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Door Nut just spinning!

6K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Rpkittle 
#1 ·
I have tried using the search function but haven't found anyone with the same problem.

I was able to completely remove the passenger half door with a little effort.

On the driver side the bottom nut came off nicely! but sadly the top nut just spins in place, and does not move away from the hinge.

Does anyone have tips to help me get this last bolt remove? There is almost not gap between the hinge and nut so I dont think i can get a flat head screw driver in there. Im hoping to drive like this sometime tomorrow, so i appreciate the info!

Thanks!

P.S.- im afraid to cut the because i do not want to damage the tub nor the door.
 
#3 ·
well i tried jamming a small flat head screw driver between the nut and the hinge hoping it would grab some thread as i turned it. Yeah that didnt work lol.

I looked at these nut splitters and only see bad reviews on them. Seems like the ones that do work are too big to fit in this location. Does anyone know if these bolts are hardened in any way? If not, the nut splitter might work.

If I were to try an angle grinder, which would be the best route? Cut straight through, cut slots on either end of the nut, or just grind the entire nut down until the should falls off?

Looks like i might have to buy an angle grinder then....
 
#5 ·
You could try something like a Dremel. They are a small craft grinder that has a cutting wheel attachment.

It may take longer but it's far less aggressive than an angle grinder.

Or drill down one side of the nut with increasing sizes of drill until you can split the nut.
 
#7 ·
The door's hinge pin is brittle and can be snapped pretty easily if you get the righty-tighty/lefty-loosey thing backwards which is easy to do on those particular upside-down nuts. You probably snapped the door pin, I'd try driving the nut down to see if it comes out with the busted half of the door hinge pin.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the suggestions. I am still stuck with the driver door on lol.

My thinking is that IF the pin has snapped, I should be able to either drive the nut down, or pull the door up. Unfortunately I havent been able to do either. With the passenger door, I only needed WD-40 and a swinging motion to pull the door out. I couldnt do the same with the drivers door...I even tried wacking the nut with a hammer to purposely break the pin.

I'll keep messing with it. I only have basic hand tools, with the exception of a drill.
 
#9 ·
Just wanted to update you guys to say I did get the doors off today! It was just a "nut up or shut up" moment with the angle grinder. Wasnt to bad, took about 5 minutes. The nut got so hot it was smoking. Used WD-40 as a lubricant to keep the heat down. With half the nut ground down vertically, I was able to lift the door out by hand, breaking the remaining bit of the nut.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Great weather. 82 and sunny in NE Ohio!
 
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