Subframe bolt. WAS: bad puppy fixed

[L DC]

Thanks for your reply Cobram.

So, in the 5KS there's such thing as a small orifice
to get to the captive nut inside the frame, huh,
albeit with a lot of creativity and a good dose of
swearing?

The QSW is also very similar judging from the subframe
itself, and like the 5KS, the passenger side is quite
crowded as well. 

Good thing the problem in my QSW is one the driver's
side.

I did find a rubber grommet on the outside (facing the
tire) of the chassis next to where the captive nut
would be, but upon removal, nothing led to it.

I keep thinking there’s got to be an orifice to get to
that captive nut but have yet to find it, should there
be one, that is.

I doubt the captive nut was placed inside the chassis
before this was welded?

-Regards,

Louis





--- cobram at juno.com wrote:

>  When this happened on my 5KS, I spun the old
> subframe bolt with an air
> gun until the captive nut in the frame was cleaned
> up enough to allow a
> new bolt through it.  Then through a VERY small
> hole/slit already present
> in the frame, I maneuvered a new hex nut in there
> (with a magnetic tool
> and other devices) and then caught a few threads
> with the new subframe
> bolt.  This was on a rack lift, so I had the luxury
> of putting as much
> pressure as possible on the subframe with the jack. 
> With a long
> screwdriver applying pressure to the nut through the
> frame hole, hit the
> subframe bolt with an air gun and it tightened right
> up.  The subframe
> bolts are long enough to go through the old captive
> nut (really a
> threaded piece of flat steel) and catch the new nut
> on top.
> 
> YMMV, since I have no experience with a VW QSW, but
> would assume it's
> similar.
> 
> It was NOT an easy fix, I remember swearing that I
> would JUNK the car
> before I'd go through this again.  I was very
> tempted to cut a hole in
> the frame, but like you, I was reluctant, not just
> for structural reason,
> but the PITA factor.  Your PITA factor may be less
> on the drivers side, 
> just about everything they could fit, they did fit
> on the passenger side
> of the 5KS.  I went as far as buying a replacement
> OEM nut or two,
> they're around here somewhere....
> 
> BCNU,
> http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
> Hit any key to continue, or any other key to quit.
> 
> 
> L DC <ldc007usa at yahoo.com> writes:
> 
> > The front most, driver side subframe nut, hidden
> > inside the chasis of my '85 VW QSW, got either
> > stripped or scored when I removed it. The screw
> was
> > literally rust welded to the hidden nut as well as
> the
> > metal part of the bushing it runs through.
> > 
> > When I tried to screw the bolt back in following a
> > clutch job, it wouldn't screw in. So it got
> literally
> > screwed, or should I say unscrewed.
> > 
> > I still have to fix it!!
> > 
> > I can only think of 3 ways of fixing it:
> 
> 
> > 2. Weld a long enough threaded bolt on to the
> hidden
> > nut that would run through the bushing to which a
> > second nut can be screwed.
> > 
> > 3. Drill a hole in the chasis to R&R the hidden
> nut
> > but would this cause some structural liability?
> > 
> > How the heck did they install that hidden nut
> inside
> > the chasis?
> > 
> > I looked and looked around the area and did not
> see
> > any access to R&R the hidden nut.
> > 
> > Any input is trully appreciated, as always.
>  
> 


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