Taurus Rear struts

[Marnav1]

Hello all. 99 Taurus rear strut R/R. Pinch bolt on the right rear snapped off dangit, and I was trying to be careful. Anyhow I'm going to just remove the knuckle and all and put it on the workbench. A couple questions 1) Do I need cobalt bits to drill out the rest of the bolt? 2) What sizes work best? 3) Whats the best way to plug the brake line to keep all the fluid from running out? Thanks in advance.

[shorod]

You shouldn't need cobalt or titanium coated bits, just decent sharp bits. If you can find some left-handed bits, that might be best as they could help attempt to turn the broken piece out while you're drilling. You'll need to make sure you start the drill bit very centered, you'll probably want to center punch the broken piece first. Then start with a relatively small bit and step your way up. If you get to where the majority of the bolt is drilled but the broken piece is not coming out, then you may want to use a quality screw extractor to try to back it out. The extractor will list what size drill bit to use for the extractor so make sure you don't drill out too large before considering an extractor. If the extractor breaks you'll then need to visit a machine shop likely, decent extractors are VERY difficult to drill out.

I trust you have a tap that you can use to clean out the threads once you get the broken piece out.

-Rod

[Marnav1]

What size bolt is it? Looks like a 7/16-14 to me.

[shorod]

I'm not sure. Your best bet may be to get a replacement from the dealership so that you get the correct thread, length, shoulder, and hardness. You can use the replacement to match up the thread for the tap.

-Rod

[Marnav1]

Originally Posted by shorod

I'm not sure. Your best bet may be to get a replacement from the dealership so that you get the correct thread, length, shoulder, and hardness. You can use the replacement to match up the thread for the tap.

-Rod

Got the broken bolt out. I need to buy that dust cap that goes over the wheel bearing nut R/Rear. Nobody seems to have it. Where can I get one? Thanks.

[wafrederick]

It is not an americann thread and it is a metric thread,12mm x 1.75 with an 18mm head.You can try any parts store through the help! line for the dust cap.You can try any auto salvage yard for the cheap route.