Captured nuts for hard top?

[any4xx]

Recently my ‘99 started making a rattling noise on the passenger side. I found a loose bolt at the rear right hardtop mount. I was surprised to discover that there were just holes in the body and six 3/8-16 bolts and nuts were holding the top in place to the rear tub. My JKs had hex head M8x1.25 bolts holding the tops to captured nuts in the body. I expected to find the same, or similar on my TJ. Is that what was supposed to be there?

I ended up just lifting the top and setting six M8 rivet nuts into the body holes and replacing the hardware with six M8 hex head screws. But I’m still curious about what these came out of the factory with.

Anybody??

 

[lBasket]

Recently my ‘99 started making a rattling noise on the passenger side. I found a loose bolt at the rear right hardtop mount. I was surprised to discover that there were just holes in the body and six 3/8-16 bolts and nuts were holding the top in place to the rear tub. My JKs had hex head M8x1.25 bolts holding the tops to captured nuts in the body. I expected to find the same, or similar on my TJ. Is that what was supposed to be there?

I ended up just lifting the top and setting six M8 rivet nuts into the body holes and replacing the hardware with six M8 hex head screws. But I’m still curious about what these came out of the factory with.

Anybody??

They came with these dongers so you didn't have to hold them

 

[any4xx]

They came with these dongers so you didn't have to hold them

View attachment 658160

So those “nuts” somehow stayed in place with clips or friction?

 

[lBasket]

So those “nuts” somehow stayed in place with clips or friction?

The channel is too thin for them to spin

 

[any4xx]

The channel is too thin for them to spin

Aaah. Okay. So they just fell out like a regular nut when the top was removed. Thanks.

 

[lBasket]

Aaah. Okay. So they just fell out like a regular nut when the top was removed. Thanks.

That's what Ziploc baggies are for!

 

[any4xx]

That's what Ziploc baggies are for!

Meh. Now that’s what rivet nuts are for. Nothing to lose.

 

[Daryl]

With the exception of the two front nuts, this is what the OEM nut retainers look like.

 

[lBasket]

With the exception of the two front nuts, this is what the OEM nut retainers look like.
View attachment 658166

Oh there was supposed to be clips!!

 

[any4xx]

With the exception of the two front nuts, this is what the OEM nut retainers look like.
View attachment 658166

Aaaah. So there WERE retainers. That makes more sense to me. I’d think that losing the rectangular nuts would have been pretty common otherwise. At least I know my rivet nuts will stay put.

Next question: do you happen to know for sure if the original bolts were M8x1.25 or were they SAE?

 

[KennethS]

Hmmm. My 98 had six without any of that plastic stuff.