Advice on how to screw ... :)

No, not that kind of screwing ...

I need some wrenching advice from the experts here. I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. I purchased a set of Ionic side/step bars (seem to be good quality for a very decent price) that I plan on using for step bars -- not any type of protection.

I am an amateur mechanic and that is being generous. So here's the deal. I can't for the life of me get the screws that hold the brackets for the step bars to the frame to screw in. After about an hour I got one screw in and that was not easy. Any advice? I'll try greasing the screws before they go in but I wondered if anyone else had any advice or best practices here.

Thanks a lot ... appreciate the benefit of the wisdom and experience here ...

 

Some pics would probably help us help you. I can't really picture what your running into. Are they cross threading? Are you having a tough time getting them to thread because they are not making it in far enough?

Also, are these mounted to the body, or into the frame?

 

Lured by title. Disappoint.

 

Ron J here. Can I help?

 

Deeply, sweetly & completely?

 

If your going to do it in the cab, make sure you put down a towel to avoid stains. Best bet is to do it in the truck bed where you can hose off all the love juices.

 

Yes, but something isn't right.

 

Fitz235 ... thanks ... It is dark now ... I will check the bolts in the morning and post some pics if I can't get it figured out. Thank you for your willingness to help a newbie ...

 

Righty tighty.

Are the locations you are trying to use contaminated with dirt or paint?

Are the bolts you are using the correct thread? (My $ says no)

 

Clearwater Bill ... thanks for the thoughts ... Yes, sir. Righty tight. The locations I am trying to use are where holes drilled into the Tacoma where the standard OEM sidebars go. The had these plastic plugs in them that I took out and seem fairly clean. I'll drive to the auto parts store and check the correct thread but they shipped from running boards.com and I was able to get one of them in there. Hopefully tomorrow will yield better results. I'll probably go buy a bunch of screws with different threads and try them -- along with grease. Ever have one of those days where an hour project just ends up being a mess ? Argh ...

 

You will likely need a tap to clean out the threads in the threaded inserts in the cab floor before you can thread your new bolts in. Just go a bit at a time, and don't run it in past the length of your bolt. I can't say for certain, but most likely they are M8x1.25 (that is the size and thread pitch). If you are using a 12mm or 13mm socket on the bolts, then the size I listed should be correct.

 

I am in no way, shape, or form a professional, but you might want to try picking up a couple of lag-bolts from Lowe's or Home Depot. Make sure they fit in the frame without bottoming out, grab a handful of washers to distribute the pressure, then give it a go. Good luck man! If you still have trouble let me know and I'll see what advice I can get from my father (retired mechanic/custom builder).

 

Landphil and Dave31 -- thanks. I think you are right. I'll head there tomorrow ... get a bunch of them and see what screws in ... I called the folks at running board.com and they were fairly certain the screws they provided were the ones to fit my specific vehicle (2005 Tacoma). And I did manage to have one go in after a long time. Perhaps grease will do the trick. That and checking the fit of every screw in the store!

 

Hahaha if you got one in, take it back out (I know that sounds counter-productive) but you can match it to a nut in the store, then find the matching bolts, saving you a ton of time and a long wait in the return line. Also, pick up a wire brush to scrape out the holes to knock out any dirt and rust. Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

Just be careful with those threaded holes in the body. Even with the proper size bolts, the torque value is pretty low (I can't remember for sure, but it's something like 24 ft/lbs). If those get effed up, not much you can do to fix it. They're nuts welded to the inside of the body with no access to the inside without cutting up the floor. Ask me how I know. The dealer swapped out my frame last year, and must have used an impact gun on them. Spun one loose, and had to cut the bolt out. Now I can't use that one threaded hole for my steps.

 

See if they go in without the running board first. The extra pressure could be what is making it difficult to screw. Some trucks get performance anxiety

 

That sucks man.... Have you tried welding a lock-nut on the outside of the frame? That wider base might give the weld a bit to hold on to.

 

Do the screw/bolts thread into the holes on the truck by themselves? This should tell you if they are the right size or not. Then do they extend far enough past the step bars to go into the holes far enough to cach the threads? This will tell you if they are long enough to do the job and tighten down properly. Good luck.

 

Nah. There are six bolts on each side (two per step support), and on that one support, there is only one, but it's strong enough (along with the others taking most of the load) to get by. Plus the supports have to be flush against the body.

 

All good advice. Fitz235 -- now I am paranoid! I will take it super easy and slow. I did try putting the bolts in without the bracket (the bracket goes in first and then the step bar bolts on to the bracket. I'll check them tomorrow.

By the way, Fitz235 ... I think we have a truck from the same year. Do you have a build thread?

Here is the background on my project -- a recent find:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...y-purchased-2005-tacoma.444821/#post-12969567