Sway bar bushing nut came loose inside frame????

[Evan B]

I'm installing a lift on my 2006 and when I was loosening one of the bolts that holds on the sway bar bushing I got it part way off and then the nut on the inside of the frame started spinning. The bolt moves around but it's still not free from the nut completely. Is there a way to get the nut off of the bolt? Once I get that far is there a way to install new hardware? I've got a new bushing kit coming that has new hardware but I doubt it includes the nut that came loose on the inside of the frame. I'm wondering if that nut is intended to be permanently welded.

Has this happened to anybody else? Is there a solution?

 

[blue4run]

I have the exact same problem. I haven't been able to figure out a solution yet. If you get it figured out please let me know. I noticed there are a few small holes in the frame by the bolt head but can't figure out how to get a welder to that nut.
I was thinking about cutting off that bolt then welding a threaded stud in its place. I have had a few bolts fight me big time in the front end. I had to cut one off to install my light bar. I have even broken a socket on them. We get a pretty good amount of rust here in Salt Lake, Lots of salt on the roads they even use a liquid brine on the roads to keep the ice and snow melted. Everybody here wants a California car. hwell:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

A member has mentioned this problem earlier this month and I suggested that if they did decide to drill through the frame and use a longer bolt instead of a nut welded to the inside of the frame; to go ahead and over drill the hole and weld in a strong steel tube around the diameter of the bolt to add strength to the frame rail and prevent it from pinching together when tightened.

 

[Evan B]

Okay, we found a pretty good solution. Take the bumper off to expose the hole that's about the size of a silver dollar on the front face of the frame. Fish out the nut with a magnet. Grind a notch on two sides of the bolt hole about an 1/8" wide. Tape a wrench to something that fits through the front hole, we used the back end of a bar clamp, and use that to hold the nut over the hole with your new notches. Thread a spare bolt into the nut to pull it down against the frame. Weld the nut to the frame through the two notches. Grind the frame smooth, hit it with some paint and reassemble. It was a pain in the ass but it worked great.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense and I'll try to clarify.

 

[Whytey]

This just happened to me yesterday as I was installing my Daystar Leveling kit.

I am going to try this method (removing the front bumper.) I just need to find somebody competent with a welder.

Will let you know how it goes. Thanks a lot!

 

[MidwestT4R]

This happened to me too when we were trying to replace the front struts. So I took it to a buddy of mine who is a good welder. He cut a rectangular window on the side of the frame rail in line with the bolt. He did not cut the entire side out of the frame rail. Just a window that was around half the height of the frame rail. He then used a box wrench on the nut and unscrewed the bolt. Once he did that he then tacked welded the nut back down in place where it snapped off just like it was before. Once it was in place he took a piece of flat steel and cut it slightly bigger than the opening on the frame rail. Then welded the cover on the hole in the frame and painted it over with some spray paint.

Then after we replaced the sway bar bushing we just tightened the bolt down nice and snug and were good to go. He told me that he has done this type of repair a lot of times and the way he did it was pretty standard. It was awesome to watch him go at it.

 

[toybox]

I have a way better and easier solution tan cutting the frame or taking the bumper off. I got this from the other thread about sway bar bushings as this also happened to me. Fish a carriage bolt though the frame and then tighten a nut on it and it forces the square part it to the frame so that you can get it good and tight. Simple, easy and cheap. Took me longer to go to Lowe's and get the bolt than it did to fix it.

 

[iBison]

We just replaced the bushings, mostly and the end links. One bolt on the driver side didn't want to come out so I sprayed it a few times with Kroil. I haven't been back into it yet, but hopefully I can get it out.

 

[MaximusGluteus]

I have a way better and easier solution tan cutting the frame or taking the bumper off. I got this from the other thread about sway bar bushings as this also happened to me. Fish a carriage bolt though the frame and then tighten a nut on it and it forces the square part it to the frame so that you can get it good and tight. Simple, easy and cheap. Took me longer to go to Lowe's and get the bolt than it did to fix it.

I know this thread is 8 years old but I wanted to say that I ran into this issue this weekend and toybox's solution worked GREAT. I was contemplating drilling a hole in the side of the frame at first, then tapping the frame and just running a bolt into the that until I went searching and found this thread. I don't know what size carriage bolt I used (we had a few laying around and I found one that fit the hole just right) but it worked absolutely perfectly and saved a lot of time and potential destruction.