Pickup bed floor nut insert r/r

[drfromnc]

I bought a used pickup bed for my 34 because I needed better bedsides and the used bed was in a lot better shape then mine and same price as new bedside only. It still needs some work though. It was a complete bed minus floor wood and tin and fenders.

One thing I noticed is on the floor sub structure all of the bolts that hold the floor to the sub structure are cut or rung off leaving a piece of the bolt in the nut insert (if that is what it is called). So now I need extract the piece of bolt from each nut insert or remove each nut insert without extract bolt or swap entire bed sub structure from one bed to another because on my original bed all of the floor bolts came out relatively easy.

Really leaning towards removing nut inserts and replacing them. How do I remove these nut inserts and who sells the original style replacements?

[kurt v]

can't see your problem in pics, i would take a torch very fine tip ,heat red hot and use a left hand drill to back them out.

[Bob C]

If the heads were cut off or broke off flush I would heat the nut part red with
a torch and then grab the threads with vise grips and just try to screw it on through.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Bob C

If the heads were cut off or broke off flush I would heat the nut part red with
a torch and then grab the threads with vise grips and just try to screw it on through.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by drfromnc

I bought a used pickup bed for my 34 because I needed better bedsides and the used bed was in a lot better shape then mine and same price as new bedside only. It still needs some work though. It was a complete bed minus floor wood and tin and fenders.

One thing I noticed is on the floor sub structure all of the bolts that hold the floor to the sub structure are cut or rung off leaving a piece of the bolt in the nut insert (if that is what it is called). So now I need extract the piece of bolt from each nut insert or remove each nut insert without extract bolt or swap entire bed sub structure from one bed to another because on my original bed all of the floor bolts came out relatively easy.

Really leaning towards removing nut inserts and replacing them. How do I remove these nut inserts and who sells the original style replacements?

Those appear (to my eyes) to be the same as the 1940 bed utilizes. I'd replaced all of mine during the restoration process.
Seems to me I'd obtained them from McMaster-Carr.
The authentic inserts were lightly pressed in. I'd supported the brace around the nut and with a bolt inserted (head cut off) hit it with a hammer. It didn't take much effort.
I have attached a photo that shows what I ended up with.
Is that similar to yours?

[ActionYobbo]

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The way I did mine was grind or cut them flush at the top side then drill the bolt out. Start with a small drill and do your best to get it on center. Then keep going up in drill size and when you get it drilled to tapping size run the thread tap into it.
Some I needed to tap others spun out while drilling.
When you are drilling seeing rust dust coming out of the hole as you drill says you are on the threads. If you do chop out a bit of thread its not a big deal it will still work with 2/3 of the threads intact.

[Newc]

Currrently repairing a late '31 Mack's specializes in bed parts. That is MACK"S with a K. Newc

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Newc

Currrently repairing a late '31 Mack's specializes in bed parts. That is MACK"S with a K. Newc

[drfromnc]

Update: got all the broken off bolts out. Most I drilled out, used a tap or thread chaser to clean up the threads. A few I drilled out the entire nut insert so I can replace them with nut insert from my other bed frame. A few others I was able to grab the bolt from the back side and screw them all the way out.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Walter1934]

D-nuts or clinch nuts are available from CW Moss or Third Gen.