3000S steering column bracket replacement

[duncscz]

Thought it would be easy to drop the steering column to replace the column->facia bracket, but no ... the bolts appear to be some form of anti-tamper and there is a single plate on top which is threaded for each bolt and therefore cannot be turned ? Any ideas (apart from a hacksaw!)?

Here's what they look like from the underside->
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00418370f00000003.jpg[/pic]

[nwarner]

The picture lookds identical to mine apart from the fact that my bolts have hexaganoal heads. Are you sure they just haven't been rounded off as I can't see what other purpose it would serve.

You could try filing some flats on them or using a descent pair of mole grips. Mine actually undid very easily when I removed them so you may be lucky and not have to cut them off.

Just an idea, I can't remember exactly what mine's like as it was a few years ago I had mine apart and I haven't got the car with me, are there any nuts at the top that you can get at as maybe it has been altered or put together wrong.

[duncscz]

Tks Nigel. Apparently, the bolts are shear-head bolts that you do up to a specific torque and then the heads snap of ... for safety and/or security, I guess.
However, I don't see a problem to replace them with normal bolts - 2.5 inch, 5/16 UNF, I believe (once I can get them out). Seems that's what you have.

[sjam]

Yes, they're shear headed bolts for security reasons. I have a feeling that the other end is screwed into a common drilled and tapped plate for both bolts so you can't undo them one at a time from the nut end.

I got mine out by using a reverse tap type stud extractor after drilling a small hole in the exposed bit of the head. If I remember right they weren't up that tight and it wasn't a difficult job.