Replacing front struts and rear shocks this weekend... Sprayed everything down with penetrating oil Friday evening to get a leg up on potential stuck bolts.

Started yesterday with the rear shocks which apart from the need to apply heat to remove the rusted and stuck lower shock bolts, was a fairly straightforward job.

Moved to the front struts this morning; first on the passenger side. I was attempting to remove the strut carrier bolt in the knuckle. Using a breaker bar initially, it wasn't budging. As with the stuck bolts I encountered in the rear, I applied some heat with a torch, then tried it again with my air impact gun. Unlike with the rears, this one wasn't budging. Sprayed it down with oil once more and gave it a little while before trying the breaker bar again. As I pulled on the bar, the head of the bolt snapped off cleanly.

Cue exclamation of profanity that begins with F-word here...

I assume I'm looking at a steering knuckle replacement (not new - good quality used) at this point? This is a long-ish hardened bolt, so I'm not hopeful about the premise of drilling it out. The remainder of the bolt is slightly recessed, so welding a nut to it is not an option...

Anything else to consider before pouring a strong drink and beginning the process of sourcing a replacement knuckle?

 

I read somewhere about a cobalt bit to drill the bolt out. How many miles on the car and winter weather driving?

 

Just about to cross the 140,000 mile threshold, and yes, some local winter driving; car is garaged. I'll have to look into this cobalt drill bit - thx.

 

Can you just drill it through clean and use a bolt and nut on the end? get a sharp new bit, keep your angle good and use drilling fluid

 

Looking at the area, would think two bits, a smaller one to drill out about 1/2 of the diameter and then a larger one to clean it out.

 

In theory, yes - but I'd rather get all the material out and use the proper-size bolt that's meant to be there. This would have to be done by hand -- everything is still in place, and I don't own a drill press.

Looks like the local Lowes and/or Home Depot has some of these Cobalt drill bits in stock. Worth a try... I'll get over there, pick-up a few and report back.

Thanks both!

 

I had to drill out my exhaust studs by hand. not too bad.. I drill to just inside the bolt
diameter and tapped the bolt shell leftover out. have patience..

 

Unfortunately, nothing good to report this morning...

Tried the cobalt drill-bits; the first one (3/16") went right up the center of the bolt, from end to end. I was feeling pretty good at that point. Second bit through was a 3/8" and about 3/4 of the way through, it snapped inside.

Game over.

This morning, I went at the driver's side knuckle and yes, you guessed it, the bolt snapped on it as well... Both of these bolts were not going to come out - no matter what... Chalk it up to 13-years of New England winters I guess...

Two used knuckles already purchased at not too bad a price -- this job is just going to take a little longer, and require a little more work.

On the bright side -- due to the fact that both drive shafts will have to be disconnected from the hubs (I'm actually replacing the passenger-side drive shaft), I'll be able to replace the inner ball joints, which initially wasn't planned for this round of work.

Deep breaths...

 

I was going to write a big reply.. but I think this best sums it up: Welcome to Mini!

Its worth it though.

 

Of all the work (mostly elective, and preventative maintenance tasks) I've done on my MINI, this is really the first snag I've run into...

I'm generally a big proponent of 'German Engineering,' but in this case, and for what the role of this bolt is, and where its positioned on the steering knuckle, I have no idea why this isn't just a through bolt with a nut and washer on the other end.

Maybe I should just do that when I install the replacement parts...

 

I went through the same issue, spent too much time TRYING to drill out the bolt, which did not succeed. I spent $40 here in the classified and another hour replacing the knuckle which I should have done to begin with. I purchased new Pinch Bolts and a TUB of anti-seize. Get yourself a good impact wrench and, May the Schwartz be with you.....

 

I don't think it has anything to do with German engineering or Mini. From what I infer you are in the rust belt where they salt the road in winter. I used to live in a city like that. To work on salt pickled suspension, or anything that exposed to road salt, you need to own an oxy acetylene torch. The muffler shops there never bother to try unscrewing the muffler fasteners. They just torch the damn thing off.

