Hey everyone, new member here, 1st post!!! Just bought a '78 Fleetside C10 with a 383 Stroker, and already have a question that maybe y'all can help me out with.
So I was about to get a Rhinoliner sprayed in, and realized that the previous owner did not bolt the bed back together whenever they took it apart last. By this I mean all of the bolts that hold the front part of the bed box parallel to the cab are missing and the panel is simply bouncing around back there. I see that there are 5 bolts on each side that attach the front and side panels together, and that there are weld nuts for these to screw into. I found a thread from 2003 which touches on these bolts claiming they had a 1/2" hex head which would mean they are 5/16" bolts. My question do these bolts have a fine thread (UNF 5/18-24) or a coarse thread (UNC 5/16-18)? I have some thread rolling 5/16-18 bolts that seem to thread in but stop after a couple threads which could just be from rust, or it could mean it is a fine threaded weld nut. They are thread rolling bolts so if I put enough torque into the wrench they will cut new threads, but I would like to get it right. I personally design riding lawn mowers and would use a coarse threaded bolt (5/16-18) in this application but who knows what the engineer for this truck bed would have decided on. Also, if anyone can provide a picture of the bolts I would be able to tell what they are by looking at them.
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