60 - C1 what to do about broken bumper bolts???

firstgear · 12-04-05, 05:54 PM

Got the bumpers off the car and got them all apart...in one case one of the bolts was previously broken and in the second case the other was so badly rusted that it broke off.....got everything apart, but now I am at a point of what do I do with these?

Can I send them to the plater this way and will they get them out for me? I don't want to wait until the bumpers come back from the platers to try and get them out for fear I really mess them up....here are the pictures....in one case it seems that the nut on the back side was welded to the flange bracket (see below).

and in the second case it seems that the bolt is pressed in from the back...so what do I do with these bolts? They should obviously be changed out.....will the plater take care of these???????

Rowdy1 · 12-04-05, 06:36 PM

Secure the bumber and use a punch and hammer, they'll break loose, or use the sawzall to make them flush and then punch them out.

studiog · 12-04-05, 06:41 PM

There is a square weld nut on the back side that is tac welded on. You can use an air chisel (the old air chisel again) and break the nut loose and the bolt and nut will dislodge. Then you or someone can spot weld a new square nut back in before plating. Your chromer may do it for you also.

Rowdy1 · 12-04-05, 06:56 PM

I apologize for my incorrect reply, I didn't know there was a nut welded on the back side.

61 Silver · 12-04-05, 07:04 PM

Hi!

I would soak them with a good penetrating oil and let them soak. Give them a good wack with a hammer of air chisel and then fasten on with a good set of vise grips. You may be able to work them out, I did.

Ray

IH2LOSE · 12-04-05, 08:38 PM

Man I forgot about all of this bad stuff.Seams like it was years ago when i had to contend with this. Just remember what ever you leave for the chromer you pay an hourley rate to repair.

I decided to replace all of the nuts I could on my bumpers. and all of the ones on the bumper brakets,on the brackets I just die grinded the small spot welds,then hit it with the air chizel. I went to a carpet store and asked them if they had any old sample carpet squares they wanted to get rid of. he gave me about 10 of them and I screwed about 4 of them to a peice of plywood so I would not destroy the bumpers or have to deal with the noise of the brakets rattling on the floor from the air chizel. for the brakets I just cinched a nut and bolt thru the original home then ran a weld around the nut. I think the nuts and bolts were all 7/16th (i had to get them from a nut and bolt guy as home depot and lowes,and the regular hardware stores dont seam to carry 7/16th any more) the ones on the front grill bar I just ground that flat then drilled it out,then pulled a 3/8th bolt thru and then tacked it in place.

Definately dont use stainless nuts as they gall once they are heated from welding.

If something doesnt look wright fix it now and it makes for an easeyer assembly.this is the kinda stuff i would work on every night on my 62, every thing I did was to make the reasembly of the car be as easey as possible.And let me tell you it was hard enough to put the bumpers back on with out having to deal with boggered up threads.

IH2LOSE · 12-04-05, 08:42 PM

PS I also purchased some stainless hardware kits, John McGraw or John Z hooked me up with a vendor, It pays to have the sets on hand for re-assmbley as youll lose alot of time searching for nuts and bolts.

IH2LOSE · 12-04-05, 08:53 PM

Last thing

a couple of needed tools.

die grinder.
right angle grinder that takes the 3M grinding disk

Air chissle, I used to have a 40 dollar air chizzle, I now own a 300.00 snap on air chizzle. Boy what a differance a high quaility chizzle made. well worth the investment. Same thing goes for impact guns