I have a used 2001 300 4x4 that has a Moose Snow Plow plate installed. The Plate is beat up so bad the plow can no longer be connected. I attempted to remove the bolts that hold the plate on, but they will not back out. It's almost as if they are stripped. These bolts also hold the footrests on. I'm unable to look inside the frame due to the plate. Does anyone know if the footrest has the nuts welded inside the frame or are they just regular nuts? I can't figure out if the nut is turning inside the frame or not.
I'm thinking about cutting the bolts? Anyone have any other ideas?

thanks

 

The footrest are held on by bolts into the frame. No nuts are list in the parts manual so either welded nuts, nut inserts or heli-coils.

Look here to see what parts are involved;

Arctic Cat Parts

 

thanks for the link bear. I wonder what the heck could be going on there. I even tried vice-grips and pulled while turning. You can turn the nut left and right, but it will not move in or out. I'm afraid to cut the bolts. I'm not sure how I would fix stripped nuts that are welded.

 

You can repair them with a heli-coil or just cut out the bad nut and have a new one welded in or use a rivnut. I would go the heli-coil route myself as long as the nut is still welded in place.

 

I've never heard of a heli coil. I'll research it. Thanks for the info

 

Crypto,

If the bolts that are stripped are the two located in a small rectangular box welded to the frame on the bottom of the footrest?

I think the hidden nut is welded into the box then the box is welded to the frame. There should be a couple of drain holes on the bottom of the box. You could try sticking some thing into there OR possibly brazing the nut back onto the little box through the drain hole.

The nut is either stripped or has broken loose. If is has broken lose you should be able to look in through the drain hole on that rectangular box and see if the nut is turning.

Cutting the bolt would get it off but then how would you put it back on?

You might be able to drill or cut a large slot in the bottom of the rectangular box so you can get the old nut out and replace it with a new one assuming you can get a wrench up into the slot to holt the nut when tightening it and you don't weaken the foot rest too much. Other than that I am stumped.

SJ

 

Thanks man, that's exactly the bolt I'm speaking of. The only problem, I have the plate on the bottom for the snow plow (which is what I want to take off) so it covers the drain holes. It does help knowing they are in fact welded. I'm not sure what I'll do. I may cut the very bent up tabs that connect the plow, then install a new plate to the one thats alreay on there.

thanks again

 

I wonder if your new mounting plate could be installed with U-bolts? They could go around the frame along the skid plate.

Other than that, cutting off the old one and welding on a new one sounds easier than messing with that bolt.

Good Luck.

SJ

 

actually, I have a moose plow, and they changed the mounting plate. It does infact look like its mounted with u-bolts. Even if it isn't, I think I'll just cut off the flanges that are bent up and mount it directly to the old one with bolts. I just hate to mess with those bolts since they also hold the footrest on.

thanks for your help