I feel your pain.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on the engineering standpoint of this part...

The sole purpose of this component is to pinch the two halves of the strut carrier, holding the strut tight, with the bolt running through a slot in the tang of the strut, eliminating up and down movement.

There's no need for the interior of this piece to be threaded throughout the 60mm length of the bolt. A clean hole with a regular hex bolt run through with a washer and nut at the end would perform the same function with much less potential to seize up inside.

This is also an example where an oxy acetylene torch would've been of no assistance in getting the frozen bolt out of the interior of this large cast-iron piece.

That said, I'm moving forward with replacement knuckles on the way, new bolts on order, and my tub of copper anti-seize awaiting!

 

If the engineer opted for an extra nut and washer he fail his job of value engineering and someone would step in and change that. Every $0.05 counts for consumer goods.

For me I was glad that I only need one instead of two wrenches to deal with. I am sure I would equally be unhappy in your situation.

 

I don't recall a strut pinch bolt that isn't threaded.
Don't know if that's for engineering reasons or manufacturing/cost reasons.

 

I assume you were replacing your struts when this happened to you? My impact gun (Ingersol Rand) wouldn’t touch it. Question: How easily does the new bolt go INTO the knuckle?

I do all my own work on the car, but after this, I couldn’t help but wonder how a shop would’ve tackled the job had I brought the car in for the strut replacements.

 

I am wondering if a through bolt cannot provide the force required to hold the strut in place. The nut an washer would place all the force on the outside inside of being distributed along the entire threaded area.

Just a thought. Today most things are done because some calculations were made.

 

Yep, replaced the struts and mounts. The new bolts went right in with no problems. I used the impact gun on the passenger side, bolt came out without any problems. After the holidays, I will see how well the ANTI-SEIZE works, putting some HR Springs on.

" I couldn’t help but wonder how a shop would’ve tackled the job had I brought the car in for the strut replacements."
They would probably have told you that you needed a new knuckle.

 

TWO new knuckles in my instance, ...and sadly, they wouldn't be fibbing, lol!

Here's to Anti-Seize!

 

Well, as part of my incessant drive to logically back up my opinions, I found on a search of RealOEM that on the next generation R56's, the knuckle was redesigned to accommodate a bolt & nut (Who suggested that? ), doing away with the fully threaded pinch bolt that backfired - twice - in my particular case...

Gee, I wonder if MINI finally figured out their dealerships were replacing an inordinate number of steering knuckles on customer's cars in for strut service?


1:47 into this video confirms what I found:

 

+1
Had the same thing happen to me on the passenger side. I found a used steering knuckle on eBay for $75.

Oh yeah, and the wheel speed sensor broke off in there as well.

I feel your pain!

 

There are so many vendors here parting them out to spend that much. I got one from the classified here on NAM for $45

 

When I inquired to 2 separate people/vendors here I was quoted I think $150-175. I'll have to find the PMs if I still have them. In either case, it was WAY more than I was willing to spend on it.

Also AoxoMoxoA - join the club of 2 snapped pinch collar bolts. I had a shop drill one out to the tune of $200. I had my car in a DIY shop for the other when it snapped. Bought $65 of drills from Harbor freight and they all just kept snapping. Eventually got it out after about 3 hours and put a through bolt in. Spent way too much and have a butchered steering knuckle to show for it. The joys of having the mini as our only car....

Also - my bolt snapped while using an impact... No chance those bastards were coming out.

 

I have found that Harbor Freight drill bits are much more brittle than other, more expensive drill bits. I broke a bunch of Harbor Freight drill bits on a summer project in which I had to drill a few hundred pilot holes in 1/4" aluminum. I bought some more expensive drill bits at Lowe's and I wore out the Lowe's bit after many, many holes drilled.

I always thought drill bits were drill bits, but that is not, apparently, the case.

 

That's robbery, I was looking in my Inbox to see who I got the Knuckle from, message was deleted.