Taking Top off...stripped bol teads

[POTTER]

I have a 96 XLT...I have removed all of the panels inside and removed a good number of the bolts that hold the top on..however, there are 4 that stripped out on me when I tried to take them off..so now I have 4 bolts that are a little loose and the torx heads are stripped...how do I get these off...

I can't be the only one to have run into this, any help or tips would be appreciated

 

[mbtech2003]

had the same problem with mine. with them loose soak them with pb nut buster (the threads) and then use a pair of vice-grips to remove the rest of the way.

 

[bidibronco]

Take a dremel and cut a slit into the top of the head and get it with a flat head screwdriver. Or the vice grips thing.

 

[walnuts75]

I use my teeth to chew the bolts off! Ha ha not really. I used a drill to drill down the center of the head of the bolt. Eventually the head pops off. Then I used vise grips to get the remaining stub out after the top is removed. What bidi said sounds like the easiest solution! Wish I thought of that.

 

[POTTER]

I tried the dremel thing, and there is not enough room at the back to get a screwdriver in there...

I tried the vice grip thing and it just rounded off the head..

at this point, I think that I am just going to cut the bolts with the sawzall and then get new bolts after the fact...

as well, I don't think that I am going to use all the bolts anyway to reattach, as I think a couple clamps in the back (and still use the top 3 and two side window bolts) will be easier for taking it off and on.

thanks for the ideas guys.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

You *may* want to take notice of th4e fact that the clips are different on left and right.

Also on mine, the holes that held the inner moulding on were not uniformally drilled, and for reattachment it was a little challenging to determine which one went where.

NExt time I take my top off, I will either put the screws with clips back in, somehow label them, mabe with nail polish, or use an egg carton.

Good luck, and have fun!

joe

 

[POTTER]

Thanks for the help guys..

after much debate, and headache trying to get them out..I decide to pull out the sawzall with a heavy duty metal cutting blade and hacked the last four (same two on each side) bolts out....As I see it, I am going to keep that seciton of the top on with clamps anyway and just bolt the two ends, the three on top and the two by the windows to try and keep things easy ....we'll see how it works out...but for now, the top is off....welcome in the wind and sun...lol