Trying to remove my hardtop latches to fit the Rogue Motorsport hardtop mounts, but encountered a frustrating problem.
The screws (with star heads) appear to have been secured with some kind of godzilla glue / ridiculous loctite!!! I managed to wrench two of the three screws out of the drivers side rear/middle latch, but the third doesn't budge. I the screw head eventually gave up and I managed to round the sbastard bastard sbastard thing off!! s:evil: :evil: s:evil:
Any ideas on how to get it out?? I've tried an irwin socket but it can't grip the rounded profile. If I dremel a slit in it, I think I'm just going to butcher it further with a flat head screwdriver... I'm well and truly stuck s:cry: :cry: s:cry:
I used a screw extractor to remove the catch on my soft top similar to those from Screwfix using a Dewalt cordless drill worked first time. The screws used have a factory applied threadlock and are buggers to remove. Cheapo drills wont touch it!
Norman
Bugger. They are well Loctited. I just removed one of the front lugs on the top of the windshield of the blue car. I used really good star bits ( making sure they were a very snug fit) and they came out, but worryingly tight. You are going to be drilling very carefully to take the head off, and then, core-drilling to leave the thinnest bit of metal you can and THEN tapping it out. I doubt you'll get it out with a thread extractor, the glue is so good.
Good luck!!
Screw extractors it is!!
had the same problem with mine, i just drilled the head of and removed with a pair of pliers
Quote from: "secla"had the same problem with mine, i just drilled the head of and removed with a pair of pliers
Considering how crazy stuck they are, I'm worried I'll be left with a stud I can't grip/twist.
Hopefully the screw extractors work when I get them
Very careful centre drilling will leave quite a thin layer of metal that can be either distorted with a punch, or tapped out with a well-tapered thread tap. We tend to use the thread tap method. Really important to get the hole well centred. Start with a small bit and work up to size.
Depending on the threadlock used they may need a little heat to loosen them
I tried undo'ing, then doing up, then undo'ing and doing back up...a couple of times, but the screws were stuck fast!!
Dont take the head off use one of these directly on the crosshead screw with a good quality cordless drill.
m http://www.screwfix.com/p/trend-pro-gra ... eces/21391 (http://www.screwfix.com/p/trend-pro-grabit-screw-and-bolt-remover-2-pieces/21391) m
Norman
Sorry to revive this topic, but....for the love of god someone help me!! :(
Just spent a couple of hours in my car - I'm still having no luck trying to get these darn bolts out of the hard top brackets. I successfully managed to round off 2 of the 3 bolts holding the passenger side hard top latch..
- tried heating it up
- tried hammering a torq bit into the torq head, then tried undoing with a cordless, then tried with an impact gun
- tried two different sets of screw extractors, which only succeeded in creating a smooth dimple in the torq head
- tried dremeling the edges off and hammering a socket onto the head but couldn't get any purchase on the bolt head
- tried dremeling a slit in the head and getting a big-ass flat head screwdriver on it. It worked to a degree, spinning the bolt about 180degrees, but it was so stiff to turn that I ended up forcing/bending the two halves apart and popping one of the halves off, so then I was left with half a bolt head that I couldn't do anything with. So I buzzed the head off and left with the threaded shaft protruding.
I'm hoping a stud extractor will grip it and spin the rest out, but the're so stuck I'm dubious!!
Please for the love of god, someone offer me some useful/proven/successful advice as to how to get these bloody things out!! (:< >:)
If you've left the head on you could try welding a nut to the end.
These will be high tensile bolts as well, so trying to drill out will be impossible with sub standard bits. Maybe invest in a set of reverse thread cobalt bits if you haven't already ;)
...reverse thread cobalt bits...right, I'll track some down and give it a go. Thanks
Judging by how easily they butcher - I doubt they are good steel. A decent sharp bit - keep the pressure on, should do it.
The screw must be either very hard/ brittle material or relatively soft ( and well bonded) for it to keep breaking with well fitting tools
If there is still some of the threaded portion remaining I suggest flattening / grinding two opposite sides to suit a small open end spanner and then turning it alternate ways to break the bond.
If you have nothing protruding you will need to try Carolyn' s drill it out and retap. You would have to drill it for a stud extractor so you could try that along the way.