j-nuts on inner fender

[dmjlambert]

On the passenger side inner fender, all of the j-nuts broke and spun freely as I was taking off the inner fender, and I reached inside and held the broken j-nut with pliers to loosen the bolt. The only j-nut that did not break is the one at the top of the inner fender, which happens to be the only one I could not reach from inside. So I was lucky. I replaced all the j-nuts with new ones when I put the inner fender back on.

Now onto the driver side. The top inner fender j-nut broke and spins. Here are pictures. I don't think there is a way to reach in there and hold it from spinning so I can take out the bolt, for this one bolt. I can probably reach all the other j-nuts that are going to break. Any tips from you experienced folks? I would rather not damage the inner fender (or fender). I just want to do some work that is easier with the inner fender removed, and then I'm going to replace the j-nuts and put it back on.

[Pro299]

When mine did that i just used a cut-off disc on my die grinder to remove the head.

[franken]

Of course, spray lube on any you can hit. I'd try loosening them just a bit, then tighten. Repeat while loosening just a bit more each time. I have a little 3/8" breaker bar for this exact purpose. No suggestions for the one already broken.
My understanding is the nuts break because the crap on the bolts jam things so the tighten loosen process allows the junk to clear off...

[ho70]

i just replaced my heater core and removed my inner fender.....all the j nuts broke and 4 I had to grind the heads off. I was nervous, but it was easy. I even brokee the top bolt to the fender off and had to drill it out and retap it. good luck

[Richard]

Agree with previous post. Grinder would be my choice if nut is not accessible. Use a fresh wheel with a square edge for more precision.

[BigBird05]

I would try to drill the head off the bolt. Hold the bolt head with vise grips and use a lot of drills. Starting with 1/8th and working on up.

[toolboxchev]

Happened to me. Used a locking jaw needle nose vise grip thing from Harbor Freight.

cutting it off would be easiest.

[Getter-Done]

This little Dremel is my best friend when it comes to stuff like that.
You have to be very careful cause the cutoff wheels are thin .
They can fit between stuff that others can't which makes for less damage.
Link:https://www.harborfreight.com/rotary...-pc-63235.html











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[dmjlambert]

I have that exact same tool with some cutoff wheels, but haven't used it much because the motor is so weak. I'll give it a try. I also have a good drill and great drill bits, locking pliers, etc. so I'm going to try a variety of things you folks have suggested. I appreciate the input on this thread.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

What Getter Done said, a must have in my garage, used constantly. Just be real careful, sparks fly, but more than that it's probably too easy to disrespect how easily one can remove a finger.

[dmjlambert]

Update: I used Vice Grip locking pliers on the bolt and pulled on it and turned. I had a very small gap created before the j-nut broke, so I wrapped a nice new and sharp hacksaw blade with a rag, and while holding the bolt head sawed into the gap. I was able to saw the head off the bolt. That took care of the most hard to reach bolt at top of the fender. The other j-nuts broke, but I was able to reach each one with Vice Grips or open end wrench and hold from spinning while I turned the bolt. A couple of them took an hour each, but most took 5 or 10 minutes each. The few j-nuts that were incredibly easy to access from the engine compartment didn't break, of course. Thanks for everybody's input and ideas.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

Update: I used Vice Grip locking pliers on the bolt and pulled on it and turned. I had a very small gap created before the j-nut broke, so I wrapped a nice new and sharp hacksaw blade with a rag, and while holding the bolt head sawed into the gap. I was able to saw the head off the bolt. That took care of the most hard to reach bolt at top of the fender. The other j-nuts broke, but I was able to reach each one with Vice Grips or open end wrench and hold from spinning while I turned the bolt. A couple of them took an hour each, but most took 5 or 10 minutes .each. The few j-nuts that were incredibly easy to access from the engine compartment didn't break, of course. Thanks for everybody's input and ideas.

Glad you got it done






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