Screwed up big time - snapped upper shock bolt 97 Pathfinder

[mrhum]

Instead of chilling the hell out and thinking smarter, I snapped the threaded portion off the rear upper shock absorber bolt that looks to be very much welded/riveted to the frame. Turned a quick job into a nightmare and I'm kicking myself so hard.

Is there any way this doesn't cost a boat ton of money to fix?

[mrhum]

Here is the other side for reference. I think that threaded part is more a 'stud' than it is a bolt. The other picture is the opposite side of the stud/bolt on the back side of the frame of the vehicle.

I put everything back together and there is enough of the stud/bolt left that the entire shock absorber slid over it. I just need to secure it - perhaps something could just be welded over it to keep the lateral movement secure?

[mrhum]

Here's what it looks like with the new shock on

[mdmellott]

It looks like a weld-on shock absorber mount stud. Perhaps a Nissan dealer can pinpoint the original part replacement. Cutting off the welds and pounding out the remnant to replace it is your best option if you can find the right part. I found several online with a quick search but those were universal imperial sizes and another for a Jeep. There has to be a proper fit solution for this with another weld-on shock stud of the same metric size.

[Mike W.]

Please, don't try to drive it like that. You'll just f'up the new shock.

So, since you have at least some access from the back, you have a variety of options.

Take it to a shop. Yeah, probably not cheap, but occasionally it is.

Take a piece of water pipe, work the remaining stud back and forth to snap it off and drill it out.

Grind/drill it out from the back, not sure what the access is, but if you can at least take a pic of it you have some. Ideally you might want it welded back in place after you slip a new bolt in place.

Not good, but not the end of the world. Take it into a shop, not dealer, it's just basic mechanical, doesn't even have to be a Nissan shop, with pics and ask them. If they say 2 hours for diagnostics and we'll go from there, run away. If they say sure, we can do that, well, probably go for it.

[mrhum]

Please, don't try to drive it like that. You'll just f'up the new shock.

So, since you have at least some access from the back, you have a variety of options.

Take it to a shop. Yeah, probably not cheap, but occasionally it is.

Take a piece of water pipe, work the remaining stud back and forth to snap it off and drill it out.

Grind/drill it out from the back, not sure what the access is, but if you can at least take a pic of it you have some. Ideally you might want it welded back in place after you slip a new bolt in place.

Not good, but not the end of the world. Take it into a shop, not dealer, it's just basic mechanical, doesn't even have to be a Nissan shop, with pics and ask them. If they say 2 hours for diagnostics and we'll go from there, run away. If they say sure, we can do that, well, probably go for it.

Thanks for the advice, fortunately, I have several shops within a 1/4 mile of me so I will start calling around. I would be able to grind it off/drill it out, but I do not have any welding experience.

I will update when it's all done, wish me luck.

[VStar650CL]

McMaster-Carr sells metric shoulder screws with shoulder diameters up to 20mm and lengths up to 150mm. Measure both, find a screw that matches, cut the old shaft off, and have a welder replace it. If the thread diameter or pitch doesn't match, who cares, you'll just have two different size nuts. The shoulder dimensions are all that matter.
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/shoul ... -screws~~/

[mrhum]

McMaster-Carr sells metric shoulder screws with shoulder diameters up to 20mm and lengths up to 150mm. Measure both, find a screw that matches, cut the old shaft off, and have a welder replace it. If the thread diameter or pitch doesn't match, who cares, you'll just have two different size nuts. The shoulder dimensions are all that matter.
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/shoul ... -screws~~/

Got it, so cut the old shaft off up to the flared out part and have the new bolt welded there? Will that have the strength it needs? It seems like this solution would be best so the rest of the stud can remain where it was from the factory.

[VStar650CL]

Got it, so cut the old shaft off up to the flared out part and have the new bolt welded there? Will that have the strength it needs? It seems like this solution would be best so the rest of the stud can remain where it was from the factory.

Correct. Have a good welder secure it with an electric pipe weld all the way around the circumference, it will be plenty strong. Those studs never bear the whole weight of the vehicle or see any direct impact, so the stud doesn't need the strength of, say, a ball joint. Just a high-quality weld with good penetration.

[mrhum]

Got it, so cut the old shaft off up to the flared out part and have the new bolt welded there? Will that have the strength it needs? It seems like this solution would be best so the rest of the stud can remain where it was from the factory.

Correct. Have a good welder secure it with an electric pipe weld all the way around the circumference, it will be plenty strong. Those studs never bear the whole weight of the vehicle or see any direct impact, so the stud doesn't need the strength of, say, a ball joint. Just a high-quality weld with good penetration.

I found a great welder and he was able to keep the bolt intact and get a threaded piece welded on to secure the shock.

[VStar650CL]

Very slick. He must have used TIG or something else very precise, but whatever it was, he clearly has good equipment and knows his business. Fine looking job.