OH how I hate to get into this. if I could spell deja vu I would.

remember the discussions of step bolt size? it went everywhere. some said the h3 had both sae and metric, so...

I decide to tinker with a "small step" project. I had removed my steps b4 winter and left them off with bolts in the holes. the lower bolt was snug but not all they way in? hole looks clean. the top borl I can run in and out with my fingers. so far so good, but the top bolt wont go in the bottom hole without pressure.
more, I want to use the holes midway back, bwtween the regular 2 sets.

the h3 bolt will not go in at all!! the holes are clean. at this point let me say that , yes all bolts and some nuts I used b4 onj a extension project are metric and totally intermixable, we needn't go there.

so I try a sae 3/8 bolt and it goes right in where the h3 metric bolt will not go one full turn!! this is in the 2 holes about 20 inches back from the front bolts.

btw the "small step" for test is a short piece of 2.5 in tailpipe left from a jeep job! using the two orig front brackets from the h3 steps.

so ill continue this morning with another 3/8 bolt and get pix of this latest ugly project.

the reason for this?, I got leather and it was slightly worn from the last guy and I don't want to be sliding over it and speeding the process.

about the sae holes???. I cant imagine why they would make a frame with 2 standards, it don't make sense?? no the metric will not go in!!

 

the threads are different. I would just run a tap through there

 

well its bolted on, not too happy about messing with metrsae, ( metric/sae!)
but I had no choice,even the sae 3/8 hit bottom an mussed 2 threads at the end. metric would not go all in but with washers I got enuf thread to be ok.
so this a test to see if I can come up with a quik disconnect. not ez when the top front is a beech to reech.

it makes in/out a lot ezeer, note non skid invention!!

 

Everything on the H3 is metric. The people who "believed" the frame accessory mount threaded holes were SAE were mistaken. The holes have cruncher threads, like a crunch nut use in suspension parts, and they are a nut welded into the frame holes. It takes elbow grease to get the bolts in the first time, so they will not back out. If you tried them on a brand new off the line frame they go in easier. Once dirt. crud and corrosion kicks in, the elbow grease rate rises.

10MM x 1.5 pitch from the factory.

 

all metric makes sense obviously and I believe that but holes that look clean and are very hard to start a metric bolt from a near hole make me wonder. the 3/8 did bind up so its not right but the metric takes sooo much arm I fear busting it off. I had to use spacfers on the metric to get tight without "breaking"

anyway my mini step is solid for testing, phase one...