how to deal with a stripped fender bolt

[jeremywrags]

Hi All,

Just bought my first OLD pickup. A 1959 Apache Fleetside. I'll get pics up as soon as I pickup the pickup...

Anyway, most of the sheetmetal work has been done except a small hole in the passenger floor and the passenger rocker. The rocker is there but the PO has not welded it up yet because there is a stripped bolt in the fender that prevented him from bolting it up. He want's to make sure all lines up before welding in the rocker. Seem reasonable.

So he showed me the stripped bolt and it seems that it's an integral part of the fender, he started to try to cut it out so he could weld in a new one but abandoned that idea as it seemed it would do more harm than good.

His next option was to just tap the threads to a larger size, again seems reasonable and path of least resistance...

So my question to those with much more experience than myself. How did\would you deal with a stripped fender bolt?

Thanks

[mongocanfly]

if there's enough room and enough meat...tapping to the next larger size is a good fix..either that or cut it out and replace..

[mr48chev]

I think I know the bolt you are talking about but I don't have a TF truck. Maybe one of the TF brigade will take a photo or two to show what you are looking at when you go to take the bolt out or replace it.

[joedoh]

are you certain its not a captured NUT with a rusted bolt with a broken head on it?

[MARTINSR]

Post a photo, that is a must with stuff on this forum.


Brian

[Rude Dude]

If you're talking about the lower edge of the inside fender there is a captive nut that rust in that area. If bolt is broke off try welding a nut on to screw shank first to remove it. If not able to do that grind flat drill and tap with 3/8 national fine thread tap. I have done both methods if that area of outside fender sheet metal is bad and needs to be repaired when you cut metal the captive nut can be seen and replaced also

[dwcsr]

That brace has a welded nut on the inside, tapping larger may be more trouble than its worth if its badly rust away inside. I cut out a 1 x 1 piece then weld in a 1x1x 3/16 or 1/4" piece and drill and tap it. 20 minutes your done.

[my56chevytruck]

iAre you sure you're not referring to a stripped nut??
if so, here's my .02 worth.
on my 56 truck, I had a few stripped captured nuts, so what I did where i could, I retapped to the next size and where I didn't think that was the right place, I sanded down the face of the bad nut and welded on a new one behind it. this way, you don't have to attempt to remove the bad nut. if the one is stripped out, then the next one behind it will hold your new bolt on.