Rear axle vent bolt

[Jody Sowers]

Good morning! Have '99 Ram 1500 and the rear axle vent tube bolt rusted and broke. The threaded part is still in the Axle. Any good methods getting it out? I'm thinking of little heat and eazy-out bit. Maybe little drilling to get clean bite on the eazy-out. Thanks!

 

[chopperman1]

I wouldn't be drilling unless you plan to take apart the whole axle to clean out the shavings. I'd use a good quality pentrating oil (I like Kroil), 3 full heat and cool cyles then a quality extractor. Make sure you tap it in with a hammer pretty good.

 

[Jody Sowers]

Hey Chopperman, Thanks! I have small torch, and a spiral screw extractor. I'll heat and cool the area of busted bolt a few times, then bust it loose. What then i may do is send some oil down the tube and let it come out the diff. I'm changing diff oil too. Some 75w-90 syn. Don't have a limited slip, regular diff. Put new bolt in, install cover and gasket, and new oil. Thanks, again!

 

[Bob Macknight]

ez-out

 

[Jody Sowers]

Update: Worked ol' rig last night. Little heat, apply pressure to E-Z out, more heat, more E-Z out, and little heat, and more E-Z out, and the the threaded part of the broken vent bolt came right out. Whew! Next to change out the pinion seal in the rear axle. Still pondering on taking it to a shop, worried I may over tighten the nut and damage bearings.

 

[Miron Kusnecov]

Hello,
Just ran into the same issue. Bolt broke and left the part inside the axle tube. Luckily I have a welder and just welded a nut over it. Question, did you have a hard time to find another bolt?