I need the clips that go on the inside of the fenders of my truck. Are they u nuts or j nuts, and does anyone know of a good place to find them. I have checked online and cant tell whick kind they are. The stores in town only have coarse thread and I need fine thread. Thanks for the help!

 

you mean like these?

U Nuts Index : NutsandBolts.com

 

That looks like them, but they appear to be coarse thread. I will have to give them a call and find out if they have fine thread . Thanks

 

Fine thread fender bolts!? The basic Ford body/fender bolt is 5/16-18 x 15/16. That is a course thread. So you would then get the correct size J type cage nut if replacing exactly. Or, to avoid the caged nut which sometimes snaps off when old go the U retainer.

 

There were different threads for different applications for different years...the clips themselves..starting with the 1966 model year run they used the steel one piece stamped nutclips...the 65 and prior years used a square nut spotwelded onto a similar clip minus the area for threads..just a big square area the nut fits in.
The fender to apron bolts/nuts were fine thread in many cases but some were course threads as well...same fasteners joined the inner aprons to the radiator support. If you are really lucky you will have undercoating on them...typically not though...wire brush the pee out of the threads and fasteners and blast with PB Blaster and let it soak a good long spell...a day at least...try to crack it loose...if it does loosen tighten it to original position and flush the loosened dirt from those few threads and reloosen it...keep doing this bit by bit...its extremely tedious, but in the end you will have minikal if any busted knuckles and fasteners. the nuts on these bolts are not a full flat vertical side like one would expect...they are rounded slightly at the outward facing side of the nut...there is also a flat washer used...
The square nut that usually breaks off of the earlier type clips is a 9/16 size nut ...1/2" if its rusted a good bit..or try a similar size open end wrench in a metric size.

Patience will get the job done :-)

- cs65

 

In reassembling the 65 found Restoration Speacialties, Inc. carried many of the hard to find fasteners/hardware, likely other members will provide additional sources. Suggest check with local hardware, or auto parts store and save several bucks. Have several manuals and have not been able to find a description of the location, quantity, size and thread count of the various fasteners. The Ford Truck Master Catalog C.D. may be a possible source but that can be cumbersome and time consuming. If applicable, found during disassembly I would used small envelopes and label the fastener according to location, quanity, size and thread pitch, and found reassembly less labor intensive

Restoration Specialties & Supply, Inc.

http://www.restorationspecialties.co...og%20ebook.pdf

 

Make sure you get the deep ones for the two bolts where the back of the fender hits the cab. If you put the short throat ones there you will not have enough adjustment to line up the fenders and you 'll end up having to take the fender off again to replace them.

Wonder how I know that.....

 

If you use longer bolts on the bottom rears you will dent the fender....


- cs65

 

I use AMK for their bolts and have their massive catalog to look them up. I would love to see a picture of a fine thread Ford body bolt from the 60's. As for the comment about short and deep the poster was referring to the throat depth of the u clip.

 

I found quite a few different fasteners(though not theses exactly) at Fastenal. They even had the spring loaded style trim retainer clips, in stock.

 

cs65 - I did not mean a longer bolt, I meant the clip that the bolt threads into. There are short and long clips. I threw the short throat clips on the two spots on the back of the fender. When I installed the fender I had no up/down adjustment at the back. Took a few minutes to figure out the box of clips I bought where shorter than what I took out. They worked fine everywhere else, just need two longer clips at the back of each fender.

 

thanks for all the info. i finally found some on ebay, they say they are just like the origional clips with fine thread. this site is great! endless advice and info!