Captured Nuts In Spare Wheel Carrier

Matchwood

Member
The thread in the captured nut which holds the long bolt has stripped and won't hold on to it - I have the replacement (captured nut) part but don't want to weld it in. I'm trying to decide whether to replace the VW bolt with an ordinary HT flanged bolt & nut - which could cause issues at the side of a muddy country lane... Or, fit a Helicoil, which I've never used before, and use the original bolt. I'd be grateful for to hear from anyone who has used them will it stand the test of time...?
 
The thread in the captured nut which holds the long bolt has stripped and won't hold on to it - I have the replacement (captured nut) part but don't want to weld it in. I'm trying to decide whether to replace the VW bolt with an ordinary HT flanged bolt & nut - which could cause issues at the side of a muddy country lane... Or, fit a Helicoil, which I've never used before, and use the original bolt. I'd be grateful for to hear from anyone who has used them will it stand the test of time...?

I've used Helicoils before and had good, long lasting results in far more high stress situations so I'd go for that, personally, you just need to make sure the thread pitch of the supplied tap is the same as the original bolt.
 
Could you just use a normal nut / nyloc nut behind the captive nut - you’d need a spanner in addition to the wheel brace to remove it but it would really thwart any potential thieves!
 
I've used Helicoils before and had good, long lasting results in far more high stress situations so I'd go for that, personally, you just need to make sure the thread pitch of the supplied tap is the same as the original bolt.
Thanks DaveD, I’m leaning that way.
 
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Could you just use a normal nut / nyloc nut behind the captive nut - you’d need a spanner in addition to the wheel brace to remove it but it would really thwart any potential thieves!
I was looking to do that in the beginning but I was having trouble finding a flange head bolt long enough and threaded its whole length. Also, it’s a bit Heath Robinson - I could imagine myself lying on the side of the cold and very wet country lanes I take to and from work. If the Helicoil fails I can still do that.
Thanks for the reply.
 
After checking the wall thickness of the failed captive nut a potentially cheaper option to a Helicoil repair would be to tap the existing 14mm hole to M16 x 2.0 and fit a M16 x 2.0 bolt.
The tapping drill size for M16 x 2.0 is 14mm.
The bushings and bracket hole might also need increasing.
 
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