Roof Rack Mounting point broken

[JurassicFJ]

Welp... I feel like this is going to be a really painful fix. No idea how this happened, I was tightening the last nut for my light bar mount (Using OEM nut it came with) and no tighter than the rest..... BOOM, snapped in half. Didn't even feel really right :| I'm going to say it was over torqued, but didnt feel like it was when I was tightening.

So the question is, are there any easy fixes or is this going to cost an arm and a leg? Looks like the metal plate holding the bolts are welded on.


Here are pictures of the damage:

Any advice/help with this would be appreciated

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[Jhuff]

It looks like there are four spot-welds holding that bracket on. The correct fix would be to mill those spots out, remove the bracket, insert another stud, then reweld the bracket back in place and paint. Not too hard, but need the right tools.

A local shop could probably do it pretty cheap. Warranty would be cheaper yet.

 

[JurassicFJ]

It looks like there are four spot welds holding that bracket on. The correct fix would be to mill those spots out, remove the bracket, insert another stud, then reweld the barcket back in place and paint. Not too hard, but need the right tools.

A local shop could probably do it pretty cheap. Warranty would be cheaper yet.

Thank you for this. I wasn't sure if Warranty would be applicable to something like this. I'll shoot off a email to my dealer, see if they can help.

Might be a dumb question, but that stud, is that a common thing that can be ordered/bought? Or is it going to be Bronco specific. Aka have to order it in

 

[MistaGavin]

No way in hell would I grind that bracket out. Try to remove the broken stud with vice grips first or go get an “easy out”. Being that it is not rusted or cross threaded that will be a piece of cake.

 

[Tricky Dick]

If they won't warranty it, another option would be to drill it out and tap it. Use a drill stop for sure though.

 

[JurassicFJ]

Thanks for all the advice. I have contacted dealer and they will let me know more tomorrow or probably Monday. If warranty doesn't cover it, I'll look into the above suggestions. Much appreciated!

 

[67BroncoG1]

No way in hell would I grind that bracket out. Try to remove the broken stud with vice grips first or go get an “easy out”. Being that it is not rusted or cross threaded that will be a piece of cake.

sure looks like that stud has a flanged base on it. Not going to come out without cutting the bracket free.

 

[MistaGavin]

sure looks like that stud has a flanged base on it. Not going to come out without cutting the bracket free.

Ow, it does! Drilling and tapping may be the only way without cutting the bracket.

 

[Jhuff]

No way in hell would I grind that bracket out. Try to remove the broken stud with vice grips first or go get an “easy out”. Being that it is not rusted or cross threaded that will be a piece of cake.

If they won't warranty it, another option would be to drill it out and tap it. Use a drill stop for sure though.

That would work, but the stud has a wide base. A stud alone in there would only be held by a few threads and that flange is probably needed for any accessories.

 

[BlazinGTO]

I've removed broken screws and repaired threads on a variety of holes over the years at my job. These are my thoughts.

Let the dealer look first.

The small curl of metal on the other stud is a sign that they were not screwing on so great.

Drilling it away will be easy. But I don't see what could be threaded after. The stud will be gone, the bracket has a clearance hole, and under the stud is basically the roof.

There's a small chance drilling it out at the minor diameter of the thread will reveal enough metal to tap and screw in a new stud. Or even a helicoil could be used if the hole ended up too big. But I really don't see much to work with there. One slip up and you could get a hole right through. Even if it went good, you would only end up with a few turns of thread and a weak hole.

I know nothing about welding or how vehicles are assembled but that stud really needs to be replaced for a good fix.

Welders, Can a short piece of threaded rod get welded onto that spot? I don't know how much of the threads the weld would mess up or if that's possible.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Do not cut the bracket. It should be possible to extract the broken bolt. It’s a bitch, but possible.

Edit: Wait…is the head of the bolt under the bracket? As in a fixed stud? Eeek!

 

[Mdsuits]

Weld a nut to it and back it out with a socket….I’ve had to do it many times.

 

[MayhemMike]

Bracket appears to be attached with five spot welds and some adhesive/ caulk. Easy removal and reattach for body shop.

 

[Rip]

Weld a nut to it and back it out with a socket….I’ve had to do it many times.

This! I second this. Other than being hard to reach on the bronco, this works really well.

 

[Sledge]

This doesn’t look difficult. Drill, then easy-out in reverse because the bolt is flanged. Next use a lug that not only uses the existing hole threads but also slide a backing nut under the bracket. If you can’t find a nut that’s thin enough, simply grind one down. Probably take you 30 to 60 minutes tops. Add an hour if you first need a grinder, which is cheap and readily available from your local hardware store. Way less hassle then leaving the vehicle with your dealer for awhile. and kinda fun Imho…

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