Member Since: 25 Dec 2021
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 42
Side ladder lower mount captive nut issue - anyone?
Unfortunately today when re-mounting my accessory side ladder - I believe that one of the captive “nuts” that the lower big bolts goes into failed. The forward most bolt started spinning round and round.
Oy vey. I don’t even begin to know how to repair this as it’s in the frame of the car.
The ladder’s been on the car 3 years. I installed it myself and when I did so I used a torque wrench and did it right to spec, I remember doing so. I know what you are thinking - I was cranking on it with a huge breaker bar - quite the opposite. The bolt had just started to seat and I had just started to feel a slight bit of resistance after a # of turns to thread the bolt in -- it immediately started spinning freely.
I believe the captive nut in the frame of the car has come loose. I just stopped and left it -- It doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but it’s not snugged up tightly. The other lower mount is fine.
Has anyone run into this? (it sounds like what has happened to those with the V8’s who’ve had a go of it trying to mount roof rails to their non-roof rail V8 models and haven’t gotten the bolts out due to the captive nuts breaking loose from their mounts).
This all because I mounted a fuel tank rotopax bracket. I do have a concern that with the weight of me (220 lb) and the fuel bouncing about I should have 2 good lower mounts. Appreciate any advice.
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14th Apr 2025 4:44am
stevemfr
Member Since: 18 Sep 2022
Location: Strasbpurg
Posts: 157
Hi Nash,
Late reply, but if the bolt had just started to seat you might have a chance at removing it again with an impact gun. It depends on how loose the captive nut has become. I've never taken the interior apart to try to get at the captive nuts from the inside, but that might be another alternative. Otherwise, it's cut and drill...
If you do get it out, make sure the threads are ok and then take a strip of metal with an 8mm (IIRC) hole at one end, and install a longer bolt with a nut on it through the metal strip (so that the metal strip takes the place of a washer between the nut and the captive nut). As the captive nut will not be behind the ladder, you should be able to hold the top of it with pliers to keep it fro turning. Once the bolt has been installed - ideally threaded all the way through the captive nut - tighten the nut down and hold the strip to keep it and the captive nut from turning. You can now compress the captive nut further. Get it good and tight (without tearing the bolt out ) and it'll be like new.
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s,
2 FL1s and a L663 on the way
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) and it'll be like new. 
18th Jul 2025 10:12am
