Removing Broken Hub Bolts

McCurdy

New User
I recently removed the rear wheels on my JD 2040. They were in rough shape and the hub bolts took some serious effort to loosen. I managed to only break 2 bolts but am now stuck trying to get the remains out. I tried welding nuts to them but its not working, just snapping the welds. I'm a beginner at welding, so take that for what its worth. The last 2 attempts, I really thought I had decent welds, but they didn't last long at all. I tried to drill them so I could use my extractor, but my bits aren't biting. I tried a few different bits and didn't have any luck.

At this point I have some projects backing up and am getting anxious to move this along. Does anyone have any advice? I'm not opposed to removing the hub and taking that to a shop to let someone else get them out...or, if anyone is local and willing to lend a hand for the right number of beers, please let me know. I've never removed the back axle and by looking at my parts book, it looks like I have to take off the entire rear housing?
 
Try heating the bolt as hot as you dare without melting it into the threads.

Let it cool, try welding it again, let it cool. Soak it with penetrant, then try to get it moving, try going in first, then back out. If it will move at all, start rocking it back and forth.

If it won't move, it will have to be drilled out. Be sure to drill exactly in the middle. A drill guide will help hold it straight (a block of steel with a known straight hole, bolted to the hub by an adjoining bolt). The end result is to drill away all of the bolt, chase out the threads with a tap.

Whatever you do, do not try the extractor! It will not work for a frozen bolt, Break it off in there and your troubles are multiplied greatly!
 
mig welder is the preferred tool for this job, but a stick welder (shown above) also does the trick.really good with STUD EXTRACTOR ELECTRODES FOR REMOVING BROKEN BOLT STUBS OR TAPS the smaller rod diameter the better(more control) Select a nut with an inner diameter roughly the size of the stuck threaded bolt. Place the nut on the bolt and weld the inside of the nut to the broken top of the bolt. Then use a wrench to remove the nut and bolt together. You may have to attempt this numerous times for stubborn bolts, and it can help to drill into the bolt so the weld has more surface area to stick to.

Soak stuck bolts with PB Blaster or some other type of penetrating agent before you try the welding trick, as this might be all you need to free your bolt.
 

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