BMR vs. Steeda handling upgrades

[K4fxd]

Head to any good auto parts store and buy a tap. Bring the bolts with you so you get the correct one.

Might have to find a fastenall or motion industries, might get lucky and harbor freight will have one.

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[WD Pro]

I’m pretty sure they are standard M10 x 1.5, but I can nip to the garage and check if required

WD

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Head to any good auto parts store and buy a tap. Bring the bolts with you so you get the correct one.

Might have to find a fastenall or motion industries, might get lucky and harbor freight will have one.

And get a chaser tap if they have that type. Made to clean up existing threads. Cutting taps can damage the original threads if not perfectly "square" with existing threads or not starting in the right spot.

 

[Booboo]

So i decided to finally install my steeda full length jacking rails today...aaannddd failed miserably.

Problem is the bolts wont go back in. The same bolts, into the same holes, wont go back in. I removed them by hand with my paltry 3/8" ratchet, took a little elbow grease but the got the bolts removed without issue.

Attempted to attach the shorter passenger side rail first, but only 1 of the 4 bolts would go back in without any drama. I got angry that I was failing this simplest of mods and used the impact on a setting 3 of 4 with 1/2" 15mm socket, and that couldnt even do the job, and i think i started to see some thread damage (in the car-side thread).

What am i doing wrong!? My only thought is that the car is on jackstands and maybe that is contorting the chassis/holes and preventing the bolts from going back in smoothly. Also I am choosing to re-use the original bolts instead of the shorter steeda ones. I cleaned out any residual thread locker from the holes before re-inserting the factory bolts.

I'm at a loss, calling steeda on Monday to see if theyve come across this before.

Oh and i tried the screwing in the bolts even without the rail to see if the rail itself was causing the problem, but nope, they still wouldnt go in...except for the rearmost bolt. ty

Figured out the problem, it was me not removing the seam sealer that was causing the whole rail to cant slightly which caused the bolt to not go in straight, when i got angry and forced it with the impact, this canting caused the longer oem bolt to slightly damage the threads. Solution: use the shorter Steeda bolts and put the impact on full strength and hope the bolts dont sheer, and they didnt . This was on the passenger side, the driver side rail went in with much less drama even though i still didnt remove the seam sealer.

 

[K4fxd]

I always start each bolt a few threads before I tighten any.

 

[mavisky]

Solution: use the shorter Steeda bolts and put the impact on full strength and hope the bolts dont sheer, and they didnt

This may have "worked", but please god don't rely on this being the "solution" moving forward. All you've likely done is cross thread the shit out of the bolt which is not the same as properly tightening the bolt.

A purchase of a tap and die set would have been the correct move here along with using the correct supplied bolts from the beginning.

 

[WD Pro]

along with using the correct supplied bolts from the beginning.

Nothing wrong with the ford bolts, in fact it could be argued they are superior - 10.9 grade, large captive washers, nice plating, pre coat thread lock and ironically, a lead in to try and stop cross threading

WD

 

[Booboo]

I always start each bolt a few threads before I tighten any.

This may have "worked", but please god don't rely on this being the "solution" moving forward. All you've likely done is cross thread the shit out of the bolt which is not the same as properly tightening the bolt.

A purchase of a tap and die set would have been the correct move here along with using the correct supplied bolts from the beginning.

I'll check the rail every now and then, I only used this forced method on the front 2 bolts of the passenger side, the rear 2 bolts went in nicely so if the front bolts somehow fail then the rail wont just fall off and hit the ground and pole vault my car.

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