Stripped nut on front damper mount - what to do!

[oilypaws]

Hi,

I'm just reasembling the suspension on my little project so that I can move it (the suspension parts still need an overhaul so I'll have to pull them off again later but never mind...).

On bolting the Armstrong dampers in at the front, I discovered that one of the bolt holes is flogged out, as if it had been loose, and the thread on the hidden captive nut is stripped. I don't remember noticing it when I dismantled it, but it must have been there as I certainly didn't do the damage when undoing it!

The other three bolt holes seem fine. The photo below shows the problem hole.

I'm assuming that only having three bolts is not a suitable option!

I have a couple of ideas for repair:

*Use a longer bolt, and somehow feed a nut up through the small hole in the chassis below (maybe taped to a spanner)

*Drill out and re-tap the hole at a larger size, and use a larger bolt. This would also require drilling out the bolt hole in the damper and there might not be enough metal left.

Has anyone had a similar problem? Suggestions?

What exactly is in there? (it looks like a plate welded in place inside the chassis with threaded holes in it).

Also, just out of interest, does anyone know why there are two sets of holes (only one set fits the dampers I have)?

Thanks! And thanks for a very handy forum - I've managed to find a lot of useful info by searching the posts here.[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Try the longer bolt - although I'm not sure how you will get a nut on it - probably need to cut a hole in the inner wing and feed the nut in that way. The extra holes remain a mystery to me despite asking about them several times.

[oilypaws]

Try the longer bolt - although I'm not sure how you will get a nut on it - probably need to cut a hole in the inner wing and feed the nut in that way. The extra holes remain a mystery to me despite asking about them several times.

Thanks! There's actually a hole in the bodywork directly below the damper mounting point already - a vent or inspection hole or something. It might be large enough to feed a nut in through. I suppose I had better make sure the damper is in good condition first so I don't have to take it off again for a while!

[bmcecosse]

Indeed - drain out the horrible/smelly old oil and refill with SAE 40 engine oil.

[simmitc]

IIRC the hole used to be a fresh air intake, rising through a hole in the floor and into the early round type heater. A bit odd as there was never a forced draught, only the suction from the rather feeble fan. However, it is ideal for feeding a nut up there - been there, done that! As suggested above, it is also possible to cut an aperture in the inner wing - do it as a flap so that it can be bent back and welded in place.

Once you have the nut in place, a dab of weld will hold it there so that next time you unscrew the bolt, you can do it up again. Do not drill out the damper for a larger bolt, since once done it will not be usable on another car if you ever exchange it for a reconditioned unit.

[kennatt]

if you can weld,weld a bar onto the nut so you can feed it up the hole and leave the bar in place just below the hole so you can get it off again if you need to.

[RobThomas]

Our '49 lowlight has those holes but no provision for heater or demisting so I'd guess it is for getting at those pesky captive nuts?

Wasn't there someone on here who found some oddball dampers which fitted the extra holes in the crossmember? About 6 months ago?

[bmcecosse]

I have suggested that may be what the holes are for - but don't remember anyone confirming.

[fsk658]

Hi I have done this repair to my Pick Up where someone had drilled and fitted a larger bolt it looked a mess. I think you need a 5/16 BSF nut (try on bolt first). Grind off the corners of the hex nut to make it cylindrical and slightly tapered. Drill out the offending stripped thread on the bulkhead to the size of the ground nut. It wants to be a tight fit into the hole. Screw the nut onto a bolt and knock into hole thin taper part first. If its a good fit you can unscrew the bolt then trial fit the damper if all is ok remove damper and tackweld, check again that all is square and the damper fits then weld arround the nut. It may sound fiddly but it worked well for me.

[stag36587]

Ingenious