Taking my top off.

Okay, so my second question today is about the removable roof for my '72 Sport. The day I bought it, I really wanted to take the top off since it was the middle of summer and I live in the mountains of Colorado. When I got it home and started working, I quickly realized that there was some rust issues with the bolts that secure the roof to the body of my Bronco. Many of the bolts are rounded, so getting them off without cutting is not going to be possible, and I think there's a significant chance that the dude I bought from never took the roof off, resulting in serious rust between roof and body. Do I need to have it professionally removed? Once I do get it off, is there an after-market solution (some sort of hatch or locking mechanism) so I don't have to fiddle with 20 nuts and bolts?

Thanks and thanks again.

SD

Here you are again...!!!

You should have bought a BMW convertable.... ) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />) )

Actually., use your Makita grinder with a cut-off wheel & "wack" dem bolts..!!

There's a rubber seal underneath...so the mating surfaces should be OK.

Once everything is all cleaned up..., two bodies can un-bolt & remove top in 10 minutes...!! (by myself., it takes me 30 min. & a sore back......) :glare:

Bully Bob said:

Here you are again...!!!

You should have bought a BMW convertable.... ) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />) )

Actually., use your Makita grinder with a cut-off wheel & "wack" dem bolts..!!

There's a rubber seal underneath...so the mating surfaces should be OK.

Once everything is all cleaned up..., two bodies can un-bolt & remove top in 10 minutes...!! (by myself., it takes me 30 min. & a sore back......) :glare:

Click to expand...

Another possibility: If you can reach the nuts with this tool (a nut splitter, OUCH!) you can use it to get the bolts out if you don't have an angle grinder.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-8-eighth-inch-capacity-nut-splitter-66547.html?utm_medium=cse&utm_source=googlebase-pla&hft_adv=40010&mr:trackingCode=BE6E0F9E-782A-E011-B31E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA&origin=pla&mr:adType=pla&gclid=CJaPssX576oCFRAE2godRA3QPA

BB's response is priceless! b-(

Actually., I've considered Sammy's idea many times with the Land Cruiser back & front seats.....a pin mounted in the floor & a cam-lock of sorts as a quick release to remove seats. (OR simular to the Bronco hood-pins)

Thought 'bout it for the Bronco seats as well.

There's a "FASTENER" supply house down in Vegas that likely has something that would work. Just never pursued it to that end.

That would be nice for the roof attach points., at least along the bed rails..!!

Sammy (while he's at it) could check 'round Colo. & if there's something that works...many here, on this board, would be grateful.

I'm down to just a "rag-top" now so won't help me...& nothing to experiment on.

Nut-crackers work great.! getting room to work up under the bed-rail may be tricky. Dremel has mini cutting wheels but expensive & don't last very long.

P.S. if you can get a pair of vice-grips to hold onto the bolt head.., using a socket on the nut., they may come loose., or even "snap"! PB Blaster is great for rusted nuts/bolts.

Y'all rock. Gettin' set to tinker my booty off and hopefully take my ******* Bronco up to the hot springs tonight!

Another thought might be rivnuts as we call them in the airplane business. I think in other places they're known as rivet nuts or threaded inserts. Don't know if you can get them in 5/16" thread or bigger. I know the biggest I've seen is 1/4" thread.