Fix for broken in-frame welded swaybar mount nut (bolt just spins)

Today when doing some work on my front suspension, as I was unbolting the swaybar from the frame one of the nuts that are spot welded inside the frame broke free, causing the bolt to just spin.

After reading for about 2 hours on lots of other people that have had this happen, I found people with all sorts of different fixes, but none of them seemed very easy, or "permanent"

I will outline how I chose to fix it in hopes that some may find this helpful to get them back on the road without any costly or time consuming fixes.



The square nut for the sway-bar bushing mount is recessed into the frame, and held in place by four tack welds. Judging by the amount I have read on failures of this exact part, this is a common area of trouble, as the welds brake, and nut is able to spin free in the frame.

I was lucky enough that with a electric impact drill, and a flathead screwdriver wedged against the nut, I got the bolt out, although I can imagine not everyone will be so lucky, and will have to cut the bolt in half, either way you will have to fish the nut out with a telescoping magnet (4$ from harbor freight)

Once you have the nut out you are going to want to use a piece of flat stock about the same width of the nut and weld it on, If you don't have a welder ask a friend or take it to a shop it will be less than 10$. The length of the piece of flat stock simply has to be longer than half the width of the frame:





Then it is simple, insert this through one of the holes in the frame:



(I have a swaybar drop bracket on in this photo yours will look different)



Use your telescoping magnet to place the nut over the bolt, insert your bolt and tighten it up.... You could potentially add some silicone, or even jb weld to the flat stock to hold the nut in place for future removal of the sway-bar.

I taped my phone to the frame with the flashlight app on through one of the holes in the opposite side of the frame to get good light in there while maneuvering the nut into place.




Here is a list of the threads where people have had this same problem as you can see this happens to all sorts of toyotas, tundras, tacomas, 4runners, I think I even read one from an FJ forum.


(This list is far from comprehensive, there are many others out there)


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-in-the-frame-want-to-discuss-options.373114/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/broke-the-sway-bar-nut-inside-the-frame.211911/

http://www.tundratalk.net/forums/tu...09-sway-bar-nut-inside-frame-rail-broken.html

http://www.toyota120.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29322

 

Nice write up.

Welcome to TW!

 

@Blais03