Busted Nut Plate inside Frame

I was attempting to remove my front sway bar. I was removing the front bolts and they got bound up so I sprayed them with PB Blaster then started working the riverside bolt in and out. As I was running the bolt out it got tight and when I applied pressure it broke. The bolt was flopping around and stuck to the nut plate in the frame.

What are my options, besides trading my 4runner in for another one

UPDATE: I found a custom auto shop close to where I'm at, like 3 miles from me. I talked to the guy and figured if they can do all the custom work they have on display my little mess up should be easy. I have an appointment to drop it off this Tuesday. They are also going to finish the install on my recovery points. I have no doubt it's going to cost me some $$$. I will update this when I get the 4runner back.

 

Can you see any access available to the back side of the frame there, as in a nearby hole? One option is a captive nut - a nut with a piece of steel welded to it that you can fish in there to thread the bolt into when you replace it...if you can fish the captive nut in, you could also probably fish out the broken piece with a retractable magnet.

Another option is a rivnut.

 

I hate it when I bust a nut....

Is it broke off flush? If it is maybe you can drill it out and re thread hole? Maybe go up a size? Helicoil?

 

So the bolt is still there and just spins with the nut in the frame? If you have access, cut the bolt with a sawzall. If there's no saw blade access, take it to a shop and liquify it with a torch. There are some larger holes nearby, covered with plastic plugs, that'll let you fish out the remains with a stick magnet.

 

Ya’ll are giving some great advice, I can’t help OP much but I’m watching this thread.
I think I used a captive nut (attached to a metal wire) style solution in order to fasten my KDSS Apex Recovery Points to the front end frame rails?

GOODLUCK @Porch Dawg

 

Shrockworks, which no longer exists, used to provide what they called 'stick nuts', which you fished into the frame to use on a couple of their slider mounting points, AND you needed to drill holes to use them. Which seemed totally inappropriate, as the 4R frame has way more than enough pre-threaded mounting holes already.

 

Someone mentioned installing the APEX recovery points, that's exactly what I was attempting to do when this started! Grrrr!
There is a plastic plug on the frame very close to where the broken nut plate is.
And yes, the bolt is still stuck in the nut plate and spinning around in the frame.

 

Why the removal?

 

I was installing my recovery points. To do the install you have to remove the bolts that hold the sway bar in place.

 

Damn recovery points!
My 4R has KDSS as opposed to XREAS (I think you have a Limited)
I didn’t have to touch the sway bar. But, I did have to drill out the frame, one hole per side

 

Yes, you are correct mine is a Limited.

 

I see, indeed.
I had to remove the front bumper cover and crash bar to access the hole for the nut on a wire. Luckily, I’ve experienced taking my bumpers off before so it wasn’t bad.

Goodluck sir

 

This happened to me when changing bushings… I just used a magnet and dropped bolt down thru the frame and nut from the bottom..:

 

Explain more plz

 

Talking to the shop that's going to do the repair, I think they are going to use a locking nut and a bolt, IF they can't weld another nut inside the frame.

 

1. Saw or cut disk off broken “spinning nut”,
2. Fish out remainder of broken bold from hole in frame with a flex magnet
3. Purchase new bolt from dealer $2.43
4. Ace had a nut that worked. $.52
5. Use Flex magnet to drop in bolt from top
6. Start nut, this is where it gets a bit trick… get nut above the bottom of bolt enough to grab it with some plyers… once snug… use impact to tighten.. . I’m not home to take a pic… but super easy.

 

Notice the diff?

 

I think your shop has the right plan. I think there's about a 90% chance they will be installing a rivnut in place of that captive nut with the busted welds.
I've had this same problem with the threaded captive nuts for the skid plates. I've broken the welds off of 4 of them and had to replace each of them with a rivnut.

I have a few "out of the box" options for you OP. (These are ideas i've been toying with, I too have a Limited that I wheel often)
1. Take out the swaybar and never look back. Enjoy all the flex that comes from living without the swaybar! Saves all the effort of trying to put it back.)
2. Get the Apex Designs Kwiklynx swaybar disconnect: https://www.apexdesignsusa.com/products/kwiklynx -- Since you will move the swaybar forward and drill new rivnut/nutsert holes you won't have to worry about those old bolt holes and that old captive nut ever again. And you also get a disconnecting swaybar. If you're gonna mod, go hard or go home.

 

How did you break all 4 ? Was is from corrosion ?

 

Not from corrosion, the welds are just so tiny. The first nut came when the shop was doing an oil change and after a particularly hard hit to the skid, they said the nut/bolt were just spinning when they tried to change the oil.
The remaining three came from another time when I was trying to swap the skids. they never seem to break on the way in, it was when loosening the bolts.
Here is link to the picture of the welded nuts. let me know if it doesn't take you to the image:
https://www.4runners.com/posts/565140/