Awesome Tailgate Anti-theft device

He wants feedback to know product improvement, issues his buyers have ... all. It helps him. He also provides excellent technical support.

 

Ah. Well only issue so far is that Toyota is sometimes overzealous with the foamy panel weld seams and left a thick foamy seam.

Which I just went back down to and used a hammer to push the A/T-D onto the hinge, and ripped the foam a bit but now it fits.

Used the hammer to tap on a T40 bit to test the other bolt using only hand strength (no breaker bar) and that bolt also rounded out (not that it matters, just wanted to loosen one of the two and maybe I can spin the INNER double-nut-metal bar thingy) but that thing is stripped (meh who cares).

So back to figuring out how in gods name to remove the main stripped bolt. Is drilling the head off, and then extracting the shaft out a reasonable thing to do? I was hoping that would be a last resort since I still do have a viable head to slot and impact screwdriver out. (or have a shop weld a shaft onto possibly?)

Ugh this damn bolt is frustrating.

 

christian06 sells a replacement security bolt. Many just drill the damn thing out and be done with it.

 

Yup I bought that from him too.

Drilling head off was my last resort, didn't want to do that until all other methods were tried (like cutting flat slot and impact hammering, welding a metal piece of the bolt so i have something to grab onto when torqueing TF outta, etc).

I rarely drill heads off (but I go have plenty of various bolt/nut-out tools in case) so I was hoping not to have to do that.

 

That bolt is called "security bolt" for a reason.

 

Heh, well the new bolt I bought from him is (has the center post inside the T45 which makes it security) but the stock bolt is just a standard Torx 40 (or as Toyota calls it something like "rounded hex" or whatever the name is for the un-branded Torx is).

Before I drill, I wanna see what other guys who had issues getting the bolt off have to say, see if there are any tips that I haven't come across in the last few hundred pages of A/T-D threads :/

I have no clue how anyone uses a breaker bar on this, the damn snuggly fitting (and hammer tapped) bits just dig through the stock metal like playdough

 

I heated mine up with a torch and used an impact and had no problem. But yours is now gonna have to be drilled out. Or try cutting off the head and the screw will easily spin out by accessing from the inside.

 

The security feature is a reverse-ratchet profile on the underside of the bolt head. Its bites when you try to unscrew. But you suspicion about breaker bar is also on track ... remove the tailgate, put it on the ground on protection ... crank like hell. Or just drill out and use the bolt you purchased.

 

Really?

I thought I read a bunch of people in this thread say the underside of the bolt head is smooth and doesn't have such a feature?

I guess I could try heating it, but it looks like most of the heat will quickly dissipate through the entire hinge and into the tailgate shell itself, and will mess up the paint in order to get the bolt head hot enough to do anything :x

I guess I can drill it and be done with it, and worst case overdrill the nut and just use a loctite'd nut on the inside to stop it from being taken out unless you take off the inner skin, as a :"fukit, I want to be done with this" solution

 

Well, the advice you have been given and information about the OEM Toyota security bolt is known enough in TW. Heating changes the shape and size of the bolt enough of the time it is still recommended.

Good luck.

 

Pretty much the same boat I'm in with my 21. It's no fault of Christian's and he was great to work with as well, but this is still sitting on my shelf waiting to be installed because the stocker won't come out.

 

I was just saying the heads do not have teeth on the backside of the head (according to multiple posts in this thread and others) and it having back-sided teeth seems to be a myth, as there isnt really a reason for Toyota to use such measures on a hinge that can be removed at a 45 degree angle anyways.



Ok just spent all this time drilling, what a cluster that was.

Had to drill way farther into the head than felt comfortable, but I finally saw a gap in the bolt/shaft connection.

Problem is is that the nut on the backside is ONLY attached to a thin metal wing connecting to the 2nd nut, so the entire thing BENT the nut away from the mating surface, making drilling out the bolt very difficult. In the end I had to use a smaller drill and cut way deep into the shaft of the bolt, and then also use vice grips to twist the exposed end of the bolt out through the inside of the tailgate.

I kept having to pound the double-washer-metal-thingy back into somewhat flat shape while drilling and extracting.

Once the bolt was completely out, I had to bend it again, to try and get the new security bolt to catch and not crossthread. I got it pretty tight with blue loctite, but also decided to put a 2nd nut on the inside as a double measure to keep it in.

And I also can confirm: there is no "security bolt with ridges/teeth on backside of bolt" from toyota. Its simply a flat surface on a conical head like all normal bolts. It is just on there VERY tight.

But shes on there nice and tight, thanks everyone! Hopefully others who run into these issues can use my various struggles to their advantage

Yeah his product is the best thing out there and I am constantly linking people to his A/T-D on here instead of weak hose clamps or punch-able poplocks.
I'd say just risk fudging up a bit, I already ripped the foam and hammered off a little paint on the edge of the tailgate, but its finally done. Glad to have finished this lagging mod.

 

They can be tuff sometimes, they have reverse teeth on the underside of the head that can really bite in on some cases. The best way is to remove or pull out that side of the tailgate and you'll have better leverage and success. Just be sure to put a towel or something under the tailgate as to not scratch it.

 

Heat a butter knife up and use it to press down the "squishy stuff".

 

Anyone else have trouble actually getting the metal piece to fit ? I got the bolt out but cannot slip the metal bracket under or behind it at all

 

Yeah I had the same issue, the last page or two was suggestions on how to smash / melt the caulking down to let the metal slip in.

I simply kept jabbing until the caulk gave way and chunked off and made room for the metal. It was tight, but i made it.

 

Wow didn’t know I would have to damage smash burn something. Spent 50 on the part, another 50 on some easy outs now I have to take a torch to it ? No mention of that when purchasing

 

I wouldn't really call it "damage", its just foamy caulk they globbed on too thick. I was paranoid of scratching the paint on the side of the tailgate (where no one can see it) but forcing the caulking foam out of the way wasn't even a 2nd thought to me. You'll NEVER see that bit, especially if you keep the metal plate on there. Maybe try the hot knife trick to melt it down a bit? or compress it more and more every day to squeeze the stuff out of the way over time?

 

Anyone have a picture of that ? It just looks like a pinch Weld to me ?