Bug Guard Help
03-21-2009, 04:29 PM
#1
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Bug Guard Help
Guys, I just purchased a chrome bug guard for my 2004 ford f150 Lariat. While trying to install, I ran into some problems. All of the screws and nuts came out of the grill (which has to be removed to install bug guard) except for two of the small nuts. These two were rusted to the bolts and now the bolts just spin. I can not get the bug guard on without removing the grill because of the design. Has anyone ran into this problem? Can anyone think of any solutions? There is not enough room to get anything in behind the nuts to cut the bolt off so I am stumped. I asked a local truck accessory dealership and they suggested snapping the chrome off of the grill so that I could get to the topside of the bolts. Does anyone know how to do this?
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
03-22-2009, 12:40 AM
#2
There's a guy in another F150 forum having the same problem. Only suggestion there so far was to use a Dremmel type too to cut off the offending bolts from the backside of the grille. Thought there is that he will eventually need a new grille surround anyway - and of course you can't buy just the surround, you have to buy a complete grille from the dealer.
Your truck accessory dealer may be talking about snapping the grille surround off of the grille - more accurately the other way around. Ford grilles have inserts that snap into the surround. You can snap the inserts out fairly easily using a hair dryer to heat the tabs to make them more pliable and then a flat blade screwdriver or similar. I'm not sure that would give you access to the bolt heads.
I wish i could remember cause I just changed grilles after an accident and I kept the broken surround - and I actually sold those 6 little bolts to another Ford guy, so I know I got access to them somehow. Sorry I can't be more help. As I think about it - you're guy may be right - we might have snapped the chrome surround off of its frame to get at those bolts. I just don't remember how and I've sold or trashed all the parts so I'e noting to refer to that might tell me. Really sorry man. Good luck.
Your truck accessory dealer may be talking about snapping the grille surround off of the grille - more accurately the other way around. Ford grilles have inserts that snap into the surround. You can snap the inserts out fairly easily using a hair dryer to heat the tabs to make them more pliable and then a flat blade screwdriver or similar. I'm not sure that would give you access to the bolt heads.
I wish i could remember cause I just changed grilles after an accident and I kept the broken surround - and I actually sold those 6 little bolts to another Ford guy, so I know I got access to them somehow. Sorry I can't be more help. As I think about it - you're guy may be right - we might have snapped the chrome surround off of its frame to get at those bolts. I just don't remember how and I've sold or trashed all the parts so I'e noting to refer to that might tell me. Really sorry man. Good luck.