Help PLEASE: Running Board Removal

I've googled and searched this forum up and down and I cannot find any help for this.
I cannot remove the running board, the bolts just spin. Why were these made so different from the 4runner? I don't want to cut them off because I can't sell them.

How have you guys gotten yours off? Please help.


(04 Tacoma TRD double cab 4x4)

 

Where are they bolted to??

Was it a welded nut that is now broke loose

How good are you with a 4" grinder with a cutting disc ??

You might be able to cut the heads off the bolts

 

which bolts? all of them?

Either there's a nut on the other side you're missing (just put a wrench on it), or there's a welded nut that's broken off, or the threads are stripped. If you can't reach that welded nut, you're kind of hosed, so in either case you're going to need to do some cutting. If you're careful, you should be able to cut the bolts off without damaging the mounts or the running boards.

 

Angle grinder for days bruh.

 

Are there any possible cavaties where a hidden nut for these bolts might reside? I think my older taco had fixed nuts for the bolts for my old running boards, but I could be mistaken.

Coot

 

The end of the bolt with the nut is inside the rocker panel.

They're bolted strangely, and I don't own an angle grinder...I'll see if a friend has one.

 

If it's in the rocker will removing the interior panel give you access?

 

Hell I'll try.

 

I've had screws/bolts on different things get stripped (either because of too much torque, or the wrong size bolt) and I always removed it by applying downwards pressure. This has almost always been on a much smaller scale, but it might work with larghe bolts. Try somehow applying downwards pressure with a wrench or pliers.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna give it another go in the morning.

 

After lot of sweat, blood, and copious amounts of swear words, they're off.

 

What ended up being the issue? How'd you manage?

 

Very stubborn bolts. For some reason, the other end of the bolt was inside the rocker. So, you'd loosen it but it'd just spin. I put a screw driver under the nut and gave it pressure, that helped.

 

Yup! I knew it would help.
I work on a lot of computers/electronics and the number of times I've used the wrong sized screw in a hole is innumerable. The "pull up on the screw while un-screwing" method has always been a lifesaver.

 

4 inch cut off wheel would be best for that I think

 

Nah man just bring out the acetylene torch. Have a fire extinguisher handy in case you blow your truck up.

 

Well when you have a 18 year old truck that's fine and all

 

It's like 4 bolts. Can't be that hard to figure out. If you can't, Cut them off and tell your buyer to buy some bolts at the hardware store LOL.
Good to hear you got them off.

 

Oh I snapped a few bolts and chucked the rest out of victory as soon as I got them off.
Finally! Tacoma looks better now