Are three bolts okay??

[Arthurdaily]

Hi all - One of my minor doors has three bolts on the bottom hinge (to pillar) and three at the top - the fourth top one appears to have been sheared off prior to me owning it. Is this an issue? Or will three bolts be okay on the top?

[bmcecosse]

It's hardly ideal - but I suppose it's not going to fall off!

[kennatt]

i've run my series11 with the same for the last 25 years it hasn't fallen off yet,bet there hundreds out there with even less cos once they shear off its a bit of a pain to sort out,drilling and tapping threads etc ,as long as the door hasn't dropped should be ok.

[dp]

If you do want to get the sheared bolt out it mightn't be too hard with an easy out tool and just possibly without removing the door - maybe.

You need an easy out tool. First plus gas the bolt area and leave overnight then drill a hole in the centre of the bolt and use the easy out. it's a reverse threaded tapered screw-like thing that screws anti-clockwise into the hole in the bolt, hopefully bites it and allows you to remove the bolt. Might take a few goes with the penetrating oil. If this works for you it's then just a question of putting a new bolt in. If it doesn't you're only a tenner worse off.

You might need to carefully adjust the door stop nut inside the door (behind the trim) so that you can get the door opened far enough to use a drill. If you do this be EXTREMELY careful not to let the door touch the wing. If the bolt is one going into the door rather than the hinge piller while the trim is off you can spray the rear of it with penetrating fluid too.

[kennatt]

the problem with the easyout bolt extractor is that they a hardened steel and if they also snap,which they do sometimes you can't effectively drill the bolt out cause the drill slips off the extractor.If you really want to get it out you need to take the door off because you can't get the drill in at right angles to the frame and taking the strap off if fraught with danger cause the door can easily damage the body work.Forcing it also can cause the captive nut inside the frame to pull off its retaining tabs,then you need to cut the door post to renew.As said if the door is still in line leave well alone

[Arthurdaily]

Hmnnn... might just leave it til the door rots away ha ha.

[chickenjohn]

Better to have all the bolts holding the door on, however, my 4-door had only two at the bottom and three at the top for years and the door didn't fall off (till the badly repaired {by some previous owner} A pillar eventually fell off).