Warning: Bronco bolts strip easily

[Glen]

You think Ford could have put in an extra effort / quality tools knowing that people were going to use them frequently.

Sponsored

 

[Bronc-O]

You think Ford could have put in an extra effort / quality tools knowing that people were going to use them frequently.

Keeping in mind all of this is based on 1 person stripping 1 bolt. Could be just a faulty bolt or operator error, yet people want to go after Ford before we know the facts.

 

[Desert_6G]

Heads up - using the provided star key/tool on the bronco bolts isn’t always the best idea. Not a super tight fit and as such slightly stripped a bolt.

Shocked that the provided tool doesn’t fit well enough tbh

With working on other vehicles as well. It's not just the Bronco. I think tolerences can be a lot tighter on other tools as well to prevent things like this. From sockets on bolts, hex and allen keys. You shouldn't be able to move it back and forth when it's on. Drives me crazy it's like this on everything.

 

[Efthreeoh]

really, most people don't know how to properly use a screwdriver. they do not hold the driver straight and use adequate pressure to hold the bit tightly into the fastener so magically the hardware is at fault. there are reasons people cannot assemble ikea furniture neatly.

i remember sitting through a few classes about how to properly use a simple tool while in the us army's aviation mechanic's school. at the time i thought it was insulting to need to sit through the classes, but as i get older there are so many who could benefit from such an education.

the truth is if you are going to do your own work, you need to invest in quality tools and some quality instruction on how to use them.

Someone suggested to not use an impact wrench. I disagree. Impact wrenches turn bolts and screws in very small but rapid increments, which is better for fastener removal. Also, an impact wrench applies torque straight through the center axis of the fastener. Allen and Torx fastener heads can be easily damaged using hand tools such as ratchet wrenches where the torque is not squarely applied to the fastener. As you say, people do not use their tools correctly.

All bolts on the Bronco are torqued on the assembly line using automated electric or air-driven impact wrenches or ratchets. They are not hand torqued (i.e. not driven in by hand).

 

[cclkramer]

If you own Fords make sure you have a big tool box

I have a 2000 F-350 deisel lariat dually. Best trucknyone could ask for.

 

[Efthreeoh]

Most of the Milwaukee Tool stuff is Chicom, although their engineering is in WI. Also a Chicom owned company.

True, but the company still produces high-quality products. I have several of their M12 series tools and small service lights, that have lasted a long time in my shop under heavy use.

 

[MaverickMan]

Someone suggested to not use an impact wrench. I disagree. Impact wrenches turn bolts and screws in very small but rapid increments, which is better for fastener removal. Also, an impact wrench applies torque straight through the center axis of the fastener. Allen and Torx fastener heads can be easily damaged using hand tools such as ratchet wrenches where the torque is not squarely applied to the fastener. As you say, people do not use their tools correctly.

All bolts on the Bronco are torqued on the assembly line using automated electric or air-driven impact wrenches or ratchets. They are not hand torqued (i.e. not driven in by hand).

Sure dialed in tools set for the project. But not the ones on sale at Home Depot. Someone installing the occasional bolt-on isnt going to buy a $400 tool. Torqueing fasteners by hand is something one does when they care about what they are doing over the time it takes to do it. The factory requires speed and many fasteners can handle it without damage for assembly, but repeated use torx bolts just wont hold up.

 

[Frank N]

A soft stainless steel bolt, slight angle on the turn, and just like that you start stripping....or an over torqued bolt from factory.

A crappy tool with good technique is better than a good tool and crappy technique.

 

[Exomodo]

When I saw these "Bronco" bolts with embossed lettering, my first flash was, "Oh, no, soft metal..." High grade fasteners don't take marking without wearing out the marking tool pretty quickly. Torx are a good, positive drive design, but in practice, especially in corrosive conditions, they quickly fail to take much torque and are best replaced with external drive-style fasteners, fluid locking materials (apply heat to easily remove) on threads or replaced at reasonable intervals.
Forget most shops giving a darn about prep, proper fastening methods or mechanical sympathy, they get paid by the job so anything they use is fast and dirty with zero concern for longevity, less finding a torque wrench and the proper setting... and anything made by TTI/Milwaukee/Ryobi is suspect at best. I own a few pre-TTL f#ckery Milwaukee Sawzall and that's it.
A racer engineer type wrote a series of books in the title of "_____ to win", one being fasteners, which should be required reading before modifying multi-thousand pound vehicles for public road use...

