Welded nut broke off inside bumper frame

[Mike Yankee Papa]

what should have been a 5 minute job has become extremely frustrating. The welded nut inside the frame of the jeep where the bumper screws onto has broken off. Since the nut is not attached to anything I can't fully unscrew the screw. I also can't hold the nut with socket or even needle nose pliers, as its pressed up too close to the wall of the frame with no room to fit anything in-between (yet still enough space for the nut and screw to spin around indefinitely.

Will I have to cut off the bolt head and drill down into the screw to completely destroy it and pick out the pieces?

The other Torx bolt (stripped out) is stuck fast, ive already used head on it, so I guess I will have to buy an extractor kit.. Most on Home Depot have low ratings, any recommendations for a good set that will get the job done on the first try?

 

[Chris]

Damn, with that rust there I'm not surprised. I'd cut the head off and drill the hole out. Same thing happened to me and I had to do this and then have a new nut welded in there.

That frame needs some repair though, that's for sure. That's the bigger issue here.

 

[CharlesHS]

The GREATER issue of concern would be the cracked frame rail behind the bracket where the bolts screw into...
Both pictures 2 and 3 show the cracks above the bracket and will need to be repaired prior to reattaching the brackets.

 

[chili_pepper]

The issue of GREATER issue of concern would be the cracked frame rail behind the bracket where the bolts screw into...
Both pictures 2 and 3 show the cracks above the bracket and will need to be repaired prior to reattaching the brackets.

Is that the frame or the bumper? I thought that was the bumper...

 

[Mike Yankee Papa]

The GREATER issue of concern would be the cracked frame rail behind the bracket where the bolts screw into...
Both pictures 2 and 3 show the cracks above the bracket and will need to be repaired prior to reattaching the brackets.

the bumper the cracked. the screws are actually screwed into a bull bar, and the bumper is cracked below.

 

[CharlesHS]

Is that the frame or the bumper? I thought that was the bumper...

The bracket has the 90* for the bumper and the frame rail is curved.
The frame rails are usually radiussed (rolled) when formed.

 

[CharlesHS]

the bumper the cracked. the screws are actually screwed into a bull bar, and the bumper is cracked below.

Are you sure ?
Please provide additional pictures...

The frame rails are usually radiussed (rolled) when formed.
The bumper brackets usually have a 90*; to me the pictures indicate otherwise

Thank you for the update information.

 

[chili_pepper]

the bumper the cracked. the screws are actually screwed into a bull bar, and the bumper is cracked below.

I was thinking what he said - that's the bull bar end bracket, on the bumper, on the frame horn, with the crack in the bumper (rust induced?).

 

[Mike Yankee Papa]

Are you sure ?
Please provide additional pictures...

The frame rails are usually radiussed (rolled) when formed.
The bumper brackets usually have a 90*; to me the pictures indicate otherwise

Thank you for the update information.

 

[Mike Yankee Papa]

I was thinking what he said - that's the bull bar end bracket, on the bumper, on the frame horn, with the crack in the bumper (rust induced?).

Crack from running into a tree

 

[CharlesHS]

View attachment 648585

Thank you for the additional picture which clarifies what is going on.
The torks head bolts go thru the hoop mount base then thru what appears to be a stock bumper and screws into the clips which are attached to the frame rail.
Since you are probably going to replace the stock front bumper once you get the torks bolts removed; why not cut a circular hole in the front of the bumper to access the threaded end of the torks bolts and the clips.

 

[cpwolf]

I wouldn’t mess with an extractor set.

I’d put a Torx socket in that stripped head, weld it, maybe over weld it, to get it hot AF, then use a breaker bar to turn it out.