Improved car headlight bar bolts

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John Codman
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Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by John Codman » Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:27 pm

I need to replace one incorrect headlight bar bolt on my '27 with the correct carriage bolt. The issue is that I don't know whether the nuts are supposed to be square or hex. The three original-looking carriage bolts have hex nuts, but the taillight bracket has square nuts. I would have thought Ford would have been consistent and used one or the other. Does anyone know for sure what sort of nut would have been used?

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John.Zibell
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by John.Zibell » Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:51 pm

Original nuts are square. That said, I did change mine over to hex. Easier to deal with.
1926 Tudor


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John Codman
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by John Codman » Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:51 pm

Thanks! Doer anybody have four good square headlight bolts that they would like to sell to me?

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George House
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by George House » Tue Jul 30, 2019 7:55 pm

John,
You need - and mean - square NUTS !!
I don’t know why I turned out this way. My parents were decent people 🤪

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cdromtom
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by cdromtom » Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:21 am

I'm not sure what size you need but http://www.blacksmithbolt.com/store/c/41-Nuts.aspx has all kinds available including in black oxide finish.


Altair
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by Altair » Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:25 pm

My original Canadian '26 has hex nuts for the bar and the headlights. Just to mention in the day there were square socket sets to deal with square nuts. Today Snap-On tools sells square sets called
"four point" also "eight point" that will work on square nuts, but the "four point" fits better.
Maybe the Canadian models were different? I have had the car for 60 years and they were hex when I got it.

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cdromtom
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by cdromtom » Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:04 pm

HF sells a set of spline sockets that work well on square nuts. Inexpensive

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John.Zibell
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by John.Zibell » Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:20 pm

cdromtom wrote:
Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:04 pm
HF sells a set of spline sockets that work well on square nuts. Inexpensive
I picked up a set of 8 point sockets. Unfortunately I don't remember where I ordered them from. The were not any more expensive then the usual 6 or 12 point sockets for hex nuts. A web search should result in a source.
1926 Tudor

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Henry K. Lee
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Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by Henry K. Lee » Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:30 pm

John when you find the size required, I believe they are 5/16' NC or 3/8" NC, let me know. I have plenty of NOS square head hardware on hand.

Hank in Tin-A-See


Topic author
John Codman
Posts: 1181
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:27 am
First Name: John
Last Name: Codman
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Youring
Location: Naples, FL 34120

Re: Improved car headlight bar bolts

Post by John Codman » Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:58 am

You don't need square or eight-point sockets for square nuts. Regular 12-point sockets work just fine. I installed a new carriage bolt and square nuts on the driver's side today with a 12-point socket. I was amazed that my local Ace Hardware store stocks square nuts!

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