Loose Weld Nut inside the frame when installing M14 Hex Bolt for CURT 31087 front hitch

[DKu]

I ran into a big problem when trying to install the CURT 31087 front hitch. I was tightening the M14 Hex bolt (red in the picture) provided by CURT to the weld nut(blue in the picture), using the torque wrench, and set it to 88 lb. It is very tight so I forced it in then the weld nut just came off. The frame is boxed and no easy way for me to access the loose bolt and nut. It just hanged in the middle of the frame. See the picture for detail. Any idea how to access the inside of the frame (hollow)?
Also, I attached the picture of the bolt for the driver's side. I am curious if Ram has changed the size of the nut and if I am using the correct bolt (M14, according to CURT).

 

[dts828]

Perhaps drilling a hole on the side of the frame is your best bet

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

 

[cj7]

Perhaps drilling a hole on the side of the frame is your best bet

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

No, don’t do that.

Going thru the front cross stamping would be better, but there’s got to be a way to deal with this, without cutting the frame...

 

[cj7]

i just happened to receive the Curt front hitch, so I checked:
- the kit’s 14mm bolts went into the frame weld nuts turning by hand, so yours was defective or cross-threaded
- I believe if you remove the front brace that runs across the front of the car, left to right, you can get access to that frame rail, from the front.

 

[c3k]

I had a frame nut (Honda Pilot) break loose when a shop dropped the engine sub-frame. (In their defense, the nut and bolt had rusted together for 18 years. ) They cut three sides of the box beam, bent it out, welded in a new nut, then folded the frame back up and welded it together. A bit of paint, and good to go.

That is a solution for you, if the above idea for access does not work.

FWIW, anytime I am going to bolt up onto a previously unused blind nut like that, I will first use a tap to clean out the nut. A lot of debris can get in there, rust, or metal welding debris from the factory install. A tap, run by hand with plenty of lube and backing out, will make sure that the bolt install will not cause the problem you ran into. Yeah, I know: a day late with that advice...

(Heck, I will run a tap into a welded nut even if I just pulled a bolt out. I do not ever want to have to repair something like that. (Again.))