Doh!

So I was doing the King of brake jobs with new pads and Rotors today and happened to glance up and see the broken bolt in the picture. It's about 6" above the leaf spring so I can't get a drill in to do an EZ-out. Does anyone know If I take the other bolt out in the picture will the broken one come out in a captured nut that I cant see. The steering gear is right above the broken bolt. TIA.

Chet

 

Track bar bracket bolt I'm guessing. I bet you can remove that bracket altogether and then get a drill in there to get it out after everything is removed. Might be a pain but Im sure it doable...

 

Thanks for the encouragement, maybe if I found a parts diagram I could see what I'm up against. I sure don't want to drill into the steering gearbox.

 

The steering gear box is bolted to the side of the frame. Is the bracket attached to bottom of the frame? If so, it should be hollow inside and should be okay.

 

Yes, the bracket is bolted to the bottom of the frame, possibly with captured nuts, which is what I'm hoping, looking back I should have just taken out the other bolt to see what happens but I was under a time constraint.

 

If you look at the leg with the good bolt you can see it is cracked.

 

Looks like it is cracked down at the track bar end as well.

 

Good eye! I would agree.

 

Thanks for pointing out that little crack that I was hoping was just going to be a figment my imagination.

 

Just looked at my track bar bracket tonight. Different design.

 

how long have you owned the vehicle ? have you hit any curbs or big pot holes during that time ?

how much lift is on the vehicle ?

 

This might have had something to do with the broken bolt. I think the Body Shop missed it. This happened about 4 years ago. The Rav4 tried to run a red light, didn't make it

 

There ya have it, cause and effect.

Be a good idea to check out the rest of the suspension and steering pieces while you are down there, leaf spring center pin, spring hangers, u bolts, tie rods, ect, check to see if anything else is bent, cracked or loose.

 

If you can't get it out with drilling and an ez out, you can weld a bigger nut on top of the broken bolt (after you remove the track bar) and that should make it come out pretty easy. If you don't have a welder, I'm sure someone on here close to you has a small portable welder that would be willing to help out

 

That bolt is threaded into a nut held in place by a nut plate, when he removes the other bolt it will just come out with the nut plate. No drilling or welding required. Now if wants to reuse the nut plate then drilling or welding may get the job done. Much easier to get a new nut plate though.