P38A fitting light guards

Hi guys,

Managed to nab a full set (inc brackets) off ebay at a competitive price BUT the brackets are giving me a real headache. The bolts have completely seized into the nuts, soaked them in vinegar, penetrating oil and cut a flat head sized grove with a dremel but they will not shift. The metal is too weak and keeps breaking.
I'm guessing the only other way is to cut the nuts off (ouchie!!!) then use bigger nuts and bolts to secure guards to the brackets. What size would suggest?

Looking at the fitting instructions I'm also missing a load of washers and a couple of spacers to the front grille. Any ideas?

Thanks all

mike

P.S. why isn't anything easy on these things!!!!

P38Penguin said:

What size would suggest?

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put em back on fleabay & let someone else drill holes in there wings & boot

wil2813 said:

put em back on fleabay & let someone else drill holes in there wings & boot

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The holes and rivnuts were already there when I got the car.

heat or cut them off & mig some new ones on

They are standard cage nuts,

If you cut them out, then look for some standard IT rack mount nuts, they are the same sizes, and then use M6 bolts. I replaced all mine when I tidied up my light guards and also decided to put some Stainless Torx head security bolts when I refitted them.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Pack-o...Network-Rack-Cabinet-Mount-PDU-/351467893115?

That's a link for a set of 10 nuts/bolts - a few sets of them should do it, and have a few spares left over.

martyuk said:

They are standard cage nuts,

If you cut them out, then look for some standard IT rack mount nuts, they are the same sizes, and then use M6 bolts. I replaced all mine when I tidied up my light guards and also decided to put some Stainless Torx head security bolts when I refitted them.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Pack-o...Network-Rack-Cabinet-Mount-PDU-/351467893115?

That's a link for a set of 10 nuts/bolts - a few sets of them should do it, and have a few spares left over.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that Marty, being realistic the ones I have are well past it and I don't think there's anyway of getting them out. Have you got a link for the security torx? any idea about the washers and spacers?

cheers

mike

Looking at the picture you put up, the cage nuts are rusted, yes - but the tabs that fold over the metal bracket are the only thing that normally holds them in (other than rust!) as they are just a square nut, in a spring steel 'cage' which clips into the metal mounting bracket.

So in theory, if you cut the tabs off, then nut + cage on the other side will just fall off, and then you just replace the whole cage/nut with a new one.
Most of the sets of the cage nuts for IT/AV use all come with standard screws and washers - but any M6 washer would work (I would probably go with black plastic as they won't rust again either!).
I used some of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M6-6mm-A2...Button-Head-Anti-Vandal-Screws-/181146444231?
As the actual bolts - I think I went for the 20mm long ones. and they were long enough. I had re-fiberglassed and painted my guards to fix some breaks - so after that they are a bit thicker, and the bolts were ok. If they are a bit too long then they shouldn't hit anything in behind the mounting bracket

I'll try and get a pic of my ones with the torx head bolts - I only have some of them after painting with the standard bolts before I replaced them.

Cheers,
Marty

Hi guys,

Thought I'd give you an update. Got the rear guards fitted and got to say they look the bomb! Next job is to get the fronts fitted, which might be the weekend, after she's had her mot. Need to make minor repairs to the fronts, a few of the bolt holes have been mangled and give them a spray.

Marty, thanks for the link, I got those and they worked a treat. Had to trim a few of the bolts down as they caught the rear lights but apart from that no major hitches.

Looks good!!

I had the same problem with some of mine when I re-did the mounting hardware - I ended up roughing up the plastic, and fibreglassing the broken bits/mangled bolt holes, and then a thin layer of body filler to smooth it all out, before priming them and spraying mine Java Black to match the vehicle. It was a few years ago that I did mine now, and they are all still intact