damned - busted a nut - now what
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
damned - busted a nut - now what
Taking the interior apart, y'know the top seat belt ring? It's held on by a 15mm hex nut and apparently the head gets run very easily. So I busted its head and it's fully run, can't get a grip with anything. Grip pliers runs right off too. I've tried PB Blaster, but this nut also has a sleeve that goes about 1 inch length down the shaft of the bolt itself. I've thought of drilling out the bolt shaft but it's welded onto the vert frame. DAMNIT
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
Have you tried any of the special sockets that Sears sells for rounded off nuts?
They also make nut splitters that cut into the side of the nut so you can just relieve the threads and slide the nut off.
If you can get to it, you can also carefully cut one side of the nut with a single hack saw blade.
That should keep you busy for awhile...
They also make nut splitters that cut into the side of the nut so you can just relieve the threads and slide the nut off.
If you can get to it, you can also carefully cut one side of the nut with a single hack saw blade.
That should keep you busy for awhile...
Last edited by TEXHAWK0; Mar 12, 2007 at 08:30 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Ya, I've vice gripped the life out of it. Nothing left to grip.
I haven't tried the sears tools. I'll go check it out tonight. The first thing I did was try to dremel it off, but then realized it wasn't a regular nut. When I took off the nut on the other side, I see there's a long sleeve attached to that nut so i can't cut it.
Here's a pic so that you can see how beatup it is.
I don't know why GM made this from such soft metal. It's run on almost all sides, and even the top (from vice gripping it)
I haven't tried the sears tools. I'll go check it out tonight. The first thing I did was try to dremel it off, but then realized it wasn't a regular nut. When I took off the nut on the other side, I see there's a long sleeve attached to that nut so i can't cut it.
Here's a pic so that you can see how beatup it is.
I don't know why GM made this from such soft metal. It's run on almost all sides, and even the top (from vice gripping it)
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,405
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From: Whippany NJ
CI 6-7-8-9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Taking the interior apart, y'know the top seat belt ring? It's held on by a 15mm hex nut and apparently the head gets run very easily. So I busted its head and it's fully run, can't get a grip with anything. Grip pliers runs right off too. I've tried PB Blaster, but this nut also has a sleeve that goes about 1 inch length down the shaft of the bolt itself. I've thought of drilling out the bolt shaft but it's welded onto the vert frame. DAMNIT
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,256
Likes: 1
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
I got it 
The exact same thing happend to me when was mounting my harness bar there. I had to go to the stealership and they air chisled / cut threw the bolt. That hardware there is cheap as hell I tried vice grips, stripped socket set, ect for about 2 days. The dealer then gave me a new bold and nut for the belts (better qualitry) and they only charged me for the parts 
I think I paid $5 or so and the labor was only about 30 mins anyways
The exact same thing happend to me when was mounting my harness bar there. I had to go to the stealership and they air chisled / cut threw the bolt. That hardware there is cheap as hell I tried vice grips, stripped socket set, ect for about 2 days. The dealer then gave me a new bold and nut for the belts (better qualitry) and they only charged me for the parts I think I paid $5 or so and the labor was only about 30 mins anyways
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
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From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: DP(oh you know where) IL
St. Jude Donor '06
Ya, I've vice gripped the life out of it. Nothing left to grip.
I haven't tried the sears tools. I'll go check it out tonight. The first thing I did was try to dremel it off, but then realized it wasn't a regular nut. When I took off the nut on the other side, I see there's a long sleeve attached to that nut so i can't cut it.
Here's a pic so that you can see how beatup it is.
I don't know why GM made this from such soft metal. It's run on almost all sides, and even the top (from vice gripping it)
I haven't tried the sears tools. I'll go check it out tonight. The first thing I did was try to dremel it off, but then realized it wasn't a regular nut. When I took off the nut on the other side, I see there's a long sleeve attached to that nut so i can't cut it.
Here's a pic so that you can see how beatup it is.
I don't know why GM made this from such soft metal. It's run on almost all sides, and even the top (from vice gripping it)
i thought this bolt was a torx bit bolt not a hex. at least mine are. Sorry for the trouble
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Taking the interior apart, y'know the top seat belt ring? It's held on by a 15mm hex nut and apparently the head gets run very easily. So I busted its head and it's fully run, can't get a grip with anything. Grip pliers runs right off too. I've tried PB Blaster, but this nut also has a sleeve that goes about 1 inch length down the shaft of the bolt itself. I've thought of drilling out the bolt shaft but it's welded onto the vert frame. DAMNIT
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
I'm not saying that you ABSOLUTELY would not have rounded the corners with a Snap On wrench, but I think the chances of ending up here would have been less.
I've learned this lesson the hard way. I'm NOT knocking the tools or method you used, just relaying what I've learned.
Good luck w/ it - at this point I would try a Craftsman or Snap On removal tool as suggested above.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 474
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From: Los Angeles CA
Thanks for the tips everyone.
Last edited by sigma6; Mar 13, 2007 at 02:31 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
And, GOOD LUCK and keep us posted of your progress. I do think that I would try the Craftsman nut removal tool at this point, if for no other reason, it is probably more readily available than getting one from the Snap On dealer right now - I THINK I understand about how it isn't just a normal nut, but that there is something underneath the nut which screws onto the threads -
Another idea - maybe see if you can get it to turn by using a chisel and hammer - also, IF you can apply heat (mini torch or something) to the nut itself, it might expand it enough to help w/ loosening it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
Is the sleeve part of the nut also threaded?
If not, it seems like you could still cut through one side of the nut to relieve the pressure on the threads and it would come off.
Were you using a 6 point socket or 12 point? The picture does not look totally rounded. Maybe a 6 point socket would still help.
If not, it seems like you could still cut through one side of the nut to relieve the pressure on the threads and it would come off.
Were you using a 6 point socket or 12 point? The picture does not look totally rounded. Maybe a 6 point socket would still help.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 474
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From: Los Angeles CA
Ya, the entire sleeve is threaded about 2-3 inches deep. You're right the pic looks like it's not all the way rounded and run off but it's because top view it's showing the bottom most base of the nut. The grippable parts are alllllllll gone haha.
about 2-3 inches deep. You're right the pic looks like it's not all the way rounded and run off but it's because top view it's showing the bottom most base of the nut. The grippable parts are alllllllll gone haha.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Pro
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