Repairing broken welded nut on front skid plate mount

[userdude]

The nut that's welded inside the front skid plate mount has broken off and I need to repair it to mount my new (heavier) plates.

In lieu of taking it to a shop to get the mount removed and the bolt welded back on, I've been told I could replace it with a captive bolt or a clip.

Anybody know of what could work in this scenario?

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[Fordified1]

What size is the bolt? And pics would help visualize what’s possible.

Does it bolt to the lower intercooler brackets? I don’t remember.

 

[userdude]

What size is the bolt? And pics would help visualize what’s possible.

Does it bolt to the lower intercooler brackets? I don’t remember.

I'm not sure what size the bolt is; it's the standard size all the mounts use. Maybe an M8?

The specific bolt is the one under the footwell that connects on the driver side with the engine skid. My Bronco is at the dealer right now, so I can't take a photo and I don't seem to have one already.

 

[Doc TOC]

How did the nut come off? A weld should not fail like that. That would be a manufacturing defect.
Is you vehicle still under warranty? If so, I would talk to the dealer about getting that fixed.

Having a shop weld the nut back on should be Ford's expense. The labor to get access to safely weld the nut is going to be significantly more than the cost to actually weld it.

If that is not successful:

Probably the least expensive choice is to use a stainless steel nut insert. Grainger is a good supplier source. You can use a grade 8 bolt and some nuts and washers to install it. Don't go cheap on the bolt, you need the bolt strength for the torque. YouTube has several "configurations" on how to do it. That's a lot cheaper than buying the tool.

Using a clip nut (nut welded to a strip of steel) would require customizing the band to reach around front and back. That's considerable fabrication time.

A captive bolt is not a preferred solution. It would require either welding or deforming the bolt and metal to handle the torque stress of the nut. Either way, you would have the stud protruding farther than the other bolt heads. Since it probably wouldn't be a stainless steel bolt, it will become a rust starter.

 

[Fordified1]

One of these 2 bolts?

 

[userdude]

How did the nut come off? A weld should not fail like that. That would be a manufacturing defect.
Is you vehicle still under warranty? If so, I would talk to the dealer about getting that fixed.

Having a shop weld the nut back on should be Ford's expense. The labor to get access to safely weld the nut is going to be significantly more than the cost to actually weld it.

If that is not successful:

Probably the least expensive choice is to use a stainless steel nut insert. Grainger is a good supplier source. You can use a grade 8 bolt and some nuts and washers to install it. Don't go cheap on the bolt, you need the bolt strength for the torque. YouTube has several "configurations" on how to do it. That's a lot cheaper than buying the tool.

Using a clip nut (nut welded to a strip of steel) would require customizing the band to reach around front and back. That's considerable fabrication time.

A captive bolt is not a preferred solution. It would require either welding or deforming the bolt and metal to handle the torque stress of the nut. Either way, you would have the stud protruding farther than the other bolt heads. Since it probably wouldn't be a stainless steel bolt, it will become a rust starter.

Does that count if I hit it on a rock? The bolt and nut are not in good shape (I have both).

 

[userdude]

One of these 2 bolts?

The one in the yellow box.

 

[Fordified1]

10-4 I’ll try to look at it tonight. I just happened to have this pic on my phone. For what they do, these bolts are too small.

 

[Fordified1]

@userdude They are M10 btw. Slim chance but check your local Ace hardware. Otherwise eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3239929458...ar=513035553597&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Fordified1]

 

[Doc TOC]

Does that count if I hit it on a rock? The bolt and nut are not in good shape (I have both).

The dealership would have to get the local Ford rep out to approve the warranty. Again, the weld should have held. I would try that first. I would show them the nut (only) and let them see how the weld failed.

Assuming the above posted photo shows the correct spot, a clip nut(aka U-nut) would do the job just as well as a nut insert. The goal here is to secure a nut that the bolt can spin into and torque up against to hold the plate in place.

 

[Fordified1]

@userdude They are M10 btw. Slim chance but check your local Ace hardware. Otherwise eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3239929458...ar=513035553597&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Oh damn just saw the shipping. Anyway you can find similar from another vendor who’s not offshore.

 

[userdude]

@userdude They are M10 btw. Slim chance but check your local Ace hardware. Otherwise eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3239929458...ar=513035553597&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

That definitely looks promising! That particular one ships from Great Britain and costs $20 for shipping. Do you think this is the same one?

https://www.amazon.com/Hillman-Group-58464-Extruded-14-Pack/dp/B00NWJF6XW

 

[Fordified1]

That definitely looks promising! That particular one ships from Great Britain and costs $20 for shipping. Do you think this is the same one?

https://www.amazon.com/Hillman-Group-58464-Extruded-14-Pack/dp/B00NWJF6XW

Close enough I’d say. And if the reach isn’t deep enough, do a little grinding on your frame until it aligns with the hole.

 

[userdude]

Close enough I’d say. And if the reach isn’t deep enough, do a little grinding on your frame until it aligns with the hole.

I want to see if I can find a stainless steel one.

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