Bib-to-body Captured Nut Replacement

[RWBeringer4x4]

Hey guys,

I have broken nuts and they are hard to reach...

Working on my truck this weekend, I found that the captured nuts that hold the bib to the body of my Land Cruiser are stripped out/partially cracked off on the passenger side of the truck (Driver's side were intact)

The nuts are actually behind the fold in the front of the body where the front corner bends around and meets the bib, making them pretty tough to get to. There's also not a lot of material to work with there in terms of drilling a larger hole to get rid of the captured nuts.

The obvious objective would be to get rid of the stripped/cracked/rusted captured nuts so I could replace them, or at least run a bolt through and have the nut sit flush on the other side...

Any recommendations on how to get remedy this, and furthermore, how to replace non-functional captured nuts in tough-to-reach places?

 

[FJcovet]

I just replaced four captured nuts on my rain gutter as a part of my hardtop rebuild. I just ground them off and welded on replacements. I was planning on repainting anyway. I got the weld nuts from McMaster Carr. I will see if I can find the part number.

 

[FJcovet]

Here is the link for weld nuts.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/119/3189/=mmy9h6

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Thanks for the link, FJCovet. I'll definitely be needing it! Grinding them off is what I would normally do. The issue with these nuts is that they are mounted inside the folded front corner of the body - not a place you can easily get a grinder, or welder, into!

See the red box, below. That's where the nuts in question are...

 

[Pearly]

You can get a Dremmel in there, or just use a bolt, split washer and nut.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

You can get a Dremmel in there, or just use a bolt, split washer and nut.

Dremmel might fit. Normally, I'd go the bolt/nut/split washer route, but these captured nuts apparently somehow shattered...There's little shards of captured nut around the edges of the hole one is about 1/2, the other a little less than 1/4 left. No idea how that would have happened...

So a bolt/nut/split washer wont work until I remove the shards, because the shards prevent the bolt/nut from properly seating.

 

[nuclearlemon]

can you hack them off flush (or a touch longer than flush) with a small hacksaw and do bolt/nut?

or drill and tap larger

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

can you hack them off flush (or a touch longer than flush) with a small hacksaw and do bolt/nut?

or drill and tap larger

Yeah I'm thinking a hacksaw on what's left of the captured nuts might be the answer. There isn't enough of the nut left to drill and tap larger, but it would be a mighty big hole to drill out the whole nut!

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I took my aprons off and used a long chisel to just knock them off. Its been awhile but dont recall it was to much trouble to do it. I replaced them with a nutsert

 

[pavieSD]

I've had success just using a long screw driver to bend the bird cage up a bit. Usually you can do that to the metal to either extract the nut, or get a better angle to snip the metal. Dremel or metal snips should do the trick. The captured nut metal isn't that strong, and if it's rusted up at all, pretty easy to manipulate. This should allow you to extract the bolt pieces.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I took my aprons off and used a long chisel to just knock them off. Its been awhile but dont recall it was to much trouble to do it. I replaced them with a nutsert

I have a feeling this is what I'm going to do. Remove the aprons, maybe hit them with a chisel or a hacksaw.

I've had success just using a long screw driver to bend the bird cage up a bit. Usually you can do that to the metal to either extract the nut, or get a better angle to snip the metal. Dremel or metal snips should do the trick. The captured nut metal isn't that strong, and if it's rusted up at all, pretty easy to manipulate. This should allow you to extract the bolt pieces.

Pavie - It isn't bolt pieces, the actual captured nuts physically shattered, leaving little shards of metal welded to the inside fold of the apron. it's probably rusty enough that I could wack them with a chisel or a screwdriver, like cruiserjunkie said.

Is there a reason to got with nutserts over simply using a bolt, nut, and lock washer?

Thanks, everyone, for the responses!

 

[FJmoneypit]

Rick,

Let me check
I know I have an extra side panel in the garage, just not sure if it's driver or passenger side, capatured nuts are still there. Got it when I need one a while back, had to buy both.


John

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Rick,

Let me check
I know I have an extra side panel in the garage, just not sure if it's driver or passenger side, capatured nuts are still there. Got it when I need one a while back, had to buy both.


John

Thanks John,

Mine are actually in surprisingly good shape, aside from the nuts. I think they're salvageable.

 

[cjgoode]

I knocked mine off and went with a simple nut bolt and washers. You do not take the front end apart enough to justify trying to get captured nuts back, and welding something would not be a good idea, you would loose some of your adjustability to get stuff lined up.

 

[pavieSD]

I knocked mine off and went with a simple nut bolt and washers. You do not take the front end apart enough to justify trying to get captured nuts back, and welding something would not be a good idea, you would loose some of your adjustability to get stuff lined up.

Okay it's raining here or I'd go check for sure, but I recall that the bolts were simply floating in the bird cage, and not welded to the panel. This allowed for adjustability as Cjgoode mentioned. It may be a model year difference though. Mines a 1970, so maybe they went to welded nuts at a later date?

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Okay it's raining here or I'd go check for sure, but I recall that the bolts were simply floating in the bird cage, and not welded to the panel. This allowed for adjustability as Cjgoode mentioned. It may be a model year difference though. Mines a 1970, so maybe they went to welded nuts at a later date?

On my 75, the bolts float in slots cut into the side of the bib with wide washers. The mount through the apron to captured nuts on the back-side of the apron.

It's not the bolts that are the problem, it's the captured nuts in the apron.

 

[pavieSD]

On my 75, the bolts float in slots cut into the side of the bib with wide washers. The mount through the apron to captured nuts on the back-side of the apron.

It's not the bolts that are the problem, it's the captured nuts in the apron.

That's a spelling mistake on my part, I meant that the nut is floating in the bird cage, not the bolt. I will check when I get home to confirm, as I suspect the model year makes a difference on how the fenders were mounted to the bib.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

That's a spelling mistake on my part, I meant that the nut is floating in the bird cage, not the bolt. I will check when I get home to confirm, as I suspect the model year makes a difference on how the fenders were mounted to the bib.

I see what you're saying now - they may be "caged" nuts instead of welded captured nuts...I was just kind of feeling around blind. It's very possible that the shards I felt were what was left of the bird cages.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I know mine dont move on my 77 aprons. I used nut and bolt but nutsert are much easier for me but im far from stock and have batteries mounted on both sides up there

 

[mikey b]

Rick,on my rig (1/75 fj40) those are welded T nuts,hope this helps.
Mike