How can I remove these Bolts??

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
90
Location
texas
I purchased a 2013 Frontier used and a bed rack came with it. I thought it would be easy to remove but I have had no luck. The silver slider rails below the bed rails must be glued to the bed or something because I need to remove those to get to the big bolts that attach the bed rack to the truck.

How can i get these bolts off so I can just remove the rack directly?? Thoughts?

 
Originally Posted By: Little_Lebowski
Angle grinder.


Make sure you cover the glass from sparks.

Those rails have bolts on the inside of the channel do they not? They look like they would have to be self tappers, IDK if I would want to mess with them. It might be easier just to grind the bolts off than take it apart and it not be the same as it was before. If you plan to sell the rack, you might have to disassemble in order to not damage it.

You could also drill the bolts out but those look pretty beefy.
 
Getch a soclet and sand the ends flat so it full y engages the bolt. Then get a cheater bar and go at it. Youd be suprised how much torque you can get on it with leverage.

If you look 8nside sockets you see a angled lead in, this will make it slip. Sanding this off will give you more bite.
 
Originally Posted By: Zee09
Might require heat in case they used threadlocker like red loctite.


I'd try some heat, and a long bar. If that does not work, just go to a tire shop and have them use an impact on it.
 
You guys are missing the point, the bolts are not stuck it is just that there is no access to the nuts because of the silver rail below.

No one is going to red loctite a bed rack on a pick up truck, get real dude lol.
 
If it were mine to get off this is what I'd do...

Get a socket of the right side for the head...pick one that has a circular concentric hole between the square drive and the multipoint hex. That hole should be pretty close to the centre line of the bolt.

Use that central hole as a pilot with a close fitting drill to drill a hole into the centre of the bolt...if that's too big, use a bit of close fitting tube to pilot-pilot the drill.

When you've got a central hole that goes into the bolt past the rail, take the socket off and use this hole to center progressively bigger drill bits until the head falls off.

The nut and bit of bolt will rattle around until they find their way out, so seal the openings with duct tape until they do as opposed to bouncing out and smashing some-one's windscreen.
 
That would be my first option, these are probably going into large rivet nuts so the impact will rattle them out instead of a breaker bar breaking the nuts loose..
 
Originally Posted By: maxdustington
You guys are missing the point, the bolts are not stuck it is just that there is no access to the nuts because of the silver rail below.

Drill-out the rivets and remove the silver rails. Reinstall the rails with rivets when you are done.
 
Last edited:
The bolts are not stuck.. Its just that i have no access under to get the nuts off. The silver rail wont budge to take off. Can I rent an angle grinder at home depot and grind those bolt heads off? hacksaw? drill bit?
 
Originally Posted By: kpatter
The bolts are not stuck.. Its just that i have no access under to get the nuts off. The silver rail wont budge to take off. Can I rent an angle grinder at home depot and grind those bolt heads off? hacksaw? drill bit?


Originally Posted By: Shannow
If it were mine to get off this is what I'd do...

Get a socket of the right side for the head...pick one that has a circular concentric hole between the square drive and the multipoint hex. That hole should be pretty close to the centre line of the bolt.

Use that central hole as a pilot with a close fitting drill to drill a hole into the centre of the bolt...if that's too big, use a bit of close fitting tube to pilot-pilot the drill.

When you've got a central hole that goes into the bolt past the rail, take the socket off and use this hole to center progressively bigger drill bits until the head falls off.

The nut and bit of bolt will rattle around until they find their way out, so seal the openings with duct tape until they do as opposed to bouncing out and smashing some-one's windscreen.
 
You will have to remove the silver rails to access the bolts you want to remove holding the rack.
Same set up I had on a Tundra to install a cap.
 
if they had access to tighten the bolts you should be able to get to them and loosen them. I'm missing something here, but how? I don't get it
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top