Broken Hinge Bolt!

[LittleDog]

Pretty easy to avoid door moving when installing. I used some cardboard shims and tape to keep in place. If you can get factory bolts of without any damage your golden. My problem is that I used a little to much force to remove one of the orig hex bolts and managed to bend the floating internal nut. As a result cannot get both lower bolts to thread. Haven't been able to find schematic or YouTube door disassembly video that shows the mystery nut. Really hate taking apart door without good idea of what's going on. have everything lined up right now but door drifts out of alignment with use (kids slamming door). will prob take to specialty shop; but contacted a few places and dealership and they didn't seem to be aware of magic floating nut.

So I'm not crazy? There really is a rectangular, floating double nut plate back there?

Can you see that there are still threads behind the hinge for the bolt that won't install? Are they just misaligned enough to not clear the hinge holes? Maybe you can loosen the other bolt and move the whole assembly over to whichever side, to get it to line up again?

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[MaggieJeep]

So I'm not crazy? There really is a rectangular, floating double nut plate back there?

Can you see that there are still threads behind the hinge for the bolt that won't install? Are they just misaligned enough to not clear the hinge holes? Maybe you can loosen the other bolt and move the whole assembly over to whichever side, to get it to line up again?

You're not crazy, there is a nut plate on mine, but it seemed to have fallen!!!!

 

[LittleDog]

My fault was not the door being misaligned during installation.

My problem was the bolt for the Smittybilt breaking because there was no torque specs in the instructions.

I think I looked up the original hinge-bolt torque values and used those. I'll see if I can't find them again.

If the nut plate is a double one for both bolts like I vaguely recall, and both of you managed to get one bolt back in, then the plate is just hanging at an odd angle from the other bolt instead of straight sideways; you might be able to fish it back around by loosening the other bolt.

 

[MaggieJeep]

se. I'll see if I can't find them again.

If the nut plate is a double one for both bolts like I vaguely recall, and both of you managed to get one bolt back in, then the plate is just hanging at an odd angle from the other bolt ins

Nah unable to fish in. One bolt is tightened down the other plate is inside which is weird. Need a schametic.

 

[mwilk012]

Just take the door panel off. Takes a few minutes, that’s all.

 

[MaggieJeep]

Just take the door panel off. Takes a few minutes, that’s all.

Not just the door. The trim will have to come off too.

 

[LittleDog]

Nah unable to fish in. One bolt is tightened down the other plate is inside which is weird. Need a schametic.

Sorry, in lieu of a schematic, I'm going by what I think I experienced.

I think the nut plate is a rectangle that holds the threads for both bolts.

If that is true, and you were able to get one bolt to thread, then that should mean the other side is essentially a captive nut that is misaligned, but held in place by the one bolt that you were able to install.

That would mean that the "missing" threads are actually still there, just severely misaligned. Maybe try to see if you can detect the rest of the nut plate.

If you loosen the tightened bolt, you shohld be able to 'feel' if it is threaded to a loose nut plate.

 

[MaggieJeep]

Sorry, in lieu of a schematic, I'm going by what I think I experienced.

I think the nut plate is a rectangle that holds the threads for both bolts.

If that is true, and you were able to get one bolt to thread, then that should mean the other side is essentially a captive nut that is misaligned, but held in place by the one bolt that you were able to install.

That would mean that the "missing" threads are actually still there, just severely misaligned. Maybe try to see if you can detect the rest of the nut plate.

If you loosen the tightened bolt, you shohld be able to 'feel' if it is threaded to a loose nut plate.

and risk it droppign!?! xDDDD the bolt is broken mate, i need to extract it somehow.

 

[LittleDog]

Oh, so

and risk it droppign!?! xDDDD the bolt is broken mate, i need to extract it somehow.

Oh. So you have the bolt's head in hand, and the rest of the bolt is "somewhere" in the door? That changes things.

But just loosening the remaining bolt won't risk losing it. Don't take it out, just break it loose and maybe another half-turn, then wiggle it to feel the nut plate behind it.

That is just to see if the nut plate is intact. If the sheared-off bolt remains are still in there, you will probably have to take the door apart.

But it's probably still not yet a multi-many-domestic-dollar repair. Keep trying!

 

[bgrex]

The Atlas steps? Don't the install instructions say to shim the bottom first? If you haven't done the other side yet, using inflatable shims makes the job super easy.

For display purposes only:

Actually I used two on the bottom and one on the 45° angle where the fender is, to make sure the door stayed square.

If they are still shipping with that little rubber rectangle gasket, toss it. Mine are disintegrating after a bit more than a year. Haven't decided yet whether to trim and seal or replace with silicone gaskets.

I installed these same steps last weekend. Directions said to tape and shim but I found it easier to just take the doors off and lay them flat on a packing blanket. Used couple pieces of painters tape to mark the hinge positions in case they moved (they didn’t) when removing the OEM bolts with an 18” breaker bar. Took a fair amount of force to get them moving but luckily no issues and easy install from there aside from time spent trimming the rubber gaskets which were way too big.

 

[MaggieJeep]

I installed these same steps last weekend. Directions said to tape and shim but I found it easier to just take the doors off and lay them flat on a packing blanket. Used couple pieces of painters tape to mark the hinge positions in case they moved (they didn’t) when removing the OEM bolts with an 18” breaker bar. Took a fair amount of force to get them moving but luckily no issues and easy install from there aside from time spent trimming the rubber gaskets which were way too big.

guys the problem is not the installation... the problem is figuring out how to fix the fallen nut plate!

 

[LittleDog]

I installed these same steps last weekend. Directions said to tape and shim but I found it easier to just take the doors off and lay them flat on a packing blanket. Used couple pieces of painters tape to mark the hinge positions in case they moved (they didn’t) when removing the OEM bolts with an 18” breaker bar. Took a fair amount of force to get them moving but luckily no issues and easy install from there aside from time spent trimming the rubber gaskets which were way too big.

Ooh, Sahara too? /high-five. Good luck with the gaskets.

Yes, I hear that taking the doors off entirely is easier, but at the time I figured that inflatable shims and tape was easier than removing two bolts, and easy wiring disconnect, but most importantly many, soft, square feet to lay doors down upon.

All this talk makes me want to install the front steps like I've been meaning to.

 

[LittleDog]

guys the problem is not the installation... the problem is figuring out how to fix the fallen nut plate!

Please see my posts above, I believe the nut plate is still there, just rotated beyond your reach. You should confirm if the shorn-off bolt is still there first.

 

[Billet2019]

We have the same problem....The nut plate from the factory was bent and when we took out the original bolts, you can't get the new ones to work. You will get one side and not the other. When looking in there there is a metal plate with two nuts welded on the backside. With a bent plate from factory it's almost impossible to align both bolts. We tried to do so, but in doing so one of the nuts let go, so now we have a bolt on a loose nut in the door. Looks like this weekend is going to be taking off the interior door trim and see if there is access from the backside.

 

[LittleDog]

We have the same problem....The nut plate from the factory was bent and when we took out the original bolts, you can't get the new ones to work. You will get one side and not the other. When looking in there there is a metal plate with two nuts welded on the backside. With a bent plate from factory it's almost impossible to align both bolts. We tried to do so, but in doing so one of the nuts let go, so now we have a bolt on a loose nut in the door. Looks like this weekend is going to be taking off the interior door trim and see if there is access from the backside.

Good luck. Take some photos if you remember. It doesn't seem like the back of the hinge bolts are accessible by only removing the trim panel. Lots of people want to know though.

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