Jeep painted over torx bolts

Joined
Jan 23, 2019
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162
Location
MA
Hi Guys,

I need the advice of someone smarter than me, my TJ jeeps doors don’t fit right so I’m attempting (and failing) to loosen the exterior brackets that hold the doors in place. They are t40 painted over.

So far I’ve snapped an impact t40, and stripped two other t40s (also ruining those holes in the process).

Any ideas?

Example:

-kehyler
1754157047530.webp
 
Get a good tool. Tap the tool on till it seats. Pull it out and blow the paint chips out as well as the paint at the bottom of the hole
Exactly. Perhaps do that twice, blowing the chips out each time, so that you get good engagement of the tool all the way to the bottom.
 
The one that broke was a Sunnex, although I didn't remove the paint down in the torx slots. It's on pretty good...
 
Scratch all the paint out that you can and then pound in the bit. Valve grinding compound help the bit bite.

Or, since you've already hooped it pretty good, get a LH twist drills and some new fasteners.
 
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Always dig all the paint out first. Failure to do so prevents full depth engagement. Imagine a long row of $100ea titanium screws on an aircraft. After 30 or 40 of them strip out from poor maintenance practices, the customer starts to get really angry.

I've found that the 'all one piece' Torx and Allen sockets are often substandard and will strip, round off or break in the middle. It seems the hardening is concentrated on the tip, and may or may not be done properly. I can't tell you how many I've destroyed. Even in the same kit, one size will fail and it's neighbor will hold up well.
 
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Always dig all the paint out first. Failure to do so prevents full depth engagement. Imagine a long row of $100ea titanium screws on an aircraft. After 30 or 40 of them strip out from poor maintenance practices, the customer starts to get really angry.
Ain't it grand?

I just replaced $6k in hardware because someone used the wrong grease and it all corroded.
 
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Make sure your Jeep requirements are for standard torx and not torx plus

Ford uses torx plus to secure many years of their pickup truck beds to the frame. A regular torx will work, but are very easy to strip.
 
Here is a 11 page thread on the subject:
Omg help messed up my door hinge torx bolt | Jeep Wrangler Forums (JL / JLU) -- Rubicon, 4xe, 392, Sahara, Sport - JLwranglerforums.com
Omg help messed up my door hinge torx bolt | Jeep Wrangler Forums (JL / JLU) -- Rubicon, 4xe, 392, Sahara, Sport - JLwranglerforums.com https://share.google/8e3OZQKn6nIPEOlQJ
 
Looks like a swivel/universal in the picture also. Get the paint cleaned out especially from bottom as stated. Get as solid a connection as possible to impact gun like direct to anvil. Old school days we also learned to try and tighten slightly to break the rust etc if it started having that issue. Maybe something to heat the threads from inside.

Spray dust can upside down on the nut will make it really cold quickly and may help crack the bolt loose combined with other things listed.

Can you see the inside? is it rusted up a lot? Spray the threads inside fender with some Gibbs penetrant.
 
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