Snapped Bolts - Solutions?

[interscope8]

Alrighty, I've been driving around with one of my Tie Down knobs just off of my bed for a while and man do i hate it. I posted up a long time ago about a fix and never got any feedback...

Basically, Im dumb and snapped both bolt heads off of one of those knobs (someone gimme the actual name haha). I drilled the old bolts out so the remainder of the nuts are in there still. I was wonderin' the best way to go about fixing this...

Remove the body panel, or re-tap the left over metal thats in there and hope for the best? Or if anyone has a better idea that'd be great!

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I did the same thing awhile back and thankfully NC Ranchero was able to get ahold of two bed hooks with bolts and backing plates, he is the man!!!

Todd Z at Zabteck Technologies sells stainless steel bolts for the bed hooks and roof racks.

I snapped the bolts on the bed hooks and couldn't get the bolts out of the backing plates so I ended up taking the inner fender out of the passenger side and the Power outlet plate off to access the backing plates to remove and replace.

 

[interscope8]

Mines on the passenger side (i think, i try to not look at it), so if i remove my inner fender I should be able to access the plate?

And I'll be ordering some Torsion bolts and bed hook (thanks for the term haha) bolts very soon. I took my bolts out to paint them black, that's how this mess happened. Can I paint stainless steel bolts!? haha

 

[MidnightRebel07]

You can paint the stainless steel bolts but their stainless so the won't rust like the factory bolts.

Here's the link. Sometimes he get's busy with running the site, working, etc.. so it might take him a day or two to get back to you, you get meesage him through mysporttrac.com if needed, he runs the site.

http://www.zabteck.com/bolts.htm

 

[interscope8]

thanks!

 

[interscope8]

alrighty Midnight! Ur my best friend today haha,

could you point me in the direction of how to remove the inner fender or the whole fender panel so i can get this fixed this weekend?

 

[MidnightRebel07]

There are screws that hold the inner fender to the bed and back bumper cover. There are:

(2) on the bumper cover

(4) on the wheelwell lip

(5) on the back-top of the inner wheel well.

When you go to remove the inner wheel well you'll need to pull out "alittle" on the bed side to get the IWW out. Remeber not to pull too hard because the bed is fiberglass and will crack.

 

[interscope8]

Thanks Rebel, good luck on getting that ball joint fixed! My stomach turned when i saw the pick...

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Thanks, it's easy to do the balljoints/ UCA. Looks like from what people are saying I got the wrong bolt/nut in the kits, now I need to check the otherside and both on my wifes '97 Mounty.