When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
So one of the broken things that came with my car when I bought it was a sheered off shoulder bolt.
So I bought some new-old shoulder bolts and am trying to remove the old one's threads which are in the bracket. I broke a screw extractor and now I am grinding the bolt threads out in the hole. I know I need a 5mm tap drill so I am being careful not to elongate the aluminum bracket hole but am not confident I can do a clean job with it on the car.
A few questions.
1. Are the shoulder bolts hardened?
2. How hard is it to find replacement brackets if I mess this one up?
3. I am considering removing the bracket but it looks like a big job. However, I am going to have to redrill and tap the hole for the replacement bolt and I think it should be done carefully. Maybe its worth the effort?
Has anyone had experience messing with these top frames? It seems like aluminum.
Those F'N things always break…kinda a weak point in top frame i think. You really have to watch when you're opening and closing and be uber slow when doing so
Sorry guys, been waaaaay busy. Poked in first time this year.
I finally got it out. It is not hardened. Here are my take aways.
1. DO NOT use an easy out. It is not strong enough and mine broke off in there making my job 10x harder.
2. I slowly ground it out using diamond dust coated small hole drill bits - Amazon, cheap - they fit around and can drill-out, the broken easy out, then dremeling the center post. It's just slow. Easiest to just drill it out from the get-go. I was able to retap the hole and got a replacement bolt in there.
I think they break if they get loose, the frame can twist and torque and bind on them and they snap.
Make sure yours are snug.
Last edited by Tootie Pang; Feb 7, 2018 at 09:45 PM.
