Tailgate hinge removal

UKTJ

UKTJ

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Joined
Dec 30, 2020
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1,232
Location
Hampshire, UK
I am looking to fit a stronger tyre carrier to take my bigger spare. On the Youtube video I have watched the hinge is held on with hex head bolts, mine has T40 torx. The bolts are painted over and in the video it says they are therefore tough to loosen. So far I have broken both my T40 bits with no movement and need to buy replacements tomorrow. Wondered if anyone else has the hinges held on with Torx and has any tips on removal.

Thanks in advance.
 
You can drill out the head. If you use the correct size the head will come off onto the drill bit. I think it's 5/16's but not 100% sure. Once you have them off it's pretty easy to unscrew what's left over.
Or try heat and then t40.
 
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hosejockey61 said:
Put a torch on the backside nut plates. They get corroded very easily. Use an impact and that will help.
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rhanna said:
You can drill out the head. If you use the correct size the head will come off onto the drill bit. I think it's 5/16's but not 100% sure. Once you have them off it's pretty easy to unscrew what's left over.
Or try heat and then t40.
Click to expand...

Thanks both. My guess is that it is the painting that is holding it more than corrosion. If I am right, is heat still likely to be a good option?
 
UKTJ said:
Thanks both. My guess is that it is the painting that is holding it more than corrosion. If I am right, is heat still likely to be a good option?
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I would try the heat first. My method is more brute force. It really depends on if you plan on keeping the screws or hinges.
Just don’t use an extractor bit like I did and it broke. That’s not fun.
 
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UKTJ said:
Thanks both. My guess is that it is the painting that is holding it more than corrosion. If I am right, is heat still likely to be a good option?
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised about the corrosion. Put your torx but in the bolt head and pop it with a hammer. I tried heat, hammer, impact and still had to do them out🙄
 
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Mine was awful, I tried drilling out the heads and using an easy out which also broke in there. I ended up having to grind the whole hinge down flush past the bolt head and pop it off
 
The paint is contributing, but not as much as you think. As @hosejockey61 said, corrosion is a bigger issue, even if you don't see much. The other issue is the blue thread sealant the factory used. Heat helps with the latter two, but you have to get it very hot to matter. I've had some come out easy with a combination of heat (using a small butane torch) and a manual impact driver. Others required drilling, while some required grinding the heads off, like @Cheetokps experienced. The only consistent "easy way" to get them off is to heat them red hot with a oxygen acetylene torch. The downside to this method is you're going to burn paint! :(
 
Heat. Hammer. Repeat. It’s not as much the paint as it is the counter sunk surface area. Use a propane torch and focus the flame where the torx bit goes. Use a center punch and hammer really hard in the same place the torx bit goes. Use an impact gun and focus on strait and level alignment of the bit.
If you use a ratchet you cannot align it and you’ll break every bit.
 
Just drill the heads off . Slide the hinge off the stud and what’s left will come out very easily . At least that’s how mine went .
 
+47 for heat. I broke 5 bits with my impact and made zero progress. Bought a small butane torch and cooked just the heads of the torx bolts for a couple minutes each and they came out with very little fuss. The small pen torch didn't even hurt the surrounding paint which surprised me (not that I cared since I was replacing the hinges anyways).
 
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These f*#kin bolts fought me the whole way. 3 came out easy. The others as you can see are going to have be fully drilled out. The bolts shafts are just as corroded as the head was. I haven't started to mess with the corrosion/rust left from under the hinges, anyone experienced in dealing with that specifically? I assume normal wire brush, sand and some rust oleum before installing the new hinges is the order of the day.

IMG_1255.jpeg
 
NCLife said:
These f*#kin bolts fought me the whole way. 3 came out easy. The others as you can see are going to have be fully drilled out. The bolts shafts are just as corroded as the head was. I haven't started to mess with the corrosion/rust left from under the hinges, anyone experienced in dealing with that specifically? I assume normal wire brush, sand and some rust oleum before installing the new hinges is the order of the day.

View attachment 447387
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I think the ones on the tub are just held by some separate metal pieces on the back side. I wonder if you could tap them through
 
NCLife said:
These f*#kin bolts fought me the whole way. 3 came out easy. The others as you can see are going to have be fully drilled out. The bolts shafts are just as corroded as the head was. I haven't started to mess with the corrosion/rust left from under the hinges, anyone experienced in dealing with that specifically? I assume normal wire brush, sand and some rust oleum before installing the new hinges is the order of the day.

View attachment 447387
Click to expand...

Been there done that. Even on a clean non-rusted Jeep.
 
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Same saga here. Had to drill the heads 7 out of 8 times. Backside nuts on fender are easy to access and rehab. The door nuts are another story. No manner of heat, chemical or vice grip would work. The good news is that these brackets are solid material versus the stamped version in the fender. Ended up grinding flat, drilling, tapping. Lots of fun
 
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Schoesw said:
Same saga here. Had to drill the heads 7 out of 8 times. Backside nuts on fender are easy to access and rehab. The door nuts are another story. No manner of heat, chemical or vice grip would work. The good news is that these brackets are solid material versus the stamped version in the fender. Ended up grinding flat, drilling, tapping. Lots of fun
Click to expand...

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