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Thread: Body bolt stripped any suggestions.

  1. #1
    Senior Member Totally 80s's Avatar
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    Body bolt stripped any suggestions.

    I was putting on my front trunk sway bar and ever since I got it a few years ago it never went on quite right. So today I tried to put the bolt in and it just kind of falls through with a couple of twists and won't tighten of course. It is the driver side.

    Right now I guess my options are Helicoil or tap a larger size but just wanted to see if I was missing something or if anyone had any other suggestions.
    -Alex
    We work jobs we hate, to buy shit we don't need, to impress people we don't even like.

  2. #2
    Member
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    I have this same problem what is the fix?


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  3. #3
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    I put a separate nut on the bottom of mine as a quick and easy fix. Pack a small piece of metal between it and the frame or use a large screwdriver to stop nut spinning when tightening bolt.

    I will weld a nut in properly when I eventually seperate body and frame

  4. #4
    Senior Member Drive Stainless's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2016

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    I have seen this a handful of times, especially with the number of owners who have installed the strut tower bars. There are a few ways you could go about this:
    1. Add the nut from below as previously suggested. This is the easy way.
    2. See if you can pop off the aluminum cup from the fiberglass. Use a chisel and go slowly to avoid damaging the fiberglass more than necessary. This will give you enough room to install a timesert or helicoil. Then clean the fiberglass & cup and re-glue the cup with epoxy resin - preferably West Systems G/Flex epoxy. Reinstalling the bolt will help clamp the cup in place while it cures.
    3. Raise the body approximately 6-8 inches and use a right-angle drill to install the timesert/helicoil. This is the hard way.

  5. #5
    LS1 DMC Nicholas R's Avatar
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    It's unfortunate that this is one of the only body/frame connections that doesn't use a captured nut.

  6. #6
    Senior Member BABIS's Avatar
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    what is the suggested torque for the trunk body bolts?
    Let us reply to ambition that it is she herself that gives us a taste for solitude.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Drive Stainless's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BABIS View Post
    what is the suggested torque for the trunk body bolts?
    23 ft*lbs

  8. #8
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    Reviving an old thread and it may well be the only thread on the topic...

    Started to install a strut tower bar only to find that the passenger side front body bolt is spinning and rusted together. Looking closely shows a nut spinning as well in the little receiver box on the strut tower itself The driver side came out with no problem.

    Before I go to unholy lengths to get this bolt removed...

    #1 I'm assuming this is a PO repair where they previously added a nut, but how in the world did they get the nut in there?
    #2 How would I get a new nut in there?

    Thanks in advance.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Drive Stainless's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iflights View Post
    Reviving an old thread and it may well be the only thread on the topic...

    Started to install a strut tower bar only to find that the passenger side front body bolt is spinning and rusted together. Looking closely shows a nut spinning as well in the little receiver box on the strut tower itself The driver side came out with no problem.

    Before I go to unholy lengths to get this bolt removed...

    #1 I'm assuming this is a PO repair where they previously added a nut, but how in the world did they get the nut in there?
    #2 How would I get a new nut in there?

    Thanks in advance.
    Can you try to take a pic?

    There should be no nut in there, and if there is, it's either a very thin nut, or they cut and welded the frame to get it in there.

    The right way to fix this would be to add a timesert, which means removing the body from the frame. A somewhat less-invasive approach may to enlarge one of the little openings just enough to slip a nut in there, but that makes it a fun little game to remove and reinstall, or even re-tighten it in the future.

    There are very few threads in the frame to support this bolt, and I'm surprised more owners haven't stripped the hole installing these strut tower bars.

    If it were me, I would probably leave the strut tower bar off, leave the bolt alone for now, and plan to pull the body off the frame in the future when it's convenient to repair it correctly.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    There's some kinda "nut" built into the frame (possibly welded, and the weld broke.) I have my body off and can see there might be enough access to sneak a nut in there for a repair, but I agree with Matt...a timesert would be the way to go.

    FWIW, you can raise the front of the body off the frame and get enough access without doing a full separation if you use "right-angle tools." Probably could do the job in one weekend.

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