Hard top hatch hinge lock nut backing plate is a thing

[73azbronco]

FIXED, there is a four hole backing plate inside the hardtop for mounting the hatch hing nuts and bolts. see last post.






Latest hardtop issue, getting hatch hinge nuts to not pull through.

On my 73, the hardtop has 4 ovals per side to accept the 8 total screws and kep nuts, to mount the rear hatch hinge.

Kep nuts are the nut with the lock nut built in. The screw is countersunk Philips to mount into the hing and hold that against the hardtop frame, the nut requires 12 year old hands to get into place, or a wrench with tape.

My OEM set are all rusty so I bought stainless. Problem, the new ones, and since they look like the old ones in size, the nut side under the hardtop can move to sort of slip out of the oval. They made the oval that big for adjustments, allowing nut to turn so it can sort of partially slip through the oval, its just big enough.

I'm looking at red book of body parts, no mention of any fitting inside as a backplate for the nuts. Backplate with four holes to ride inside and prevent this pull through.

Anyone?

My plan was to go get serated flange nuts, those are wider and lock.

 

[Bronco-Brian]

Had similar issues on my 74. I ended up using clip nuts (4 ea side). They work well for starting the screws in the blind, adjust easily over the oval and don't fall in, and lock themselves against the side of the channel when tightening (i.e. no wrench required). I've had good luck with this solution.

 

[73azbronco]

Excellent idea

 

[73azbronco]

Serrated nuts with flange did the trick.

 

[73azbronco]

Serrated nuts did not work.

Just looked at them again today installing rear glass, nuts are half cocked through slot in hardtop.

Friend who has an EB stopped by and said his had little plates in the hardtop for the nuts to rest on. Off to Driven to get those parts. Odd the body book does not show this.

 

[EPB72]

or make some plates with a nut welded on

 

[73azbronco]

Make and weld, easiere to drive to Randy But that is plan B.

Funny the red body book goes to great detail showing the double nut plates used to bolt hardtop to 1/4s and windshield, but nothing on the bracket above the hinge. Maybe a 70 plus thing as the book only really shows 66 and 67.

 

[73azbronco]

Here they are, the elusive and not documented hardtop hatch hinge bracket reinforcement plates. Hole side down, largest offset side to front of Bronco, ie hole toward back end