[ElementFanatic]

So i bought a pair of used oem side steps off a guy for 100 dollars, came with all hardware. Only one problem with it is on the drivers side of my car. The front of the steps has a bracket that extended out under the driver and has a 6 M flange bolt that should bolt into my frame. That bolt hole on my frame is rusted enough to not allow this bolt to go in. Should i worry about not having this bolt in even though the rest are in?

Also, should i take my car to a shop and have them do a tap/die on that hole to make it one size bigger to have a hole to bolt into?

I stood on both sides and they feel equally as strong. To test it myself and my girl climbed up on each step and bounced the car up and down to test if they would snap off. Both steps preformed the same and i couldn't tell one bolt was missing on the drivers side.

 

[bigsmokes]

iam also missing a bolt on mine,,iam missing the rear bolt plates on both sides,,its been a year already,,no problems at all,,,dont worry about it.

 

[kitkat123474]

i had to rethread the bolt holes because of all the rust and other gunk that would not let the bolt go in.

 

[Type X]

So i bought a pair of used oem side steps off a guy for 100 dollars, came with all hardware. Only one problem with it is on the drivers side of my car. The front of the steps has a bracket that extended out under the driver and has a 6 M flange bolt that should bolt into my frame. That bolt hole on my frame is rusted enough to not allow this bolt to go in. Should i worry about not having this bolt in even though the rest are in?

They sell rethreading kits at home depot and i use wd40 etc etc to clean it out.

Every bolt should be used as instructed regardless of the issues, just need a good workaround.

 

[ElementFanatic]

how much are the kits?

 

[Type X]

how much are the kits?

Range from $15 up
You could also get a sandblaster for like 25 dollars

Does it suck to have to buy something for a good deal....YES

BUT those 2 things are good to have anyhow!

 

[Ram4Sam]

So i bought a pair of used oem side steps off a guy for 100 dollars, came with all hardware. Only one problem with it is on the drivers side of my car. The front of the steps has a bracket that extended out under the driver and has a 6 M flange bolt that should bolt into my frame. That bolt hole on my frame is rusted enough to not allow this bolt to go in. Should i worry about not having this bolt in even though the rest are in?

Also, should i take my car to a shop and have them do a tap/die on that hole to make it one size bigger to have a hole to bolt into?

I stood on both sides and they feel equally as strong. To test it myself and my girl climbed up on each step and bounced the car up and down to test if they would snap off. Both steps preformed the same and i couldn't tell one bolt was missing on the drivers side.

Even if the threads are severly rusted, they are probably still good. Before you drill them out to a bigger size, get a tap that is the same thread size as the bolt and run it through a couple of times, with some wd40 or such. Since the tap is the same as the bolt, it will chase out the rust and clean up the existing threads so you can use the original bolt. This usually works on 50+ year old Volkswagens, so it should work just fine on your car.

Sam

 

[ElementFanatic]

I tried doing wd40 and running the bolt but the bolt never bites because of the rust in the very beginning. I'll look at it next time I do an oil change and see if a newer bolt or something will bite otherwise Ill go get kits and such.

 

[BLK BOX]

So i bought a pair of used oem side steps off a guy for 100 dollars, came with all hardware. Only one problem with it is on the drivers side of my car. The front of the steps has a bracket that extended out under the driver and has a 6 M flange bolt that should bolt into my frame. That bolt hole on my frame is rusted enough to not allow this bolt to go in. Should i worry about not having this bolt in even though the rest are in?

Also, should i take my car to a shop and have them do a tap/die on that hole to make it one size bigger to have a hole to bolt into?

I stood on both sides and they feel equally as strong. To test it myself and my girl climbed up on each step and bounced the car up and down to test if they would snap off. Both steps preformed the same and i couldn't tell one bolt was missing on the drivers side.

Yeah I don't have the rear bolt in on the drivers side and I don't have the front bolt in on the passenger side. I couldn't get those suckers in! But no problems at. The side steps get used all the time and I also check their stability every now and then.

 

[Ram4Sam]

I tried doing wd40 and running the bolt but the bolt never bites because of the rust in the very beginning. I'll look at it next time I do an oil change and see if a newer bolt or something will bite otherwise Ill go get kits and such.

Get a tap, there not too much, it will start easy and cut the rust away.

Sam

 

[Generation "X" Dad]

Any decent tech at a good shop will have the appropriate tap to clean the threads out so you can make use of them. Also, when assembling the bolts and nuts make sure to coat them with a quality anti-seize paste so you don't run into rusted or stuck components later on down the road in the event that removal is needed.

On a related note, I traded a set of new-in-the-box PIAA H4 headlight bulbs to a friend in exchange for his new Snap-On re-threading kit (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=56049&group_ID=1148) and it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I'm not one of these Snap-On diehards, but they do make good quality tools and this kit is no exception.

Now, that's not an investment I'd recommend the recreational DIY'er make because you'd probably only use it a few times if that (unless your friends find out you have it in which case you will likely be asked for it often LOL), but for those who will be working on vehicles that need threaded cavities or components cleaned and repaired on a frequent basis, it's saved me at the dealership here on several occasions .