So, this weekend I tried removing fog lights and brackets from a bumper support I got from a wrecked Maxima. Bolt after rusted bolt just kept on snapping. I was lucky that I had a cordless impact and a craftsman impact set of sockets for rounded off heads. So I got the lights off the brackets and the brackets off the support but now I have a bunch of snapped off bolts in the bumper bracket.

I am looking for recommendations for how to extract them. I have a set of metal bits but they don't seem to be doing anything. I don't know if they're dull but they might be.


The bracket on my car has the same problem so I figured it would be easier to removed the snapped bolts when it's not attached to the car.

 

hit up home depot or autozone. They have a few options for removing stripped bolts.

 

Bit extractor from Lowes home depot or harbor freight

For the new bolts...go stainless

 

+1 on the stainless. Every time I take out important bolts at least, I always replace them with new ones. OEM Nissan ones are expensive but worth it if youve ever torqued off a head and had to spend an hr getting it off. First time I torqued off a bolt? was the starter bolt. THought I was screwed. Called my professional mechanic buddy and he came up. Got the damn bolt out with his hands. How? mystery to me. Maybe once you work on cars for 40yrs you learn secrets lol

 

I broke one off on the VC my neighbor is a 25+ year mechanic. I asked him about, he too got the bolt out....with a flat head. I was like WTF?

 

Its crazy how they can do the most seemingly impossible things in about 5mins

 

I broke off one of the rear main seal bolts on my last maxima. That was a PITA! I spent at least an hour drilling it out and over-drilled into the block a little. Nothing that a new tap, threadlocker, and permatex black couldn't fix. Scary though...

I've had some luck with drilling into the bolt and basically seizing a drill bit into the hole...and then backing it out by hand. Essentially the same the a screw extractor kit does, just messier.

 

of course working on cars for 40 years you learn secrets. hes probably a master A tech. ****, only working on cars professionally for 5 years and i feel like ive learned TONS of secrets and shortcuts.

but for a broken bolt i just use an extractor set. sometimes the obvious answer is fine too.

 

That's weird I just did mine yesterday, cause I was trying to install some used (JY) brackets and the passenger side had a broken bolt in the reinforcement plate....I used my Snake too drill thru it and I removed it, retapped the thread, and installed the bracket with antisieze on all the bolt threads! Which one snapped? There are 3 per side? Also removing the signal and marker lights might allow you the ability too grab it with Vise grips or something....Good luck!

 

I think five out of the six snapped. I live in the salty north AKA New York. It reaks havoc on your car. Once I do get them out, anti seize might do the trick to prevent it from happening again.

I hope.

 

So the bolt snapped in half and it's still threaded in? Or bolt is stripped? If it snapped you can drill it out if it's stripped get a bolt extrator

 

When drilling into something especially metal apply wd40 or pb blaster on the drill bit making drilling a bit easier

 

How did you come up with 6? 2 hold the lamp in and the remaining 3 hold the bracket in!

 

The oldest 4th gen is 17 years old now. Any part that I need to replace that involves a rusted bolt, even if it comes out clean, will get replaced with a new one.

 

Invest into a contaoiner of anti-seize!

 

There are three bolts per side to bolt the bracket to the bumper support.

I was able to extract one bolt from one side and snapped the other two and then snapped all three on the other side. The head snapped off, it's not stripped.

A buddy of mine has a drill press. I am going to take it over by him and see if i can get that drilled out. I need to pick up a centering punch before i start though.

 

When I snapped off one of the front valve cover M6 shoulder bolt 2 weeks ago I drilled it out right handed and fell out of the cylinder head onto the LIM.

I'll be removing the front bumper and light housings for the first time next week. I will flood them with PB blaster and let them sit overnight.

If you drill into a broken bolt you need to be patient and give little force. A broken drill bit in a broken bolt is a dead end.

 

You think a drill press is gonna fit in there? My snake drill and hand was fitting almost perfectly!

 

The bumper isnt on the car.

 

Man you got it easy as hell! Mine was installed and still is installed on the car, but my Snake drill saved my a$$!....