Roof cap nut removal

[Cal40]

I’m attempting to remove the roof cap off to replace the gasket and weld an additional brace into it to stop the oil canning.

I have struggled to break the 14mm nuts above the doors free. I’ve soaked in kroil, hit with a brass drift, and heated with a torch. I broke a 14mm universal joint socket on it. My offset 12 point won’t grip it (can’t figure out why, but maybe rounded a bit). Not enough overhead clearance for my 1/4 drive ratchet. Any ideas? Has anyone cut these and welded in new studs?

Any guidance appreciated!!!

 

[Cal40]

These are the nuts… that’s not mashed threads, just some brass transfer.

 

[Unimogguy]

These are the nuts… that’s not mashed threads, just some brass transfer.

View attachment 3873655

View attachment 3873656

I ended up breaking almost all of the ones I removed on my ‘63 even after I soaked them repeatedly for several weeks and tried heat. They’re an absolute pain.

I found this and saved it for when I get back to it…

@Bear said this previously:

“No real need to remove the upper-side panel.
However, if you are replacing your roof for rust-issues, then likely you should also take a peek at the seam between the upper panel and the lower cab rear/sides. The gasketing there, as well as the weatherstripping between the roof and the side panels, is often cracked, deteriorated, or missing after so many years. Water finds its way into those areas and then does its magic.

Watch when winding-off the roof bolts--too often they are so rusted they simply twist off--replacement with stainless bolts and anti-seize works better for future dismantling. And if your pickup truck is pre early 1970s, the mid-cab j-hooks are prone to breaking when re- latching the upper backside to the lower cab. The hooks are made of cheap pot-metal and can't take the cinching over fresh gasketing unless everything lines up perfectly. Nothing overly dramatic, just as always be prepared for something to snap or something to need replacement when you thought you'd be done quickly and back on your way.........just my two cents, anyway.

There are a number of captive nuts that when bolted, hold the roof to the upper back panel and to the door headers. Some of the nuts are on the door headers, most are inside the top of the rear panel. As with everything else that's bolted together on the body, expect to have at least some bolts snap-off, no matter how much care you use. The roof WILL come off the panel. The broken bolts need drilled out and retapped; some folks use heat and weld nuts to the broken studs to help.

As mentioned, if you, or the next owner, want to dismantle or remove the roof/panel in the future, consider using antiseize and stainless bolts when reassembling.”

If you find a proven method let us know as I still need to replace the roof gasket on my ‘67.

 

[miker]

It's been a long time since I took one apart, but I seem to recall that for the ones which have threads pointing up, the nut is captive, and the bolt is the part that's removed. The bolt is accessed from below. For those over the doors, I was thinking that the upper door header had to be removed to access the roof cap bolts in that area.

Again, I could be wrong, or thinking of an FJ40 vs. an FJ45. Just something to look at before trying to turn the nut with too much force.

 

[Bear]

The nuts are captive. Bolts rust in those nuts when water condenses from the general atmosphere and lays in the inner roof lip. Don't twist off the nuts unless you want to replace them. My two cents.

 

[wdukes]

I did just go thru this same process. I imagined how difficult it could be fit small bolts inside the rail of the top, while keeping the weather-stripping from blocking the hole.

Solution: I ordered metric posts without the bolt head and matching metric nuts. This allowed me to put all the threaded posts in the captive nuts. With weather-stripping in place, I was able to put the roof in place and then put metric washers and nuts in place. It worked for me.