Disasterous frame incident

Following up. I took in a lot of YouTube and nothing really addressed the issue I had. A lot of suggestions revolved around replacing the stud with a bolt which obviously was not applicable here. One video suggested butt welding a stud onto a stud since the sheared off portion was not load bearing, it merely kept the washer and end nut on to keep the shock from sliding off. I thought this was practical and I headed that direction. However, I had an engineering friend with extensive knowledge of welding and metals look at it. He assessed that it would be possible to tap out a threaded hole just large enough and deep enough to insert a stainless steel bolt to accomplish the objective. I was initially concerned about the strength and integrity of the post being compromised but the engineer's assessment of the metal hardness and depth concluded that it was not a concern. So we proceeded to do just that and that seemed to be the right fix. It appears to be fine now. I hope this helps someone in the future.

Glenmann!

Cut the old shock off with a Sawzall if it is frozen, once the broken shaft is exposed clean it up with a wire wheel on a grinder so it will stitch weld easily, then slide the new shock on and then place a/the flat washer in place over the stud and tack weld it top and bottom in the center (weld the washer to the existing shaft).

Yes, you will have to grind off the tack welds and remove the flat washer when it comes time to put on another set of shocks, but depending upon how often you use the truck that might take another 20 years!

The Pork

Thanks for the response The Pork! Yeah, that was actually my plan B. I knew I just had to keep the shock from sliding off the post no matter what it took to get there. If that were not possible, I probably would have sold the Bronco before ever considering lifting the body off the frame to weld a new bracket on there. By the way, it’s good to have a reply and knowing there is some community support on this forum. It’s much appreciated!

glennmann

I’m hoping someone has some answer to my potentially bad problem. I was removing the nut holding the upper rear shock which was rusty. Unfortunately it sheared off at the threads and nothing left for the new nut to grab on to. The threaded post is part of a integral bracket welded to the frame. Needless to say, I don’t want to have a whole new bracket welded on the frame which would be major work from many perspectives, especially because of where it’s located. Does anyone have ANY help to provide a simpler fix?? Thanks.

Drill out a hole in the stud and tap for 5/16 bolt. Then use a 5/16 bolt with washer. Works good.

Cut the old stud off, weld a new one on.