 

[PDiddy]

Hopefully this is just a one off situation. I’ve been using and abusing the torx screws on my gladiator to remove the doors and top. No issues after a year of fastening and removing them over and over again.

I don’t want to have to put Jeep bolts on my Ford Bronco. That would irony.

 

[Deleted member 3063]

The bolts holding my oil filter skid plate access cover are T40. The 4 bolts on my 2010 Rap are the original Ford fasteners. At each oil change they were removed and replaced with a 1/4" drive battery impact. Every 3rd or 4th change a touch of anti seize was applied to the threads as needed.
Impact wrench and bits, Snap-on.

 

[redone17]

That’s because the tool kit comes with T30 and T50. The bolts on the bumper, etc are T40. Go figure. Thanks Ford.

If OP used the T30 - that would surely strip the bolt head.

 

[Efthreeoh]

Sure dialed in tools set for the project. But not the ones on sale at Home Depot. Someone installing the occasional bolt-on isnt going to buy a $400 tool. Torqueing fasteners by hand is something one does when they care about what they are doing over the time it takes to do it. The factory requires speed and many fasteners can handle it without damage for assembly, but repeated use torx bolts just wont hold up.

So first off we are discussing removal of fasteners, since that was the occasion the OP was discussing, removing the Bronco bolts and the Torx head stripping. In opposition to your statement I have been discussing removal of fasteners using powered impact wrenches and impact drivers and using powered non-impact tools such as powered ratchets. You stated "don't use impacts", which I completely disagree with. Removing fasteners is best accomplished using powered impact tools. I'm using the term "torque" as the mechanical force to rotate the fastener, not in the meaning of setting a fastener torque value (i.e. 50 pound-foot).

The reason is, if one learns to squarely engage the (Torx) bit in the head, the powered tool takes over to apply the torque necessary to effectively rotate the fastener out, which removes the responsibility from the operator to continuously apply the removal torque to the fastener head 180 degrees in alignment with (i.e. straight down) the fastener's threaded shank. Using a ratchet to rotate the fastener out requires the operator to control two actions, (a) keeping the bit square to the fastener head, while (b) keeping the torque applied at 180 degrees to the fastener shank. Using a ratchet easily allows the operator to get off-axis because he tends to push down on the ratchet handle 90 degrees off from the axis of rotation, which gets the tool bit un-square to the fastener's head.

Powered impact tools rotate the fastener with small degrees of rotation at high torque values, which aids in breaking the friction between the fastener thread and the threaded body it screws into. This is quite helpful with fasteners that have some corrosion that has crept into the thread surfaces.

In the OP's case, he was not fighting any level of thread corrosion, he most likely used the wrong-sized Torx driver, or got off axis trying to remove the fastener.

 

[Efthreeoh]

That’s because the tool kit comes with T30 and T50. The bolts on the bumper, etc are T40. Go figure. Thanks Ford.

If OP used the T30 - that would surely strip the bolt head.

Wait, so the 6-piece tool kit provided by Ford (to aid in roof and door removal) is supposed to be used to disassemble the entire vehicle? Come on man.

LOL.

 

[Efthreeoh]

You think Ford could have put in an extra effort / quality tools knowing that people were going to use them frequently.

Here a link to good pics of the tool kit. I looked at the tool kit extensively when I test drove my Dealers mannequin. I was pretty impressed with the quality of the tools included with the kit.

Bronco tool kit engraved and included from factory [pics] | Bronco6G - 2021+ Ford Bronco & Bronco Raptor Forum, News, Blog & Owners Community

Sponsored