Sway Bar Bracket Bolts

Hello,
Revisiting 2 very old threads here
1. Rear sway bar bushing bolts ?
2. 2003 Expy XLT: Rear sway bar bushing bracket/holder bolts spin

I didn't see any solution on either unfortunately. So changing out the sway bar bushings and links on a 2005. The brackets for the sway bar have a bolt that feeds from the top down and the head of the bolt is round and flat and it looks like a roofing nail. There is a clip that attaches underneath between the bracket and body I believe is meant to help keep the bolt from spinning but it is a terrible design. It might work once but we are talking 20 years now. It's useless.
I was able to actually get the nut off with vice grips holding below the nut and once low enough, above the nut.

Now I'm re-installing and it's brutal. Air, impact, nothing helps. The bolt spins and spins. I went back to the vice grips but that clip keeps falling out of place and I want it gone.

Has anyone come up with a makeshift solution as you have no access to the head of the bolt?
I'm trying to find a comparable bolt that has an end with a hex tip like there was on the linkage. Just a little 8mm hex tip on the end of the bolt would be perfect.

Thank you all

This would be somewhat perfect...what the heck do you call these though!? It's on AliExpress so that's useless

Yeah those retainers are easy to break and the older they get it's likely to become a more common issue. I had one break on the passenger side several months ago and I had a replacement on hand. I had the driver side break this past weekend as well, but it's the one with no access, probably the same one you removed with vise-grips, good idea BTW.

My thought is to remove it somehow and I'll probably give vise-grips a shot first, if that fails then maybe the fire wrench and then weld a replacement to the frame. Course the bolts you posted are another good idea. I can't recall seeing bolts like that anywhere aside from ball joints and exhaust manifold studs though. I suppose it would be possible to use an exhaust manifold stud and weld a nut on one end. I think we could make a bolt like you pictured. Just get a bolt and then file/grind the threads off the end and then do the same to make some wrench flats. With an adjustable wrench or vise-grips we don't need a perfect hex. Put a nut on the bolt first so you can turn the nut off the help clean up the threads when done grinding it.

Yeah, the sway links I took off had a 8mm hex tip up top. Tighten that, loosen nut. Thanks youtube.
I would say the retainers are original, so yeah, they're garbage. I was lucky to get the nut off.
100% if the bolts were welded in that space to the frame life would be easier. A skill/tools I lack. But perhaps a fabricated bolt.
Dog tip bolts are the right concept but they're rounded.
The search continues

I found the one I broke a few months back. It's already got no threads on about 1/4" so I plan to grind off a bit more threads and then grind a couple flat spots. We'll see how that goes. I have 2 of them mess with. I'll post some pics of what I come up with.

I could weld the bolt on, but that will likely introduce a place for rust to form since I won't be able to paint it very well.

Thank you for saying retaining clip. That gave me a better search term. I found them for everyone's reference and so I could see an original one. Yes, mine are completely shot. I no longer have the ring surrounding the base of the head. All 4 have a half ring- half rusted away. So they are useless.

Now the punch line. The retainer clips, no matter where you look, are an average of $50...EACH! So in doing my rear suspension shock/struts, sway bar links, sway bar bushings for $300 in parts, 4 clips would bring it $500. Nope. I know Ford thought "Oh trust us, you'll get so frustrated that you'll buy them eventually"

I like your idea of grinding flat spots and was thinking along the same lines. Something to grab on to. Alternatively, I'm trying to think of a way to make just under the head bigger so when you put it in the slot of the frame opening it can't turn.

For people with the $ here is the part #. Include the dashes:

What about Dorman bolt retainers? How much strength do those have? Maybe that + impact drive?

I haven't seen any from Dorman or anyone else, maybe I just missed it.

The bolt for the Grand Marquis above is similar, but might not fit. While looking I did find a $10 alternative for an F-350, W712045-S439. Though it also might not fit. I've not yet found a replacement specific for the Gen 2 Expedition.

A bolt larger around the top of the shaft would be a carriage bolt. They are easy to come buy at the hardware stores if the slot is the right size or could be opened up a bit I suppose to fit. Just make sure you get a hard enough bolt if you try this route. Looks Ford's original bolts are grade 8 for this.

Sorry, Dorman makes bolt retainers. The only down side is that it has the protrusion so won't be flush against the bracket. At this point though...

Getting closer. Just backwards!