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Low Profile Bolt Extractor Tools

If a bolt is described as "low profile," it may indicate a number of things: the height of the bolt head, the shape of the bolt head or the length of the bolt shaft. None of these shapes or dimensions are especially important when extracting a stuck bolt. If it's fastened and you can't remove it, the head is stripped or the threads or stuck or both. While low-profile bolts are likely to get stripped because there's less gripping surface, the process for removing it is the same as for removing other types of bolts.

Impact Driver
- If you come across a stubborn bolt, especially a low-profile bolt head, take care not to use too much force, which can strip the bolt. If it doesn't turn and you feel the potential for stripping, go to an impact driver right away. An impact driver looks like a thick-handled screwdriver and is designed to remove tough bolts and machine screws. The tip can be outfitted with any kind or size of screwdriver blade, hex tool or socket. Put the impact driver in place as if you were going to turn it like a screw driver. Instead, strike the back of the impact driver with a hammer. The impact driver transfers the sudden downward blow into a quick burst of torque, turning the bolt head. This often breaks loose the initial tension and friction, freeing the bolt. This can be accompanied by penetrating oil.
Locking Pliers
- Locking pliers such as vise-grips can succeed where normal wrenches fail. However, they tend to mar the bolt's head surface by digging into it. If the bolt is already semi-stripped, it may not be a concern. Locking pliers have an adjustable cam-like tightening action, allowing you to grasp the bolt head with sharp pliers teeth. Once the pliers are clamped onto the head, you may be able to turn the bolt stripping the bolt.
Drill
- If the bolt head is stripped and an impact driver fails, it's usually necessary to destroy it, remove it and replace it with a new one. If locking pliers don't work, use a metal-cutting drill bit with a sharp cutting head. Start with a center-punch so the drill tip doesn't wander. Use a smaller bit to drill a pilot hole. With the pilot hole established, use larger and larger bits, drilling directly inline with the shaft until you drill through the bolt head, releasing the mechanical connection.
Easy-Out
- While you can drill a bolt head out with some effort, it's harder to drill the shaft of a bolt out. This is a job for an "easy-out," a special tool for drilling and removing bolts; it's essentially a drill bit that's designed to get stuck in whatever you drill. Start with a pilot hole. Then drill the matched-size easy-out into the pilot hole. Build up rotational inertia, getting it as deep as possible. Its tapered shape will wedge it into the hole, creating a new mechanical connection. Then reverse the drill and back the threads out. The cross-bar design of a tap-and-die set can also be used for greater leverage.

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