I want to remove the big and smaller inner wheel arch liners on my 2010 FL2 but the plastic 10mm nuts are just spinning because the metal bolt threads have corroded.

The bolts are not spinning which makes me wonder if they're integral/welded onto the frame which I can't access. Could they be replaced without major dismantling?

Option 2 is to use a dremel to slice off the bolt proud of the nut but I'm not sure I can get close enough to remove all the crud and free the nut.

if they are spinning I imagine the plastic threads have stripped - the threads on the stud/bolt under the plastic are likely to have been protected from the elements and likely OK - I'd clean up the exposed ends and cut the nuts off to have a look (new nuts needed ofc) 2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

As above.

Easier to replace a nut so to speak! Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Thanks for that. I guess that means dremelling off the excess bolt as the threads are well and truly gone. Still intrigued to know if those bolts are welded into the frame.

I've had this problem when changing my cambelt, get a screwdriver underneath it as as you try to unscrew it.

Even better (which is what I found by trial & error) is one of those plastic trim removal tools with a slot molded into it, if you can get that underneath the plastic nut & then unscrew it, they then fly off perfectly and are good enough to reuse.



Cheers
Brian

Clean up the thread & get the nut off before cutting the thread off. You may need the excess length of bolt to line up & reinstall liner. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Once the plastic nut is off, a die or metal nut with a slot cut across it should clean up the threads nicely - I would not cut the end of the bolt off, give it a good wire brushing - if you want to dremel something do the plastic nut  2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

Thanks again. Yes, I had tried a screwdriver (without success) and I've now ordered a Trim Clip Removal Tool from PowerfulUK. I just read these latest replies before I plugged the dremel in so I'll forgo that for now I got the idea by watching the PowerfulUK Youtube vid on how to remove the bumper on an older FL2. They'd already removed and replaced the small, lower front liner once and you could see the bolts were flush with the ends of the nuts so I guess they had been cut off at first attempt.

Have you tried pulling the nut off with mole grips? Common sense isn't very common.
_______________________________
2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

This cutting disc for plastic I use on the Bosch Professional GRO (Dremel)

 Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Last edited by Lightwater on 2nd Jul 2020 1:18 pm. Edited 1 time in total

"Have you tried pulling the nut off with mole grips"?

Not yet. I'm not going to destroy the nuts until I'm sure I can get new ones. My local LR store doesn't recognise them from my description and can't find the liner or the nuts in the catalogue.

It's probably M6. You can get nylon nuts easy enough. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

MM 4X4 in Worcester have been a big help, identified them and are getting me some. They also confirmed that the metal bolts are welded to the car, so that's a major issue. Apparently the bolts are described by LR as M12 and the nuts M6. I took the wheel off and took another photo to help identify location. There are more holding the main liner.






Last edited by Flanagan on 4th Jul 2020 2:05 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Scrap the old plastic nuts, clean the threads as others have said and fit some new stainless steel flange nuts. That's what I did with mine and have had no bother since. Put some copper slip on the thread before putting the nuts on.  Now at the point when I learn something new something old is lost out the other side !
Now retired so it doesn't matter anymore.
Freelander now gone.

Off at a tangent but this is a great title to a thread - it's just how I feel some days