2000 Dodge Neon - I was replacing front control arms and when trying to remove rear bolt (rusted - vertical) on drivers side, the nut inside the frame broke loose.
Is there some trick to get this resolved other than cuttoing a hole in the side of the frame member next to the nut?
Thanks.
Best regards
:VHOT: :help:
RadarLove
08-17-2005, 05:13 AM
Not really. I know on the 1st gens the typical fix was to come in from the top, which meant cutting through the floorboard... Just drill up through the existing hole (remove carpet first...), and use that hole as a pilot to make a bigger hole where you could drop a socket and extension down in.
I'm in a similar spot, captive nut for the driver's side front sway bar broke loose...
Bestof luck!
RTulloch
08-17-2005, 10:38 AM
Well, I cut through the side of the frame. The nut is similar to a tee nut and rides in channel formed by the welding of two angles along bottom of frame member.
I had drilled an doweled the nut but has drilled into the bolt also. Now I am welding the damaged nut and rethreading and ordered a new bolt from Dodge.
Should not be too big a deal but a really bads design. The service shop fellows told me there are things like this all over, designed for cheap assembly and not repair and not unique to Chrysler products. Oh well, live and learn.
My fault anyway since I should have realized there was a rust problem when I had to put a 3' pipe on the ratchet handle. Hah!!!!!!
