Torx bedrail nightmare 2018 Tacoma

A buddy and I were installing a tonneau cover. The first step is removing the stock bedrails. These are held on with 1 inch M6 torx screws. One of them was stuck- like really stuck. Did we pause and say, we should consider a breaker bar with a T-30 socket adapter? Nope! I proceeded to strip the bolt using the power drill bit.

No problem! We’ll just use the handy bolt extractor. So, quick center punch, a little drilling, and then inserted the extractor. It wouldn’t grab, and wouldn’t grab, and then ohhh it grabbed. The bolt shaft was basically gone...annnd so was part of the “nut” on the back. Problem is the nut is sort of built in.

So, I guess I should sell the truck now.
What’s the next step? Can it be removed completely and a new one welded on?

Time to visit a fabricator?

 

u can hammer the old nut off or if u have it use an air hammer and blow it right off. then just use a 10mm nut and new bolt. if u want it more factory like how it is, installed the nut and bolt tight and then tack weld the nut flange to the metal like factory and hit it with a little under coasting to prevent rust.