Joined the Spare Bolt/Nut Club

[thebigdu]

Truck has about 13.5k miles. I recently started hearing a loud rattle when shutting the rear driver's door. Opened the door and swung it back-and-forth quickly a few times to reproduce the noise... Was able to determine something metal was rolling around at the lowest portion of the sheet metal. Soooo, I took my door card off for the first time (on this truck), peeled back the moisture barrier, stuck my hand down into the door with a telescoping magnet, and recovered a loose flange nut. Appears to be an M6 nut (fits a 10mm socket). I could not find any obvious spots where the nut might belong... All door components and hardware seemed snug, and no bolts were missing nuts. Any ideas where this nut might belong? I'm thinking my truck is just another victim of the stray hardware affliction.

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[Snakebitten]

I'm afraid there are 2,763 of those on your truck.
Do you want me to send you the list?

Sorry, couldn't resist. ?

When my long awaited special order truck finally arrived and I got home in it. I thought I heard a rattle in the driver's door when I closed it.

Found 6 nicely anodized bolts and washers in the lower cubby. Couldn't figure out where they possibly could go, but I knew they were awfully pretty to look at.

A few days later one of my sons was over and he was leaning over the rear fender getting a look at dad's new sled.
A breeze came in and something flapping caught his eye.
"dad, why is your tailgate flapping in the wind like that?"

No wonder those bolts have that pretty finish on them. They fasten down the tailgate work surface. Which oddly enough only had 2 fasteners holding it on.

 

[Davexxxx]

Truck has about 13.5k miles. I recently started hearing a loud rattle when shutting the rear driver's door. Opened the door and swung it back-and-forth quickly a few times to reproduce the noise... Was able to determine something metal was rolling around at the lowest portion of the sheet metal. Soooo, I took my door card off for the first time (on this truck), peeled back the moisture barrier, stuck my hand down into the door with a telescoping magnet, and recovered a loose flange nut. Appears to be an M6 nut (fits a 10mm socket). I could not find any obvious spots where the nut might belong... All door components and hardware seemed snug, and no bolts were missing nuts. Any ideas where this nut might belong? I'm thinking my truck is just another victim of the stray hardware affliction.

My bet? If not an extra, dropped during manufacture, it either came loose from the door latch or power window mechanism. Leaning toward the latter.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Yup, assembly lines drop I bet! Now...if you had JUST found that 10MM socket...score!

 

[UGADawg96]

Mine had a few rubber bands hanging in the engine bay, both assembly line forgets.

 

[Mosey]

Truck has about 13.5k miles. I recently started hearing a loud rattle when shutting the rear driver's door. Opened the door and swung it back-and-forth quickly a few times to reproduce the noise... Was able to determine something metal was rolling around at the lowest portion of the sheet metal. Soooo, I took my door card off for the first time (on this truck), peeled back the moisture barrier, stuck my hand down into the door with a telescoping magnet, and recovered a loose flange nut. Appears to be an M6 nut (fits a 10mm socket). I could not find any obvious spots where the nut might belong... All door components and hardware seemed snug, and no bolts were missing nuts. Any ideas where this nut might belong? I'm thinking my truck is just another victim of the stray hardware affliction.

I too found that exact same nut in my drivers door.

 

[Je1279]

Welcome to the club! Looks very similar to the one that I found in my drivers side front wheel well.

 

[thebigdu]

At least I'm in good company. Maybe Ford considers these "Easter eggs", or they think their owners enjoy scavenger hunts.

 

[crazywayne311]

i never thought i would find a place to talk about my third nu...oh wait, nevermind carry on

 

[thebigdu]

i never thought i would find a place to talk about my third nu...oh wait, nevermind carry on

Well played...thanks for the chuckle!

 

[theonly_ern]

Bringing up this old post...I think this is the same issue I have with my '23. So, is the nut found at the bottom of the panel BEHIND the moisture barrier? I've checked all the bolts I can find, nothing lose. And scopes the very bottom of the door through what looks like that 1" weep hole looking spot. I can't find anything.

 

[rr11]

I keep looking for a dropped 10mm socket. However, after the dealer kept my previous F250 for two weeks I did find a par of channel-locks behind the battery

 

[dochawk]

It is much better to find them while parked!

One of the rare times I drove my Miata with the hood up (either rain or crosswind), I was going about 75 on the freeway when I glanced out through the gap between the windshield shade and roof.

It took a moment for, "wait, what gap" to set in!

I quickly started braking, and had shed a lot of speed before the top flew open.

It bent some of the bars in the top a bit, but not enough that it wasn't usable with only minor inconvenience after a few minutes at the body shop.

And there, on the floor, were four long heavy bolts--they were supposed to hold the hood receiver to the windshield frame, but . . .

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