[Andygoodbloke]

Hi all
As mentioned in my last post I am adding the standard seat runners to after market seats which are out of a Suzuki Swift I think, into my SJ50.

So far I have managed to line the passenger side up and get it all together and it works.

The seat belt mount for the passenger which has the female socket on a wire stick has a snapped off bolt in it in the mount at the bottom floor/centre drive train tunnel. It has to come out. T - these bolts are not small so it has taken some force to get it is, stuck then snapped off,

So far we have tried a hole through the centre and an easy out reverse thread tool after drilling approximately an 8 mm hole through. - It will not move, the stud from the drive train tunnel is showing through and looks as though it has rusted itself in place

Lots of heat to the back of the nut inside the drive shaft tube and lube spray - no luck

The last stuck bolt turned into a nightmare when the easy out snapped off in the hole - do not want to repeat this and adding more force to the easy out may break it, the easy out are made by Stanley and carry a guarantee, but that won't stop me using to much force and breaking it - again

Out of all the bolts on the vehicle to break, this one is one of the most critical ones with a snapped off bolt in it and the thread cannot be touched in removing it, or does some one have a thread tap of the seat belt bolt thread?

The neanderthal who snapped it just left it and used seat belt mounts on the car seat.

NZ law says there are 2 types of seats stressed and unstressed. The stressed are a lot stronger with the seat itself becoming part of the safety and the seat has to be standard without any modifications in the seat or the mounting. I am using seats out of another vehicle with different mounting points so cannot use the Stressed seat.

The Unstressed seats use mounts in the car floor/ center drive train tunnel and b pillar. You can replace the seats as long as the original mounts (or approved after market ones) are used and bolted to and not welded. I have gone for this option so need the broken stud out

I will take pictures when at the vehicle but has anyone had this issue? How was it resolved without touching the seat belt bolt thread as many ideas I had all run the chance of making the issue worse rather than better.

It is in with lots of force the bolts are not small and has been there since Jesus played in the second row for Jerusalem,
How do I get it out?

Thanks
Andy

[Gwagensteve]

The only feasible way of retaining the existing thread is to drill the bolt out as close to the bolt diameter as possible and then clean the thread out by tapping the hole.

I have done this many times. Not on a seat belt bolt, but that’s just a matter of buying the right tap and drills.if done accurately the thread will often just wind out as you tap it.

[BlueSuzy]

Or try welding a nut to it like many have done with a diff filler plug.

Seatbelts are usually 7/16 UNF. Taps are common but for a machine/tool supply shop

[Andygoodbloke]

Thanks BlueSuzy
I will be visiting Machine / tool supplier in the morning.

Too make matters worse the easy-out bolt extractor snapped in the hole through the bolt - must not use them in the future, should have known better. It will be a long slow drill to get the snapped tool hardened steel out - suggestions please

I would weld onto the bolt but the hand brake prevents good access from the back with brackets in the way and the bolt snapped too far in to weld onto from the inside. lots of spot welds to bring the broken stud up far enough to weld a nut onto would be needed.

Yes the interior needs a tidy but this will be done when everything is done, excuse the oil from heating and spraying to try and remove the bolt. only 3 fires started so far when trying to use the welder to attach a bolt

[Gwagensteve]

Easy outs are not for bolts that have broken because they’re cross threaded- they will break every time.

Drill the spot welds out retaining the handbrake bracket and weld a nut on might be an option but it will require you to pull the jammed threads even further through the captive nut. I think the weld will fail and you’ll be left with even less to work with.

Drill the bolt out.

[Andygoodbloke]

Hi Steve
Yes that is my conclusion too. I googled drilling tool steel and came up with Cobolt drill bits so will get some tomorrow when getting the 7/16 UNF tap then will drill out as big as I can and hopefully that will be enough to remove the problem and make as good as new

Hopefully

Updates to follow

[Andygoodbloke]

Being the 30/12/24 I visited 4 tool shops with my main choices not being open but managed to pay too much for a Cobolt drill set

I will get the tap after the 6/01/25 which will give me time to get the broken stuff out. Tool steel is hard and it will take a while.

Opinion time. Is it worth cutting the tail of the bolt and easy out sticking out off so there is less to drill through if I can get the angle grinder in there?

Thanks Andy

[Andygoodbloke]

Progress
I got under the vehicle with the angle grinder and ground off all the bolt and easy out past the end of the welded on square bolt used to as the seat belt mounting.

I tried my best to find a long thing Cold Chisel (you got nothing I want) or punch to hammer on the back of the broken easy out. It was hard getting the correct length so a nail was used with a big hammer to knock it, but managed to move the easy out back slightly which means next time I should be able to knock it out from the underside back into the cab and get the thing out if I can find a strong set of punches so I can get more force onto the broken bit with a bit of heat

After that it is drill and tap, followed by a clean up and paint of the floor and make it look nice. then put the seats back in
If my next post is full of swear words then you know this plan didn't work

[Andygoodbloke]

Conclusion
Old nut welded on has been cut off, and a new nut made and welded in place.
I was hoping not to cut and weld but I run out of options and even thought of a plasma cutter to blast the stuck easy out away, but knowing my luck I would make it worse. I wanted to keep the old nut in place to help keep it legal, but after spending too long trying to drill it out the cut and weld seemed a better option

The old nut would not let go of the stuck bits inside so the drive shaft was dropped to make more room and the angle grinder cut the old nut off, then cleaned up ready for the new one.
I thought about paying too much for a nut from a wrecked Suzuki, but found some suitable material so decided to make one.

The nut measured 20mm x 20mm x 10 thick and was a perfect square with stamford off corners. Set squares marked it out grinder was used to cut, then looked up the hole size needed for a 7/16 by 20 tap and it advised a 25/64 which works out to be 9.90mm so 10mm hole got drilled and the tap put through, tested it and it was fine so it got welded back in place, covered in anti rust primer and painted the body colour.

Not sure where I stand legally with an un certified nut being added, however it is certainly better than what was there and they would have to find it to pass judgment, that gauntlet is yet to be run.