Bed bolt replacement & stipped bolt removal.

[koda6966]

Anyone know where to find a normal (not torx!) replacement bolt for the bed bolts on Rangers? I'm looking for something pointed, like the stock bolts. Half my bolts are stripped out and I don't wanna throw in another set of crappy torx bolts..

Also whats a good way to get these out? Just grind the heads off? I don't have a welder, or I'd just weld a nut onto them..

 

[koda6966]

Problem solved.

 

[bilzy7]

I have so many broken bolts that need to be drill n tapped on my truck. Have youtried to drill out bolt and use that puller screw to drill in to it to turn bolt out? If you do just get a big enough one that'll handle the torx bolt.
Maybe you can grind it off from underneath and use vise grips to turn bolt out? That'd probably be a pain in the ass but might be simple.
I'm dealing with bushings for leaf spring being rusted to bolt... The head of bolt is like 1/4 inch thick so my tools keep slipping off. My crescent came right off... Next is to try vice grips if not, I'm drilling out the bushings and bolt should slide out.
Good luck with bed bolts... I'd recommend using same torx bolts again, but that's just me...

 

[bilzy7]

What'd you do weld head of torx back on?

 

[koda6966]

I didn't, I just got out my grinder and made a hex bolt out of it. It came out as being the right size to fit a 12pt, 13/16th socket on it. I hammered it on so it would stay good.

I ended up having to grind the front two out though, I couldn't get the angle with the grinder that I needed to create the hex. I'm hoping that once I get the bed off I can just grind out the bottom of the bolts and take them off. I'll probably replace the mounts anyway, they're just those little clip nut things that don't spin.

 

[doyouquaxu]

you can just go to the local hardware store to get a regular bolt that will fit. i know people that used grade 8's on theirs. you could just grind a point into the end of it like you want.

 

[koda6966]

Do they need a point? Now that I think about it, I don't think they do lol. I just wanted something close to what it had from the factory.

 

[Snoranger]

The only reason they have the point is to help align the blind nut (stupid clamp on the frame-nut type thing that the only one that broke was behind the gas tank, thank you Ford) when they assemble it at the factory. You dont need the point, but it could help a little.

 

[bilzy7]

Ya. I think to fix my rusted radiator support I may just get a piece of metal and mount
It to the body mount and attach it to radiator support to hold it. It makes my front end bounce.
Don't you love having to fix crap that could have been made better if they'd of just charged little bit more from the factory...

I'm about to go buy an angle grinder at sears to get my brothers bolt out of the leaf spring bushings. Then drill through bushings... I'm gonna hafta put it on for now without any bushings and order some. Why can't shackle replacement on my brothers expo be as easy as my ranger was...
The guy put nuts on backwards ony rangers hangers so I had to remove the whole hanger to get bolt out of top part of shackle
... I was so mad and even that is easier then my brothers stupid expo...

 

[srteach]

the bolt shaft is 1/2 inch. Caterpillar dealer has hex head. use a standard nut on the new bolt, or replace the button top.