Replacement Connelly Rail bolts

[olgoat]

A friend purchased a used Connelly Carolina 4x8 and had it installed. I checked the table out and noticed the rails sounded funny in some spots and found 2 missing rail bolts and one rail bolt with the head twisted off.

Two questions.

1) Where can you get replacement rail bolts for newer Connelly tables? I have an email into Connelly. Going back to this installer does not seem like a great idea to me at this point.

2) For the rail bolt with the head twisted off, Maybe center drill the bolt and try and "easy out"?

3) How much torque should be applied to rail bolts? Can't believe someone torqued the head off on of these.

I am trying to get them to consider a good table tech but they are not listening at this point.

 

[ChrisShanklin]

if the head is twisted off I would recommend taking that rail off flipping the rail over and attempting to remove the rest of the bolt that way. Should come out fairly easy with a vise grip.

If it is a newer Connelly with the 4 bolt system missing two bolts will make make a noise. It is nice to have all the bolts but every other table on the market only uses three bolts on each rail.

 

[Jim Vondrell]

The head of the rail bolt did not twist off from tightening it down. When the table was taken apart that particular bolt was stripped into the t-nut that is placed between the subrail and cap. So the only way to get the rail off was to cut the bolt head off. The t-nut has come loose so trying to get the headless bolt out is not going to happen without securing the t-nut first. Try a sheet metal screw into the subrail into the t-nut and then vise grip it out this may or may not work. This all kind of pointless considering the t-nut is now useless anyway. No need to contact Connelly about the bolts. Just take one out go to home depot and get a couple matching ones. If you want the dome washers for them and can't find them let me know i'll mail you a couple. Have you considered the cushions are bad? A "Catalina" model table before they started using the icon cushions have bad cushions on them.

 

[olgoat]

I first noticed the cushions sounded different in certain spots. That is when I started looking at the railbolts. The bolt with the missing end is unfortunately an end bolt so I think it is more noticeable.

The missing ones all more towards the center of the rail sections.

The cushions don't play to badly and it is a newer Connelly. No idea if they are the upgraded cushions.

I will try an easy out on the headless bolt to see if it spins (stripped/loose Tnut). Sounds like the time to fix it is when he replaces the cushions down the road.

Thanks

The head of the rail bolt did not twist off from tightening it down. When the table was taken apart that particular bolt was stripped into the t-nut that is placed between the subrail and cap. So the only way to get the rail off was to cut the bolt head off. The t-nut has come loose so trying to get the headless bolt out is not going to happen without securing the t-nut first. Try a sheet metal screw into the subrail into the t-nut and then vise grip it out this may or may not work. This all kind of pointless considering the t-nut is now useless anyway. No need to contact Connelly about the bolts. Just take one out go to home depot and get a couple matching ones. If you want the dome washers for them and can't find them let me know i'll mail you a couple. Have you considered the cushions are bad? A "Catalina" model table before they started using the icon cushions have bad cushions on them.