Antenna Bracket Bolts

I am wondering if anyone can confirm something or have a suggestion. I have an M1009 that I would like to remove the bolts holding the antenna brackets to the body. The bolts are badly rusted and the plastic grommets holding them in just spin when I try to remove them. (The idea is to put in clean bolts before the cancer spreads). I am wondering, these seem to be the same sort of set up as what has held the camper mirrors on my previous Chevys. I am wondering if there is a fairly non-damaging way to get the bolts out of the holes in order to do the clean up? I suppose I could use WD-40 or PB-Blaster, but I just wanted to be sure that I would not be surprised by a nut on the other side or something of the sort. Thank you for any insight.

I have tried everything i can think of on mine... short of drilling holes on the inside panel to hold them from the inside.

The lower ones, you can get at with small arms, and good channel locks, but the upper front, there is jut NO way to reach.

ICK! So, you are saying there are bolts back there or you were just using the channel locks to get a grip on the plastic grommets?

If it is just a plastic nut. Can you heat the bolt to the point the plastic melts?

I suppose you could, but I am now wondering if it is actually plastic at all. I just assumed so based on my previous Chevy mirror experiences. However, now, I am not so sure.

Heating the bolt would be a waste of your time. The surrounding sheetmetal would act as a heat sink and draw heat away faster than it could be applied. Can you see the nut at all? With the aid of flashlight and mirror you might then get a look at what you're up against. What about making specialty tool by extending the handle of a small "alligator" wrench. (They're the fit-all wrench with a non-adjustable "V" shaped opening with pipe wrench serrations on one side and smooth on the other).

No nut at all. It's called a gripsert. Works in a similar fashion as a camper mirror insert but instead of using a bolt to collapse it in the sheetmetal, it had a special insert tool. Might consider grinding the heads off and knocking them inside.

Pain in the A@s for sure...That why I left the brackets on my M1009 when I sold it.....

Kenny I never thought of that!

They are metal inserts btw...

Thanks. I managed to get one to come out. The trick I have is that my M1009 came with the mounting points for two. One side just has the bolts in the holes but no mount. The other side has the mount, but all of the bolts are loose so it rattles. Plus, one of the bolts is pulled through with a regular nut on it causing a bit of a gape. I am just trying to find my best way to clean it up, tighten up the mount that is there, and put the other one that I bought on the other side.

Well, I managed to get a pair of channel-locks on the gripsets (all four). I worked the bolts out and got the new mount installed. Now, I just have to work on getting the other one tightened so it does not rattle anymore. I was much more comfortable getting good grip with the channel-locks knowing that I was grabbing metal. Thanks for all of the info.