Tried using a breaker bar on a rusted bolt and snapped the whole thing in half

I was wrestling with a lower control arm bolt on a 2005 F-150 last Tuesday, put my whole weight on a 3-foot breaker bar, and the head just sheared off clean. Now I'm drilling out the remains and questioning every life choice that led me to this point. Anyone else ever have a bolt just give up like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameronb521mo ago

@tyler492 changed my mind on breaker bars too, never thought they could just snap like that.

tyler4921mo ago

Holy cow, a 3-foot breaker bar just snapped the head clean off? That's brutal man, I've never seen one fail like that before.

mark_cooper1mo ago

Damn man, that is brutal. I used to think a long breaker bar was the answer to everything, but after seeing stuff like this I've totally changed my mind. @tyler492 you're right, normally you don't see them snap clean like that, but when they do, it's game over. Rust is the real enemy, it just makes everything give up way sooner than you'd expect. Hope your drill bits are sharp and you got a good set of easy-outs handy, cause that's gonna be a long afternoon.