Front Shock Stud Replacement? Help!

[leroge]

In the process of replacing the front shocks on my 2001 Econoline E150 XLT, I broke off the lower shock stud ( too much torque on the bolt ) that pertrudes from the radius arm. I did some research and came up with an approach of cutting the old stud off and grinding its base down to the surface of the radius arm...then applying a shock lug kit I purchased from NAPA. After grinding down the old stud and drilling an appropriately sized hole through the middle of the remaining portion of the stud embedded in the radius, the replacement stud is bolded on and shock install continues.

This make sense? Alternative(s)?

Please advise.

[MagicRat]

Was it the same as described here:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=219180

It looks good to me. But it would be extremely important for the 2 mounting bolts on the control arm to be absolutely tight and free of movement. Any movement would quickly make the bolt hole larger, damage the shaft, control arm and shock itself.

If it were my truck, after mounting, I would weld those 2 mounting bolts to the shaft and to the control arm itself.

[leroge]

Magicrat...yes that is the post!!!! But I just realized from reading one of the replys to that post.....no need to grind down that old stud from the 'inside' of the radius arm! I can seen that the original stud was 'punch pressed' onto the radius arm when the radius arm was manufactured and there is a slight elevated round piece of metal on the outside of the radius arm ( actually it is slightly below the surface of the radius arm within a slightly countersunk portion of the radius arm. My thinking is that I simply need to remove that portion of metal and center punch the old stud off from the outside of the radius arm. I'm going to do this by drilling a small hole in that steel 'cap' then with a step drill bit expand it to the size of the replacement stud...then I'll center punch the stud off from the outside of the radius arm. Grinding that old stud a its base off the inside of the redius arm is pretty damn tough!

What makes the approach somewhat more easy is that the metal 'cap' to be drilled already has a center indentation.

Make sense?

I really appreciate your help and the availability of AutomotiveFormus! I could have had the shocks replaced at Midas...for $400+. I purchased new front ( Gabriel ) shocks for $23 apiece! I've saved a lot of $ with the advice of AutomotiveForum doing work myself on both my '93 Jeep wranger and my Econoline.

Thanks again. I'll let you know how it goes.

Roger