original stud is welded into the bodywork, so if the stud shears when you try to undo the nut, the only option is to drill it out. It will not unscrew from the bodywork.

VW's recommended option in its Workshop Manual is to drill out the stud and tap the hole with an M10 thread.

1. - Drill through using an 8.0 mm diameter drill.
2. - Tap M 10 thread.
3. - Secure the rear axle to body with M 10 x 40 bolts (tensile class 10.9)

I am no engineer, but I do not think that a helicoil would be strong enough for this particular repair. The nuts are torqued up to 45 Nm, so I imagine a replacement bolt would be the same.

What I discovered on my car was that the hole had been drilled and a loose bolt inserted down from the top, which meant that I had to get a socket on the top in order to hold the bolt still while the nut was undone.

[Ryan]

What I discovered on my car was that the hole had been drilled and a loose bolt inserted down from the top, which meant that I had to get a socket on the top in order to hold the bolt still while the nut was undone.

Mine has a similar repair.

I'll see if I can get a pic later if it's of use..?

[The Autoad]

Brilliant, thanks for the pic Pete, appreciate it.

That slot looks factory. You see what looks like a thick old piece of tape that has been seam sealed over on the opposite side? (above the date of the pic?) There should be another one lurking under that.

I was of the understanding that only the post 1980 mk1 Golfs had this slot, so will take a close look at the shell here and report findings. Otherwise, that gives me an indication of where to drill with a hole saw and grommit afterwards.

[The Autoad]

Alekazam! Scirocco's have the slot too



Its almost invisible when the tape is in place. Wonder if this has been the practice since 74?
This makes things alot easier to sort the thing out now.

Malmac- have a look on your car chap

[malmac]

Great, thanks alot for that "autoad", i'd never have thought they were there. Hopefully the job won't be as bad as i'd first thought.

thanks again
Mal.