Bolting Skid plate on

[muddfildvaynes]

So after finally getting my brush guard off and putting my bumper on I can now use this custom skid plate I got awhile ago; the problem is that the holes the counter sunk bolts go into are rusted a little or filled with mud and one of them has a bolt broken off in it from my brust guard brackets. I went to home depot and got some titanium drill bits and was going to drill out all these holes and use course thread lag screws/bolts with washers to secure the skid plate, these would pretty much self tap themselves once I get the holes drilled out. Would this be a good way to secure the skid plate or any other ideas? The bolts/screws pretty much look like the bottom one in this pic but with some washers.

 

[Howie]

Those coarse-threaded lag screws are for wood. What you need to do is get a tap-and-die kit from Harbor Freight Tools for like $30. Get machine bolts that are close to the size of holes that you drilled out. They should have a finer thread pitch, made for holding in metal. Re-tap the holes with the proper pitch threads that match your bolts. Then you know the bolts will hold.

 

Alternatively, if you knew the exact thread pitch and size of the hole that's rusted, you can just chase it through with the tap to clean it up.

Edited February 28, 2011 by Howie

[muddfildvaynes]

looks like I need to return some bolts and get a tap and die set

[muddfildvaynes]

I think I am going to go a different route actually, I am going to drill out the holes and buy some nuts and weld them into place so I dont have to worry about this again.

[shift220]

The bolt holes are either M8 or M10, FYI.

 

Just get the highest grade bolt you can, it will have the most corrosion resistant coating on it.