Anyone have a technique for lifting the captive threaded plate in the tube steel that the rear ambulance doors bolt to? I was drilling one out and it fell backwards in the tube. Do i need to cut the tube open and reweld it? If i have to cut it open, where is best to do that? from the side or back of the tube?
Captive bolts in rear frame for door?
- Thread starter scottr
- Start date
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wimberosa
SILVER Star
What year is your truck and can you take a pic? The later trucks have a flat bar stock that is held in with a couple of clips that can just be bent to replace the flat bar if its munged. I'm not picturing in my head what yours looks like.
- Thread starter
- #3
Sorry for not getting to this sooner. I got busy on some other things but ultimately, what you described is what i found when i cut the tube steel open on the end, a clip that could be bent and some new bar stock tapped and slipped in to capture the hinge bolts.
- Thread starter
- #5
yep, i had to remake something like that once i opened it up.
Yes. I had to remake them too once i opened up the frame.
Back in the day those were called plate nuts not captive bolts
I've got a magnet on a long bendable handle 
If it's in the hard side to be able get to the hole for hinge would lay the top on the back across a couple of saw horses. Couple of pegs in the hinge holes to catch it. Then something like a paper clip open to a long to get in place. Pretty much the same with door.
What I would suggest is when doing something drill hole out to put a screw in the other hole. If the first screw breaks when being removed twist the hinge so it's out of the way while drill the broken one out. If screws are on the both side of the remove the pin to take the hinge apart. Repairing or replacing it is easier than dealing with a loose plate floating around. As where to open a hole in the side of a hard top if the side doesn't need any repair I cut out the top. Behind the plate could make a correct repair. That way the wouldn't show from the outside.
What I would suggest is when doing something drill hole out to put a screw in the other hole. If the first screw breaks when being removed twist the hinge so it's out of the way while drill the broken one out. If screws are on the both side of the remove the pin to take the hinge apart. Repairing or replacing it is easier than dealing with a loose plate floating around. As where to open a hole in the side of a hard top if the side doesn't need any repair I cut out the top. Behind the plate could make a correct repair. That way the wouldn't show from the outside.