2021 Tacoma exhaust flange bolt welded to hex lock nut

Has anyone seen this type of situation on a GEN three Tacoma? I’m trying to install a carven cat-back kit and noticed that my Taco has welded hex lock nuts holding all the flange bolts... I thought usually the flange bolt is threaded into the flange itself...

If anyone has, how did you remove them? I’ve tried cutting around the weld to get at the hex nut, but I haven’t had any luck moving it and am now close to stripping it down to where my impact driver won't turn it.

 

Cut them off, you don't want to re-use them. Bolts are cheap.

 

Sensible but where should I start the cut and what's the best couple tool choices? Thanks.

 

Cut on the side that you don't care about destroying. Or grind the head off, which looks to be on the flange of the Cat. The flange on the Cat is the one you need to not destroy, you're not replacing the Cat.

 

Yes that makes sense. I have an angle grinder with a cut off disc. Anything that might work better?

 

That will do it, just watch that you aren't cutting the flange or pipe. Take your time, or it will cost you time (and dare I say money?).

 

Thanks for the tips @OldSchlPunk !

 

Heat first then extractor socket? You can probably salvage the welded nuts this way and not have to mess with cutting them off but not wrecking the flange.

 

What's wrong here? The nut is welded to the flange. Nothing prevents you from turning the bolt head? Use a lot of heat so the bolts don't break in the nut.

By the way, the Carven kit is stupid loud, only slightly attentuating the sound compared to straight pipe.

 

Apparently that is how Toyota puts them together (mine's the same, bought new).

Like was said, heat it up good & hot, and it should come right off (at least that has been my experience with the few exhaust bolts I've dealt with).

 

Yeah so I had a bolt extractor kit laying around and I heated it up and it actually was fairly straightforward with a good socket wrench.

The dealership said they didn’t understand why it was welded which apparently is how they are done at least after a certain year. Not surprising that they don’t know. The issue was the bolt side was stripped out, so it had to be done with an extractor kit as suggested. The weld is actually helpful because you don’t have to worry about having to replace the nut and hold it while tightening the other side