How to Loosen Stripped Bolts

Often, if you go too far in tightening a bolt, you will end up stripping it. This renders the bolt head useless as an avenue to turn the bolt further, whether to make it tighter or looser. Continuing to attempt to drive the bolt in further, or remove the bolt, will only strip it more. There is a method to loosen and extract the bolt.

• 1

  Select a drill bit that is approximately 1/3 the size of the bolt head, and install the bit in a power drill. Drill directly into the center of the bolt head, going about 1/8-inch straight into the bolt.

• 2

  Remove the drill bit and install a slightly larger bit in the drill. Drill directly into the hole you just drilled in the bolt head. Continue installing larger drill bits and drill into the bolt. Drill until the bolt head comes off.

• 3

  Tighten a pair of vice grips onto the exposed body of the bolt. Twist the vice grips, along with the bolt, counter-clockwise, loosening the bolt. Remove the bolt.