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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 233
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Cab light help
My truck has factory cab lights with the raised light perches and welded in nuts to screw to; however, when I attempted to take the screws out a while back a lot of them broke off in the nut. Some of the nuts even twisted out of the metal and I am left with a square hole. I know the problem lies in the fact that sheet metal screws were used instead of machined screws and a little rust doesn't help either.
Does anyone have any good ideas on a fix? The PO twisted some of them to the side and drilled new holes but the problem with this is they are all cockeyed and facing random direction. Could I drill out the twisted off screws that stuck in the nut and use a larger screws? What about the large square holes that have nothing to screw to? Thanks for any advice. I need to figure something out before we go to paint. |
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#2 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Foster Rhode Island
Posts: 1,176
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Re: Cab light help
If you could drill the holes out well, as in close to the center, you could retap them.. As far as the square holes I would try and get some nuts and tack them in with a mig. That's what I would do ,I'm not sure how your fixed as far as welding equipment or skills. You used to be able to buy square nuts,not sure if the still sell such a thing anymore. Is it going to a body shop for paint,maybe they could weld up the holes with new nuts.
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 233
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Re: Cab light help
I would like to weld nuts in but I think the metal is to thin due to feeling around with my finger and the rust pits that are visible in the area.
Last edited by Thebrownturd; 04-24-2016 at 11:51 AM. |
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#4 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 233
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Re: Cab light help
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#5 |
Senior Member
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kearneysville Wv
Posts: 3,944
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Re: Cab light help
Try some JB weld fill the holes let it set up and drill a new hole not sure how it will work but worth a try if the metal is to thin to weld
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 500
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Re: Cab light help
Just a reminder that left-handed drill bits can be helpful for drilling out stripped fasteners, provided you can get the drill bit started in the center of the bolt - probably not that easy in your case because you can't exactly whack that thin metal with a center punch..
I may not be using the right terminology.. these bits I'm thinking of spin counter-clockwise in stead of clockwise. It sounds like it will still be a tough problem though.. maybe it would be easier in the long run to replace the roof skin? |
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#7 |
1972 K20
![]() Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Greenfield MN
Posts: 360
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Re: Cab light help
The cab light screws were not originally sheet metal screws. I would drill out the nuts or cut them out and glue in a new nut, maybe try welding a new one to some sheet metal. From memory the screw size was 8-32 or 10-32. Use one of the lens to size up the screw. Good luck... time to get creative!
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