1st Gen ABS Brake Line Help!

Hi all!

I finally installed new UCAs, SPC , and the installation process went beautifully until I stripped the head off of the bolt holding the ABS Line to the UCA. First, it was not tight, then a quarter turn later the head was gone. Currently, it is being held to the control arm with about 4 zip ties as I just drive to and from work (~2 miles). However, I want to find a way to fix this. I have had to drill out 10 too many stripped bolts off this hunk of metal, so any alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you have a tap and die set?

 

I did the same thing about a year ago. I put a stainless steel zip tie around it like you've done there, with the intention of coming back to drill and tap the original mounting spot. I'm sure I'll get around to it one of these days but so far it hasn't failed me.

Actually, mine broke off on the spindle but the same idea...

 

I do not, however, my dad probably does with his 20-year garage collection of tools and rubbish. So just make a new thread on the control arm? Drilling, screwing and deleting parts of the engineering on my truck/truck parts makes me anxious, but I suppose one itsy bitsy hole wont hurt.

 

You don't need to drill anything, really. You may just be able to re-tap it to the original OEM thread.

If not, go to the next logical thread upward (even if it means moving up one metric size) and install the proper bolt. Easy peasy. You may want to do the other side the same, even though it's not busted.

Just make sure whichever tap you find to use, that it's not to large for the bracket. Been there, done that. If it is, a uni-bit to open it up works wonders.

Next time, less ugga-duggas, and use a light threadlock like Permatex Blue if you're worried about things backing out.

 

Those are SPC arms. They should already have a pre-tapped hole for the ABS buuuullllshhiiitttt. I would just get a new bolt from any hardware store. It should be an M6x1.0 or an M8x1.25.

 

Yes, it does have a pre-tapped hole, but that hole is filled with the bolt body of the bolt I stripped the head off of.

 

Ah. I must've mistaken you above. You stripped the head off the bolt. Head is rounded, or head snapped off? I thought you were saying you cinched the bolt down, and it started spinning freely.

 

Since I'm bouncing for a bit, if the head is just rounded and a pair of vice grips locked down on it hard won't work, go on scAmazon and buy a RocketSocket kit.

Avoid the generics. Watch the ProjectFarm videos on extractions for details on the kits scAmazon has.

 

Ah, I see. You'll have to extract it if you wanna use it.

 

So I went ahead and got a set of Ez-Outs from the hardware store, drilled down a bit into the threaded bolt, tapped the Ez-Out in, gave it a twist and the bolt screwed right out. Happy Yappy! Thanks all for the help.