The other day I was replacing the front shocks on my bronco. I have duel shocks up front. When I was taking off the old ones, I snapped the stud that holds the driver's side front-front shock that connects to the left traction beam. Then I moved onto the passinger side and snapped the other stud too. I soaked it in liquid wrench before I tried to take the nut off and it didn't even take that much pressure to break. It seems that I am always these things. Anyway, what would be the best way to fix this problem. I thought about drilling the stud out and replacing it with a bolt, but would that compromise any strength on the traction beam? Or is there some way to get the stud out and replace it with a new one? Right now I am driving it with the old front-front shocks just dangling, but at least the front-rear shocks (connected to the radius arm) are good.
Front shocks
- Thread starter walnuts75
- Start date
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Yes, the front stud on the axle beam for the front shock onthe quad set-up is a bad design, and can brreak off. You can find a replacement and weld it back on, but I would consider welding a regular shock bracket in it's place. similar to the lower mount on the rear axle, where you have metal on both sides of the shock and a support below it. You can get shock tabs from any fabricator shop or some of the offroad vendors, Summit, Jeg's, etc. JSM84
Heree's one:
http://www.texas4x4.org/showthread.php?t=14721
Heree's one:
http://www.texas4x4.org/showthread.php?t=14721
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Broncobill78
New member
You can cut off what's left of the stud then drill out the mount and use a bolt if you'd like. As JSM84 said, it's just a poor design. I'm sure it made assembly go a lot easier on the line but once they're off the lot and exposed to the climate north of the Mason-Dixon they go downhill quick. As he also mentioned you can go with a new shock mount as well, either way you shouldn't have this problem again. If you do decide to replace it with a bolt I'd be sure to use a grade 8 bolt, grade 5 might be ok but for a few pennies more why not be *sure*. A grade 8 bolt will have 6 radial hash marks stamped on the top of the head & a grade 5 will have 3. If you get a metric bolt it's a whole different deal (sure, isn't that always the way with metric ?). A metric equivilant to a grade 8 is a class 10.9 & it will have a 10.9 stamped on the head, the grade 5 equivilant is a class 8.8 and that will also have an 8.8 stamped on the head. And of course none of this applies to stainless hardware (always a good fastener choice up North) because stainless markings are all over the place depending on who made the damn thing so you'll have to ask the vendor about that specific bolt if you go that way.
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madmax
Member
yea stainless is nice but most stainless hardware on the market is 18-8 stainless, wich is only about as strong as grade 5 (3 point) bolts.
Thanks for the advice guys. My dad actually suggested the same thing that JSM84 said. I think that there might be a few things in the garage that might be able to work. If I can't find anything, I do have plenty of grade 8 bolts and self locking nuts that would work.
