What is it?
Yes, the car was in a accident a couple of years ago (I put a thread in here about being attacked by a couch). Correct me if I am wrong but I really don't understand why the body shop would have messed with it as they replaced just the front bumper and the driver side fender.
If the bolt shaft is 1/2" in diameter then it's likely the subframe bolt.
Does the passenger side bolt head have the same markings? Those markings look like they're SAE but I assume the Kizashi has metric bolts. I wonder if it was replaced with an improper bolt?
Does the passenger side bolt head have the same markings? Those markings look like they're SAE but I assume the Kizashi has metric bolts. I wonder if it was replaced with an improper bolt?
Bootymac,
I am getting the impression you think the bolt was replaced when I had it repaired a couple of years ago. I don't see why they would have done that because, basically, it was cosmetic (expensive) damage. Again just the front bumper and the driver side fender. Is that necessary in the type of accident I had? Regardless, going to dealer in the am, and will find out what they think. They did mention it might end up in the body shop, when I mentioned the bolt would probably have to be drilled out....
I am getting the impression you think the bolt was replaced when I had it repaired a couple of years ago. I don't see why they would have done that because, basically, it was cosmetic (expensive) damage. Again just the front bumper and the driver side fender. Is that necessary in the type of accident I had? Regardless, going to dealer in the am, and will find out what they think. They did mention it might end up in the body shop, when I mentioned the bolt would probably have to be drilled out....
My guess is that the accident compromised the integrity of the bolt years ago from the stress of the impact. After years of driving since then, the bolt head cracked and broke off.
I also don't see how this is a body shop issue. I'd want a SAE certified mechanic working on this sort of job, not a body shop guy. The subframe holds the engine and transmission to the chassis of the car.
I also don't see how this is a body shop issue. I'd want a SAE certified mechanic working on this sort of job, not a body shop guy. The subframe holds the engine and transmission to the chassis of the car.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
Someone over-torqued and stressed that thing for sure...factory (not very likely), body repair shop or alignment shop (more likely). That's a dangerous bolt to be missing. Corrosion set in and pop, she released the over-torque condition. How many more are in the same condition? I'd be under there looking myself and then asking the 'somebody' about it for damn sure. That's why you see bright-colored paint pen alignment markings (red, yellow, orange, green, whatever) on critical suspension and driveline bolts from the factory....visual indicator that somebody's been messing around with bolts and parts they shouldn't be. Very few of the self-proclaimed 'professionals' in the automotive repair world use anything other than a gorilla gun to tighten just about anything that size. They go to the wrench when the gun don't fit. Takes too much time crank away at it to run the bolt in by hand then have to go and dig out the ole torque wrench (if they even own one).
UL requires us to have torque wrenches all the way down to in-lb. torque screw drivers, calibrated annually, for tightening every electrical connection in a panel we UL List. They show up unannounced for compliance checks at least 4x a year. We paint mark all of our large conductor, high-voltage connections we've torqued and we then photograph them before the control cabinets leaves here (the factory). This way if something bad happens...a picture's worth a 1000 words.
UL requires us to have torque wrenches all the way down to in-lb. torque screw drivers, calibrated annually, for tightening every electrical connection in a panel we UL List. They show up unannounced for compliance checks at least 4x a year. We paint mark all of our large conductor, high-voltage connections we've torqued and we then photograph them before the control cabinets leaves here (the factory). This way if something bad happens...a picture's worth a 1000 words.
Ron
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
)
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
) 1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)Went to the dealer today and had them check the car out. Yes it was a sub frame bolt. The good news is that they are only $12, so decided to replace all 4 as they have to lower the whole suspension to get the bad one out. So while there might as well replace all of them. The bad news is going to be the price. That will be in the neighborhood of $700. As they have to order these bolts, won't get the car back (probably) till next week. Not a good thing with Christmas and all...
By the way they could not put there finger on WHY the bolt rusted out. Maybe the body shop after the accident, maybe a defective bolt from the factory, maybe aliens. But NOT likely at their shop where all the maintenance has been done since new. sigh...
By the way they could not put there finger on WHY the bolt rusted out. Maybe the body shop after the accident, maybe a defective bolt from the factory, maybe aliens. But NOT likely at their shop where all the maintenance has been done since new. sigh...
It doesn't really seem like you should have to drop the subframe to replace the bolt.... BUT it will be a bitch to get out without dropping the subframe so that is probably the quickest way to get it out.
I have a feeling the plan might be to drop the subframe so they can get on the outside of the bolt. Most farmer type guys would probably drill it out and tap in a new hole. It's probably too late now, but in the future it would be worth checking around at some independent shops. An old timer mechanic would probably be able to pull the bolt without messing with the subframe at all... And it's a bolt... I really don't think there is any way you couldn't just find something metric that would work.
Fastenal would probably have something in stock(there is likely one in your home town).
Basically under no circumstance would a regular shop have a reason to mess with a subframe bolt so they probably didn't have anything to do with it.
Please let us know how it turns out. I'm fairly certain there was a stress fracture that caused it to rust out and fall off(over tightened). It's truly amazing that it fell off sitting in your garage and not driving down the road.
I have a feeling the plan might be to drop the subframe so they can get on the outside of the bolt. Most farmer type guys would probably drill it out and tap in a new hole. It's probably too late now, but in the future it would be worth checking around at some independent shops. An old timer mechanic would probably be able to pull the bolt without messing with the subframe at all... And it's a bolt... I really don't think there is any way you couldn't just find something metric that would work.
Fastenal would probably have something in stock(there is likely one in your home town).
Basically under no circumstance would a regular shop have a reason to mess with a subframe bolt so they probably didn't have anything to do with it.
Please let us know how it turns out. I'm fairly certain there was a stress fracture that caused it to rust out and fall off(over tightened). It's truly amazing that it fell off sitting in your garage and not driving down the road.
On the Samurais, Suzuki used some type of thread locker on all of the 'once and done' bolts that hold most things together that are never meant to be taken apart. Most notorious are the eight large Phillips screws that hold the passenger door hinges to the body. Impacts work a fraction of the time so the tried and true method is step drilling them out by increasing bit sizes one at a time. By the time your bit size nears the size of the bolt shank itself, the heat from drilling breaks the thread's bond and the remaining headless bolt ends up coming right out w/ the drill bit in reverse, threads and all. I'd be drilling that sub-frame bolt out in the same fashion.
You might want to look up the torque specs on those bolts in the FSM and provide them with the info lest you have the same thing occur again.
You might want to look up the torque specs on those bolts in the FSM and provide them with the info lest you have the same thing occur again.
Ron
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( sold)
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
) 1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)