[BluegrassTJ]

Anyone-

I need help here. I was going to simply install a light bar. That's when it all went wrong. I went to take out the torx bolts: two on passenger side came out fine. Lower Driver side came out ok too. The top torx bolt of the two inset bolts would not budge. Sheered off two torx-40 bits with hand socket wrench.

So, went to the old easy-out method. Drilled smaill hole, tried to get a bite, stripped out....so, drill it all out right....I started in on it and a few broken drill bits....and the realization that probably just screwed up the bracket by boring out whatever it was attached to now enlightens me. The anger got the best of me.

A few questions in order of importance.
1) What is it bolting to on the other side of the windshield frame that I bored out?

2) can that something be easily replaced?

3) if so, how?

4) how much pain/money am I in for here?

Thanks-

[Hesher420]

May help you out.....

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.asp

[BluegrassTJ]

helicoil...no idea what to do with that one....too complicated for my level and lack of welder.

[Country Boy]

Helicoil:

Step 1: Drill hole listed for that size coil.

Step 2: Tap hole with listed size tap.

Step 3: Screw coil into hole.

Step 4: Snap off tab used to screw coil in.

Step 5: Install your fastener of choice.


Its pretty easy and no welder involved. If you get a kit, many times they have the thread tap in there. You just need to get the right size coil. I like to use a bit of high strength Loc-tite on the threads of the coil so it won't come unscrewed from the hole when backing out the screw later on.

[clackclack]

helicoil used to be life savers in the old magnesium porsche engines... they work on a pretty simple concept; drill out appropriate over-size hole, tap with provided tap (in the kit), screw in new threads (heli-coil) with tool provided in kit... Voila!

Some one once told me they drilled and tapped JB weld with some success... you could try that

[cadencedad]

I used a impact..

[BluegrassTJ]

I worked on drilling the only stuck one out and in the process tore up the sheet metal bracket on the inside on the frame pretty good. It bent and really there is nothing to thread the top bolt into now. More questions.

1) I looked in the parts catalog as well as inside out on the jeep itself and cannot find anyone who even knows about this small piece of threaded sheet metal that the upper two hinge bracket bolts are bolted into on the inside of the frame. Honestly it is a threaded piece of sheet metal that I cannot get to but resides inside the frame of the windshield. Anyone here confirm that I know what I am seeing. It moves independently of the frame inside it. Part guy said it was part of the frame but mine it moving around on both the driver and passenger sides once I have the two top bolts out.

2) Any way to get behind the frame to get a net back there to tighten to? OR Anyone know of a method now that I do not have the threads back there to attach on the inside of the windshield frame?

3) Will the windshield hold with only the lower bolt in the bracket on the drivers side?

This whole thing started so that I could add a light bar and now I am up a creek and probably cant attach the bar now anyway since I would only have one bolt on the drivers side. HELP!

[Country Boy]

Can't help you on the second and third items, but those may be called "nutserts" or "captive nuts". I have seen them on old farm tractors for bolting down the hood. They can be small pieces of metal that have threads in them and are held in place by a springy sheet metal cage. The cage might be welded in place, or it may be clipped into the (usually square) hole. I haven't taken my bracket off, so I can't tell you for sure what it is. You might be able to get a body shop to weld an insert in place so you can tighten those screws up. Not sure what that would all entail. Can you get pics of the area in question?

[dodgetk81]

It is a nut plate. There is no way that I know of to get at it. Maybe you can use a small hole saw to put a hole on the inside of the frame to het a nut on it. Then use a rubber plug to fill the hole.

[BluegrassTJ]

I did just that yesterday. 1-1/8 hole saw cut a hole on the inside of the window frame even with the top of the two bolts. This allowed me access to put nuts and washers on the inside of the frame and tighten them up. (upper one with a socket...lower one with an crescnet wrench on an angle. Worked well and filled the inside of the post with expandable foam to deaden the sound of that lock plate the fell off inside the frame. Covered the hole with a rubber grommet and put the interior molding back on. Looks fine and works like a charm.....although it was the long way around.

[jinshiyang]

help you out.....

http://www.xhcljx.com/eng

[qfjsy]

Here may help you……
http://www.xhcljx.com/eng

[Evian]

Welcome to Torx screw hell! You are in good company.

[distantdog]

I had this happen to me: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/windshield-bolt-problem-474510/

Good luck. I took it to a shop and had them fix it. Rigged it up with an extra bolt. $160. Made me want to murder someone.