Upper Door Hinge Captured Nut Stripped - HELP!

[PurpleBeeper]

70 Roadrunner & I stripped the captured nut for the upper door hinge on the driver's side. If it were one of the two bolts coming out into the hinge, I would just replace the hinge, but is the bolt that has the captured nut up in the body.

How do I fix it? Where can I find another captured nut?

I've considered two options.
a. replace the nut (if I can get to it & if I can find one)
b. take off the door and see if I can tap the hole a little larger, maybe metric, and find a different body bolt with the "guiding nose" on it.

So what do you guys think? THANK YOU

 

[Brandy]

Those captured nuts are actually a backing with threads drilled in them. They come out but you will have to take the door apart to get to them. They are loosely held by metal tabs to keep them from falling out. Get it out and then see what your options are with tapping it. Or you can dig one out of a junker, maybe somebody parting a car that has the same hinge plate in the door.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Those captured nuts are actually a 3+ inch long strip with threads drilled in two places. They come out but you will have to take the door apart to get to them. They are loosely held by metal tabs to keep them from falling out. Get it out and then see what your options are with tapping it. Or you can dig one out of a junker, maybe somebody parting a car that has the same hinge plate in the door.

Thanks Ghost, but this is the one in the body. On the body side of the upper driver's door hinge there are two bolts that go outwards into the hinge (way up under the dash) and one bolt that goes in from the door side (way up in the door/body gap) from the outside into the body into some type of capture nut I'm guessing.

This "outside to inside" bolt's captured nut is what I stripped. I reached way up under the dash where the two bolts are that go "inside to out" are and I can't even feel where the stripped nut is.

 

[Brandy]

Thanks Ghost, but this is the one in the body. On the body side of the upper driver's door hinge there are two bolts that go outwards into the hinge (way up under the dash) and one bolt that goes in from the door side (way up in the door/body gap) from the outside into the body into some type of capture nut I'm guessing.

This "outside to inside" bolt's captured nut is what I stripped. I reached way up under the dash where the two bolts are that go "inside to out" are and I can't even feel where the stripped nut is.

Ahhhh.....hmmm....as I recall those are backing plates as well. with two holes for through bolts and one threaded hole for the incoming bolt. Are all the bolts out, and if so does the backing plate wiggle around? If so it can come out. You may have to do minor surgery to the area to get it out, but that can be refastened afterwards. The other way would be to drill a slightly larger hole in the hinge plate and then use a bottoming type drill to increase the hole size through the body but not the backing plate, and THEN tap the hole in the backing plate for the next largest bolt. Done.

 

[Brandy]

I see that rick68b5 is parting out a 70 coronet, should be same backing plate...

 

[eldubb440]

tapping it for a different bolt would be the easiest way to go by far........ is this a "together" car or a builder?

 

[eldubb440]

pretty sure its a 3/8 thread....... I think a 10mm bolt is just a smidge larger, you could probably work a 10mm tap in there without drilling....... back and forth slowly with oil........DO NOT break the tap off in the hole!

 

[moparnation74]

tapping it for a different bolt would be the easiest way to go by far........ is this a "together" car or a builder?

you beat me to that......And sometimes you can find a bolt with a captured washer that has a bigger diameter that looks close to the correct one.....

 

[eldubb440]

and pulling the splash shield from under the fender may give you much better access

 

[eldubb440]

a longer 3/8 bolt may also be a fix if you can get a nut and a socket on it.......... it's tight up in there with the dash in the way

 

[Brandy]

Annnddd THAT was the third option that I forgot to mention, thanks eldubb..

 

[eldubb440]

Annnddd THAT was the third option that I forgot to mention, thanks eldubb..

it's probably your first option if you can get in there

 

[Daves69]

......Where can I find another captured nut?

You might search for "cage nut".

 

[PurpleBeeper]

GENTLEMEN, YOU ALL ROCK!
1. What is a "cage nut"?
2. I am definitely leaning towards trying the metric bolt idea first (edit-second). It is a 3/8" bolt and that calculates to 9.5mm (just a touch smaller than a "M10" bolt...10mm). Good idea eldub..
3. Sweet idea Ghost on bottoming bit on the body itself (a-pillar base/cowl I guess you'd call it). To even have a chance of getting a "straight shot" with a drill/tap, that door will have to come off for sure...maybe, the fender (hope not). M10 or 1/2" bolt, at least the door has to come off.
4. Wait....yes, Edub's other idea about first trying a longer 3/8" bolt....I will try THAT one first. I was adding two 1/8" body shims at the time, so there "might" be some threads in there deeper...I hope.
5. Moparnation/Dave69/everyone.....Is it a "plate" inside that a-pillar base/cowl area or a "captured nut" (cage nut???).....and how do I get whatever it up in there out? If it's easy to change (can't see how), I might just replace the plate/nut/whatever...what IS up in there and HOW do you get to it?
6. Ghost, thanks for the tip on the Coronet being parted out.
7. Oh, and to answer everyone's question about the car....It's licensed/insured/drivable. I did most of the mechanics first & it still needs A LOT of work. I'm currently welding in various body patches, sanding & priming to hopefully get it painted by Fall, so the body is still very rough & not painted. This is a "driver car" for sure, so a 10mm (M10) bolt would be fine.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

a longer 3/8 bolt may also be a fix if you can get a nut and a socket on it.......... it's tight up in there with the dash in the way

Good point... it very well might be up against the dash frame.... I will try one size longer & if it acts like it's bottoming out, I will trim a 1/8" or whatever off the bolt...run a die up the bolt, cut it & unscrew the die to re-cut the threads on the bolt.....good point.

 

[eldubb440]

option 4........... get the door aligned properly, tack weld the hinge to the body, and fuggetaboutit

 

[PurpleBeeper]

option 4........... get the door aligned properly, tack weld the hinge to the body, and fuggetaboutit

Another good option too. The two in-to-out-into the hinge bolts are still good. The door was pretty darn close, but I had some repair welding done on the lock/latch area. While the lock was out, I noticed the top of the door needed to come out a little bit more since it was pressing on the side of the dash & not letting the door close completely/fully into the body with the lock out.

 

[dsd1967]

Another question.....why are you adding shims in that area? The door itself allows for adjustment in and out of the body. You should never have to shim between the body and the hinge.

If the 10mm thread works...be gentle with it. There's not enough meat there to take the torque that the original thread would.

 

[threewood]

Plan J........run the bolt in, tighten on a nut, and tack weld the nut to the plate.

 

[eldubb440]

I looked at mine, you wont get a socket on it but there is room for a nut and a wrench........ but my car is a bare shell with no dash