Center Console Lid (Stripped Screw Holes)
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Center Console Lid (Stripped Screw Holes)
Does anyone have a good fix for stripped screw holes on a center console lid? As you are likely aware, the center console lid is attached, at least in my '09, with 4 T15 screws. The holes are now basically stripped and the console lid is vibrating since it's pretty loose. What have people used to fix this? Has anyone tried a resin to fix this? Is there an easy fix I haven't seen or thought of? Thanks in advance for those who respond, and apologies if this has been asked and answered but my hour long search did not turn up much.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,790
Likes: 98
From: Marlborough Ma
Maybe a bit larger screw would work? It doesn't have to be a torx screw. You may need to do a little drilling. It's basically sheet metal, Try a sheet metal screw. Install screw then remove and grind down point so you don't feel it through the cover.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 328
Likes: 2
From: Spicewood Texas
I second the gorilla glue. If you get the gel kind, take the screws out, fill holes with glue, put the screws back in. I've had mine apart since adding the glue as well. The screws will come right out and then thread back in and hold fine without more glue.
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Thanks to everyone for your responses. I've had many other performance vehicles and been a member of several other forums and I have to say, this forum is pretty impressive on response time.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Gluing them in and then unscrewing them is very smart. I'll let you guys know what I do and how it works. Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,476
Likes: 45
From: One of the Edema Ruh
And yes the toothpick trick does work. Especially in stripped wood holes. A trick I learned from my dad when I was a kid. It doesn't have to be toothpicks, he used scrap pieces of wood and broke off little chunks to fill the hole. Toothpicks are just handier 
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Simple enough
Well I finally got around to posting my fix, sorry for the delay. Actually, once you remove the plastic from the console cover it's easy to see why this stripping occurs. The female end is plastic and the screws are steel. It only take about 4 removals of the lid before some stripping occurs. Anyway, in my case the plastic tabs that you screw the lid into were either stripped or broken, so I just broke them off and glued (5 minute epoxy) in some stainless nuts in their place. Then I reinstalled the console lid with new screws. It's a simple enough fix and it's permanent. The only problem is, you don't have much adjustability with this method. Nonetheless it works. Sorry, my pics got erased, but if you have questions let me know. I think it's pretty straightforward.
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I know I'm late to the party but I wanted to share my experience in case anyone finds it helpful. These seem to strip very easily...maybe just loosening / tightening one time. And of course slight amount of force on the screw will ruin it. I did a lot of homework hoping to find a slightly larger screw in the same shape. Came up short. It's possible that GM part 11611225 might be the next size up, but I didn't try it. I ended up going with McMaster-Carr 96817a331. It's a T20, slightly bigger. I think factory is M4, these are M5. These are 10mm long, factory might be 12mm. Anyway, I painted them black before installing. I tightened them in very slowly, and it turned out fine. I was very cautious on speed and pressure just to prevent further issues.
On a side note the factory screws seem to be referred to as "cap screws" or "low head cap screws." These I found, but not with a similar thread pitch (coarse) like the factory but in a small size like M5.
On a side note the factory screws seem to be referred to as "cap screws" or "low head cap screws." These I found, but not with a similar thread pitch (coarse) like the factory but in a small size like M5.