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Green Machine



Member Since: 19 Nov 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1226

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Tonga Green
Door hinge bolt decision - thoughts?
I recently replaced all of my external bolts with a stainless kit from Stig's Fasteners. All went well, until I arrived at the top hinge on the driver's side door. My issue is that the top bolt that goes into the bulkhead would not engage properly with the caged captive nut in the bulkhead - it just kept mis-threading. After a lot of fiddling, I finally thought I had managed to get it to 'bite' into the caged nut properly, but once I had got it most of the way in it became very tight and after a further half turn, something gave way. I assume it is the caged nut that has given out in some way (although I'm not quite sure how). I am now trying to decide whether I should try to sort it and replace the caged nut in the bulkhead, or whether I would be better off just leaving it as it is. I would guess that there is around 3-5mm of thread still to go before the bolt is fully nipped up (pics below). The new stainless bolt was fully coated in Duralac Jointing Compound before I fitted it, so it should be fairly well sealed inside the hinge block. Can't help but feel that if I try to take it off I'll be entering a whole world of pain, as the bolt is unlikely to come out without a severe fight, and I can't get the caged nut out until the bolt is fully removed. The door is unlikely to fall off as there are another 3 bolts holding it on, but it might drop prematurely I suppose. My inclination is just to leave it as it is, but am I overlooking anything?

Pics:

Click image to enlarge

Top bolt not properly tightened


Click image to enlarge

Close up (jointing compound around bolt head)

Thoughts appreciated - just can't decide the best way forward! Cheers Thumbs Up 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green
Post #94483 16th Oct 2011 11:06am
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double cab happy



Member Since: 01 Jun 2009
Location: merseyside
Posts: 573

England 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Java Black
well i have removed my bulkhead bolts to waxoyl the bulkhead a couple of weeks ago and found that the captive nuts on one side to be well rusted and the other side to look like new, with no reason.
one of the bolts on the rusted side would not properly hold, felt ok then would not tighten and just turned and turned (me thinks the nut is no longer captive)

so my thoughts are to deal with it before the other one fails, and replace all the captive nuts, brilling out the bolt will be a pain, but I'd rather do one than four,

any body know where you can get stainless captive nuts?
Post #94485 16th Oct 2011 11:19am
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leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8578

United Kingdom 
No idea about stainless captive nuts but stainless rivnuts are readily available with thin head.


Brendan
Post #94490 16th Oct 2011 11:40am
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double cab happy



Member Since: 01 Jun 2009
Location: merseyside
Posts: 573

England 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Java Black
leeds wrote:
No idea about stainless captive nuts but stainless rivnuts are readily available with thin head.


Brendan


isn't the hole with the captive nut behind it, over sized and poss not even round?

any one.

Mark
Post #94515 16th Oct 2011 4:10pm
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T1G UP



Member Since: 08 Dec 2009
Location: Bath
Posts: 3101

England 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Orkney Grey
stainless bolts are renowned for picking up in threads. If the doors not loose i'd leave it untill next summer when you can have the whole door off and replace the bolt and captive nut
Post #94517 16th Oct 2011 4:15pm
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Happyoldgit



Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3471

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
double cab happy wrote:

isn't the hole with the captive nut behind it, over sized and poss not even round?

any one.

Mark


No they're oblong. The captive nuts are square and just held in the clips by bent tabs. Knowing one was loose would drive me nuts so I'd have been drilling it out by now but that's just me. You can undo both hinge to pillar screws and not loose the door adjustment of you keep the door shut, but it's always wise to mark the position of the hinge on the pillar before removal just in case.

The standard captive nuts are rubbish at the best of times and the clips can fail even on brand new ones [as at least one did on my then new Puma] which is why I always coat the screw threads with anti seize when replacing them. As Tig Up says stainless will pick up threads taking you back to square one. Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades.
Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW.

[Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc]

http://forums.lr4x4.com

I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic.
Post #94522 16th Oct 2011 4:47pm
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Green Machine



Member Since: 19 Nov 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1226

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Tonga Green
Many thanks for the thoughts all. Think I will leave it for the time being and then tackle them all at once at some stage. The door seems to be pretty secure, there's no movement of the hinge when opening / closing at the moment - I'll just have to keep an eye on it. Just one of those annoying little things! 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green
Post #94540 16th Oct 2011 6:32pm
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K9F



Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
Green Machine,

I've just been out to mine with a torch and accessability to the rear of them bolts looks at first glance to be a MAJOR issue. Then again it may be different on a TD5. That said I would have to try and sort it if it were me as it would 'play on my mind!' You have nothing to lose by trying to extract it. I have no real idea but I would try and remove the side soundproofing to the right of the accelerator and see if you have access to the rear of the bolts from below. As far as I can see it would be more or less a dash out job. I was thinking eventually of replacing my entire hinges with stainless ones. I would be very interested to hear of a resolution....Justin....

Justin Case!!!! Good luck hopefully someone can help. Thumbs Up If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!
Post #94541 16th Oct 2011 6:36pm
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Green Machine



Member Since: 19 Nov 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1226

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Tonga Green
Cheers K9. The captive nuts can be accessed from the outside, you just have to flap the hinge out of the way to expose them. Obviously I can't do that because the bolt is jammed in the nut, so I can't move the hinge out of the way. So I'd either have to cut the head off behind the hinge, or drill it out through the hinge block. Either way, it's a task that I wouldn't really relish at the moment! Found this yesterday, which is very useful for seeing what is actually behind there! 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green
Post #94594 16th Oct 2011 8:55pm
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Happyoldgit



Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3471

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
I've had to drill out a fair few on older Defenders and there's no access to the rear of the A post - unless of course you want to start cutting sections out from the inside. The main problem is the screw rotating with the drill but if you use sharp bits, maintain steady pressure and drill a pilot hole first you only have to go in far enough to get below the head and into the stem of the screw. Once you've done that you can gradually go up in bit size until you've removed the head and left the stem in place but not too much that you can't get the hinge off over the top of it. Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades.
Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW.

[Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc]

http://forums.lr4x4.com

I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic.
Post #94606 16th Oct 2011 9:19pm
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K9F



Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
Green Machine,

Bow down Thank you for the informative link. Thumbs Up Handy to know!

Could you not get the remaining three bolts out and then rotate the hinge for better access to the sprung anchor nut and then look at the possibility of getting either a small 'shifter' or something to hold it in situ whilst undoing the bolt? If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!
Post #94618 16th Oct 2011 10:29pm
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Grockle



Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green
are you sure the captive nut is compatable with the bolt ie metic or have you an imperial bolt ? 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.
Post #94675 17th Oct 2011 10:15am
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Green Machine



Member Since: 19 Nov 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1226

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Tonga Green
Cheers Steve - I think that's what I will end up doing. Once you've drilled the head off and moved the hinge out of the way, how do you get the captive nut out? Because it will have the remaining thread jammed in it, so it can't 'slide' out. Presumably I'd have to just bend the cage out of the way and then pull the thread through the hole at the back, if there's enough space in the bulkhead to do that.

K9 - I could do, but I think I can probably do it without having to take all the studs out. If I take the lower one on the bulkhead side out and drill out the top one that is stuck, I should be able to fold the bulkhead side of the hinge back against the mirror arm to get at the caged nuts to replace.

Grockle - yes, they're definitely both metric as I have done all the others with the same bolts. Unless someone at LR put a metric one in as a joke - which wouldn't surprise me! As a slight aside - I've got it booked in with Joe at JR Classics week after next, following yours and others recommendations. It had crossed my mind that he might want to take the bolts out anyway in order to get a lance into the bulkhead? Do you know if he did on yours? 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green
Post #94678 17th Oct 2011 10:32am
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Happyoldgit



Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3471

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
It's a case of suck it and see! Even with a bit of stem on you can still unclip the nut cage - in fact it gives you something to hold onto as the damned things are so easily dropped into the inside of the A post. Depending on how loose it is you may be able to get a hacksaw blade down the back of the hinge but you run the risk of screwing the paintwork and plastic spacer up. Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades.
Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW.

[Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc]

http://forums.lr4x4.com

I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic.
Post #94680 17th Oct 2011 10:49am
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Grockle



Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green
the captive nut is held in place by a J clip, so you should be able to unscrew thew bolt and insert a new captive nut Thumbs Up 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.
Post #94695 17th Oct 2011 1:14pm
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