Broken Door Bolt

This is my first post (sorry if it is not done correctly).

I found a broken bolt on the bottom left-hand side of my driver's door. I pulled back the plastic panel and you can't access the bolt without removing the panel. It looks like it might serve some "dampening" function for quiet driving. I am not really sure. The bolt is stuck in a rubber, spring-backed sort of thing. Doesn't seem like you can access it unless the entire door panel is removed, but even then the bolt is through the metal frame, not the plastic trim. I attached some pictures.

Any help/explanation would be great! I want to avoid some loose metal rattling around in the door while driving.

Thanks!

 

I believe that is the lower bolt securing the window track

 

/\/\This, might be able to carefully take the bolt from the opposite door without the window frame falling so you can match up a replacement. I'd do it with the window halfway down to allow for a hand grip on the glass if needed to shift the position of the frame upwards enough to align it for replacement of the bolt. If you can see the bolt is really snapped off, you might be able to get it backed out with a slightly smaller diameter left hand drill bit without taking the panel off the door. The question would be...why did it break in the first place? Check the other side before it becomes loose and breaks too.

 

No doubt it’s a M6x1.0 bolt. Probably somewheres around 20~25mm long? Torque spec for a M6 bolt is usually just 10Nm. It wouldn’t take much to snap one of those bolts with a 3/8” drive wrench. There’s probably a 99% chance that you’ll have to remove the door panel to remove the broken off fastener. It will probably be fairly easy to unthread it with a pair of needle nose vice grips. If you got mad skills and great luck, you might be able to unthread it without removing the door panel. My thought would be to unroll the window until it’s all the way down (so that the metal window track isn’t as floppy), then try using a left hand drill bit to back out the bolt. Homo Depo/Lowes also sell something like a SPEED EXTRACTOR. The extractor does work really well, but it might not work well in this particular instance though.

 

See the rust and flaky paint? Perhaps some sort of impact was involved.

 

Yes, I noticed! Looks like someone or the wind might have closed the door pretty hard on something in the way and that something was probably the seatbelt clip. Just plain bad luck that it managed to align exactly right to break the bolt. Any story behind the damage OP?

 

Hi Everyone! Thanks for the helpful comments on this. You are right that it is the bolt securing the window track. I found the diagram in the FSM manual (page 465 if you are curious). I will almost certainly have to take the panel off, and even then it will be a pain to get the bolt out. My weather is currently in the single digits so I am going to hold off on doing any tugging on the plastic for the time being.

I am unsure of how the damage occurred -- probably a seatbelt malfunction. The truck is basically brand new to me so I am still getting to know it.

Thanks again,

Here is a screenshot (below) from the manual if you were curious.

 

Hit that dude with some penetrating oil spray, pop it in the middle with a good center punch to make a divet, hit with an 1/8" left hand drill bit at slow speed and you should be able to get it out enough to either grab it with a pinch tool or possibly even a magnet. Worth a shot IMO, but obviously do as you wish. That said, if you do take it apart, spray the track, latch, and locking mechanisms with some silicone lubricant while you are in there tinkering.

 

Confirmed. It holds the window rail. Had to remove it recently to fix the door latch