i stripped the torx bolt under my windshield trying to remove it for my light brackets. any ideas of how to get it out? its still in the window frame

How bad did it Strip ? Also do you have a very good Torxs socket or a cheap one ? You can try some lite rubbing compound in the Torx head just a drop .

BANGER

Drill baby drill...That is what I had to do when taking mine out. Drill the triangular head off the bolt and then drill a smaller hole in the actual bolt portion. Screw softly a bigger screw in the bolt and suck it out....Good luck.

thanks guys, and my torx is a harbor freight set so yeah

I use a reverse drill bit and start small drill deep enough to get into the "bolt" portion. Once you have a pilot hole, get bigger and bigger until it backs out on you. Beats an EZ-out hands down.

Go to your local fastenal and get an extractor set.

Visit www.fastenal.com and you can find the closest store....

Extractor kit for $10 at Lowes. I was hesitant at first about drilling on my baby but I got over it and got the job done. Same bolts too, I read that they use something like loctite during assembly at the factory to really hold those suckers in there.

I've broken more of those extractor kit than I can count. I've been drilling them out and removing what was left with a pair of vise grips. A few of them I was able to get out by making a slot with a dremel then using a 12" flathead screwdriver and wrench.

I went to harbor freight too to get the right one to take them out...got 3 out on one side...and snapped the bit on the 4th one....last night my buddy used his Dewalt compact impact driver...no luck...then used the breaker bar...thought it was gonna snap his torx bit too...then broke lose...completed the install last night...now just have to wire them up...good luck getting em out...

Never underestimate the power of an IMPACT screwdriver. If you can get a slot cut in the bolt head that an IMPACT screwdriver will fit into, use it. If you are not familiar with IMPACT screwdrivers, talk to your local tool/hardware/motorcycle shop and they can enlighten you. This device is hit with a hammer and turns simultaneously and will remove even the most stubborn of bolts. Do yourself a favor and spray threads liberally with your favorite "thread loose" oil. I prefer KROIL for this. Impact screwdrivers can be had cheaply and will come in handy many times over the years.

STOP SHOPPING AT HARBOR FREIGHT for critical tools. Similar pricing can be found at Sears with much higher quality.

If the impact fails to remove, next best step is to drill ENTIRE head out and go the vise grips method. Reverse drill bits are uni-taskers and easy outs/extractors are best not used by amateurs.

As far as re-installation of replacement bolts, ALWAYS use some form of REMOVABLE thread locker on critical bolts, or they will surely leave you stranded somewhere.

Yeah I don't shop at harbor freight anymore. I didn't think my torx set was gonna be so critical. Or that the torx bolts would be so hard to remove. Thanks again for all the help. Have all weekend to waste removing that one bolt

I was having trouble removing the torx bolts on the door hinges a while ago, and I ended up have a shop remove them with an impact chisel, took all of a minute for them to remove 3 stripped bolts. I believe this would be similar to the impact screwdriver.

got a bolt stuck on my bike once, took a dremel to it with a cutting wheel, cut a thin slice down the middle and used a common flat head screwdriver and a lot of leaning weight to back out the screw. In the trash it went and down to local hardware store I went. Good luck getting it out

Drill bits for drilling hard metals, an easy-out kit and some good light weight penetrating oil like "Mouse Milk" works best. try the mouse milk first let it set for an hour or so, drill the screw 1/4 of the way down into it with slow speed and medium pressure, if you can find some drill bit dry lube that helps the life of your drill bits. (be carefull not to drill thru the side of the of the screw) use a small hammer to tap the easy-out into the screw, use a medium to large set of vice grips on the easy-out, tapping the easy-out lightly as you turn the the vise grips counter clockwise. you can buy the easy-outs at sears or harbour freight, both places have life time warranties. you'll be amazed, once you see how easy this is.