How to get stripped bolts out?

[Deer_hunter_088]

So yknow them lil philips that hold everything together in your door (window regulators and stuff, well i stripped two of em and need to get them out, do yknow how to, or some tips would help.

[custom10nut]

First thing to do is try to get some penetrating oil into the threads, and then tap on the screw head with a punch to cause vibration. This helps the oil penetrate the rust.
Carefully drill out the center starting small, and then a little bigger.. Then use an EZ out to try to get it to break loose. If that doesn't work, you CAN take two small pry bars, one on each side, and carefully pry it through opening. This is not the most preferred, because it requires repair of either the door, or the panel afterwords, and if your paint is good then it'll most likely get damaged.

[rcazwillis]

Did you strip the philips head or the threads? If it is the head, I would try an ease out. I have had good luck with the ones that have a left handed drill on one end and the extractor on the other, 'speed out' may be the name. Kit comes with three sizes. Some times the ease out will grab the philips head and pull the screw out. If not, use the drill, sometimes it will do the trick. Penetrating oil is definitely needed.

[Deer_hunter_088]

The bolts soaked in it overnight, and its the heads, not the threads.

[57taskforce]

A Cordless impact might pull them out if the heads are 100% rounded out.

[davepl]

Those screw extractors they sell on TV actually work. They're also a number one seller on Amazon. Everyone needs a set or two!

https://smile.amazon.com/Damaged-Scr...crew+extractor

[jeffahart]

If it has a head clamp it with vice grips and turn it out. If it is countersunk, like said try to use the extraction tools, and easy out is always last resort. Stripped counter sunk screws are usually a PITA to get out. No magic bullet! Try easy stuff first and put off the dreaded "drill out for easy out" method for last! I always cussed.... why do they call it easy out?

[toolboxchev]

PB Blaster Penetrating Lubricant, torch, then cold water. It will shock, loosen about 99 percent of all rusted tight nuts, bolts, windshield wiper arms on our trucks.

Headed to the barn to do some more right now!

[Deer_hunter_088]

Its on my door, that is goin on the truck, so i dont wanna damage it, might just cut the heads off and use a pair of pliers to screw the threads out, once the regulator is out.

[rcazwillis]

Originally Posted by davepl

Those screw extractors they sell on TV actually work. They're also a number one seller on Amazon. Everyone needs a set or two!

https://smile.amazon.com/Damaged-Scr...crew+extractor

Those are the ones I was talking about. Ace & Home Depot sell them among other places. They work well.

I put them in a cordless impact driver. I find that works very well and beats trying to turn it by hand.

[randy500]

In the following order.
Cordless or air impact with best fitting screwdriver bit, buy or borrow it
Vise grips, go buy a new set, your old ones teeth are worn out. Keep a new set on hand for just this purpose.
Apply heat, oxygen and acetylene, propane is not hot enough, heat it quick and hit it with the impact or the vise grips. Or mig weld a 1/4 bolt to the stripped head, this is better as it heats the bolt threads to break them loos and gives you a new surface to wrench on, less damage to the door too.
Cut a slot in the head for a flat tip screwdriver with a cut-off disc
Drill it out, straight down the center, then drill the head off and finish up taking the bolt out on the bench.

Most of all...never touch a phillips head machine screw style bolt on these trucks without an air or electric impact wrench, your just asking for trouble if you do that. The headaches of stripped heads, etc are worth the $100 a good electric impact will cost you if you don't have one.

[71swb4x4]

I dealt with this 2 months ago. I drilled the heads off, so small drill bit, and then went bigger and bigger until I could easily break the head off, then I removed the door panel. Once the door panel is off you can easily access the other end of the screw. I put a vise grip on it and unscrewed the rest of it. I unscrewed it the rest of the way into the door, so basically screwed it all the way into the hole until it fell out the back .

[Deer_hunter_088]

Got em out! Cut a flat tiped screw driver out, shocked it, beat it, and bertttttttted em out with my impact

[HO455]

Patience and sheer determination! If the door panel nuts break off, are bad or missing you can use cage nuts. I used four of them on my Burban as a PO had removed some. Worked great.

[Deer_hunter_088]

The reg. was shot so it needed replaced. used some nuts i bought from a local hardware store. Thankfully our trucks have a VERY common thread pattern.