How to clean up mangled threads on threaded rod?

[atikovi]

This is on a cheap Chinese bushing press tool. First time I've used it for this purpose in 10 years. I have a die on it but can't hold the rod tight enough by hand to run the die down the damaged areas. If I hold it with vice grips, it will probably damage that spot as well. It's an M12x 1.50 rod about 18 inches long. Does anyone make a high strength version?

 

[whateg01]

Double nut it and use a wrench on the second nut.

 

[atikovi]

Double nut it and use a wrench on the second nut.

Can't find a single nut that size, but wouldn't they just turn together?

 

[tvand13]

Can't find a single nut that size, but wouldn't they just turn together?

If two nuts are jammed against each other like whateg described, they won't turn if you hold on to the correct one. I'd double nut close to the mangled area and grab one nut with the bench vise to hold it still for cleaning up with the die.

 

[FrankLee]

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[RMERR]

A quick search shows a one meter piece of hardened rod (you'd have to shorten it) for about $90. Regular steel $20ish. Or get the nuts from MMC as mentioned above. Don't know how much the tool value warrants the $$. Also, those threads look pretty ground down, even if you get the die there those will be weak threads? Haven't used one of those so maybe not a problem.

 

[rsanter]

Two chunks of rubber like used for stall mats,
clamp in the vise with the lubber to protect and grab the all thread

 

[Burt Shaver]

See what others think but I would guess that those threads are only going to stretch next time you use the tool, even if you are able to straighten them up. I was told to use anti seize on threads for tools like this

 

[whateg01]

See what others think but I would guess that those threads are only going to stretch next time you use the tool, even if you are able to straighten them up. I was told to use anti seize on threads for tools like this

Stretch? Do you mean the whole threaded rod will stretch? Why would the threads stretch unless the threaded rod is overloaded? And how would just the threads stretch?

 

[David99]

Two chunks of rubber like used for stall mats,
clamp in the vise with the lubber to protect and grab the all thread

Thick leather is another option.

 

[Burt Shaver]

Stretch? Do you mean the whole threaded rod will stretch? Why would the threads stretch unless the threaded rod is overloaded? And how would just the threads stretch?

I didn’t read through well and I’m no expert that’s for sure lol. I just assumed that the threads had become damaged from over stretching them. I guess I should remember what happens when I assume

 

[whateg01]

I didn’t read through well and I’m no expert that’s for sure lol. I just assumed that the threads had become damaged from over stretching them. I guess I should remember what happens when I assume

The pic in op looks more like the threaded rod passed through a hole but was not tight so it was allowed to move in the hole deforming the threads. That section obviously won't hold a nut but once cleaned up should allow a but to be threaded past it.

 

[rsanter]

Thick leather is another option.

True, even a soulless pieces of pine lumber will protect the threads.
the leather and rubber will give better “grip” though

 

[Spikes]

Flip it around and revisit in 10 years.

 

[Gutman]

Regarding clamping the rod, using rubber, wood, leather, or something that would deform enough to fill the threads so a clamp or vice would work have usually worked for me. Once, when it did not, I actually split a nut of the same size/pitch with a bandsaw and was able to clamp it in the immediate vicinity of some thread damage on threaded rod and it worked to hold the rod sufficiently so it did not spin. I also used that method to chase the threads sufficient to clean them up to get what ever was below the damaged portion off.

However, I've found that with some cheap chinese threaded rod-using tools, the weak link was the threaded rod itself. I've actually upgraded a couple pullers that I use frequently with some domestically sourced threaded rod. Sadly, they're usually metric threaded so a little more challenging, but the forged or cast components did not seem to be the issue.

 

[cherrybomb]

Down the road,if you put that much torque on a single nut maybe a rod coupler would distribute the torque over more threads???????

 

[ronkz650]

McMaster sells a good rod for only $15 plus shipping of course. I've used this exact rod, and it's strong steel.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

As mentioned, tighten two 12mm nuts together on the rod to hold it if you do choose to try to repair your existing rod, but don't use a die, you'll fight it and damage the threads. Use a thread chaser. The Lang kit is great. https://www.jbtools.com/lang-tools-...iZrEgVjsUKf1iwjRzqwhjbzy5gOTA_FRoCZKoQAvD_BwE

 

[rharman]

Thread restorer file?

 

[crane_guy]

Thread restorer file?

Correct thread file, don't mangle threads in the first place in


Fist place

 

[humber2]

Would either of these two options work?

1. Reverse the rod to work from a better end.

or

2. Shorten the rod at the damaged section.

YMMV

 

[OneEyedMan]

I use this set for cleaning threads.

https://www.amazon.com/NES1025-Universal-External-Internal-6-Piece/dp/B00D8WJ4LI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[zimman]

Flip it around and revisit in 10 years.

EPIC.
Zim

 

[zimman]

Flip it around and revisit in 10 years.

Wait..................if you flip it over it will be left handed threads right? LOL
Zim

 

[Burt Shaver]

I use this set for cleaning threads.

https://www.amazon.com/NES1025-Universal-External-Internal-6-Piece/dp/B00D8WJ4LI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$1685.88?? Sarcasm?

 

[OneEyedMan]

$1685.88?? Sarcasm?

I think the price was $150 or so when I bought my kit. Not the first kit on the list. I didn’t see the $1600 one.

 

[Burt Shaver]

I think the price was $150 or so when I bought my kit. Not the first kit on the list. I didn’t see the $1600 one.

I’m in Canada, when I hit the link, that’s the price that came up for me. 1600.00 is a little pricey for thread chasers

 

[whateg01]

$1685.88?? Sarcasm?

Comes up at $616 for me in the US. Still way more than I would pay for such a thing

 

[gearhead1]

Do they make a stronger threaded rod? Yes. Unfortunately you don’t know exactly the strength of the one you have. Is it 8.8 or is it even weaker…..yes they make this stuff even weaker.

One approach would be to replace the threaded rod with an 8.8 strength as a starting point, see how long it lasts and go from there.

As the strength increases so does the price. You can get a higher strength rod if you’re willing to go that route. Can you post a pic of the tool?

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[bwringer]

Can't find a single nut that size, but wouldn't they just turn together?

FWIW, M12x1.50 is very common in lug nuts.

IIRC, that's the usual standard lug thread in Toy Yodas, for example. So wander down the street until you see a Toyota, steal one each from two wheels, and put them back when you're done. You want the open kind, so look for a car with steel wheels.

 

[gearhead1]

The metric bolt grades of 8.8, 10.9, and 12.9 are roughly equivalent (not exact) to SAE grade 2, 5, and 8.

18” is roughly 450mm, so rounding up is 500mm

McMaster has a medium strength but you have to get 1m (1000 mm) as the shorter length stops at 300mm. So you’d have to spend $110.15 + shipping to essentially get a grade 5 threaded rod.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[ronkz650]

Sorry, delete reply, wrong thread pitch.