Flaw or by design?

[omgponies]

I am trying to install the Victory Molle Panel (Land Cruiser Rear Window EDC MOLLE Panel | 250 (24+) - Victory 4x4). Ignoring the actual panels or their instructions at this point (spoiler, the instructions are bad, panels seem fine) - I just could not get the bolt in at this location (see image below - where the arrow is pointing).

The instructions say to remove the panel (done), remove the bolt that is in there (done), and then mount a part there with the supplied bolt.

Here is a picture of the supplied bolts, all the same, and then on the far left is the one from the car. Note how the one taken from the car starts smaller, then gets larger, and the Victory ones are all just normal "same size the whole length" bolts.

And then here is a photo looking into that spot with the panel and bolt removed.

It is hard to get a photo of, but if not clear in the photo - the hole for the bolt is misaligned. So there is a big opening, and then like shifted behind it is the hole.

My question is if this is by design or not.

If it is by design, then the built-in bolt makes sense, as it starts small to get in there, and then fills out to... I don't know - move something out of the way and it is a friction lock or something - no clue, just trying to rationalize it.
If this, then I need to go to Victory and ask them WTF.

If it is not by design, then Victory supplied fair parts, but then why does the built-in part start small and then get bigger? And what is my solution here - I haven't seen those before, is that a standard thing I can get, but just longer?

Also, due to how awful the instructions from Victory are and how poorly everything lines up, I had to assemble and disassemble this a few times and I swear one of the times the supplied bolt did fit in the hole - so is there some step one can do that gets it into that "bad" state as seen in the photo? (I don't have photos in there from that point, bc I didn't know I would need them)

 

[RideWithYanu]

Not excusing poor instructions (that’s frustrating, even if ubiquitous in this industry), but in my experience Victory has been super responsive, even answering my emails over weekends and helping me strategize how to even modify their products to achieve what I wanted). Hopefully you get a quick answer here, but might be worth shooting them an email in the meantime.

 

[MSINAL]

Looks like they struggle with that at the factory too. That oem bolt is a variation of a self aligning bolt. Not sure what you've tried already, but i would take a pin punch or a smaller screwdriver (ugh) and see if you can work the plastic piece in the direction it needs to move. Maybe use the self aligning bolt to get plastic in place, then swap with the el cheepo victory bolt. Of course loosen the other fasteners holding the panel in place if possible.

Self-aligning screws/bolts - Bulten

www.bulten.com

 

[tawfiqi]

I had the same issue with the KAON molle. The longer bolt is normal as the panel will be attached further than how deep the factory bolt goes.

As for the solution, I used a screw thread tap and made to fit the bolt size.

Another solution which I have no idea if it will work is to thread the bolt itself at the end only.

 

[JasonMiller]

Classic — that's a self-aligning bolt, not a defect. Toyota tapers it (thin at the tip, fatter up top) on purpose: the big opening you see is just clearance, and the real threaded hole sits slightly offset behind it. The taper lets the factory bolt "find" the hole and pull the panel into line as you tighten. Victory's bolts are straight, so they can't self-start in the misaligned hole — that's the mismatch, not your 250.

Quick fix: run the OEM self-aligning bolt in first to draw everything into place, then swap to Victory's once aligned. Or tap the panel hole / thread just the tip of the Victory bolt like the other guy mentioned. Panel's fine — it's the bolt geometry. And yeah, Victory's instructions being useless is basically tradition at this point.

 

[EOD Guy]

IMO, the solution is to taper (make it pointy) the 1st 5-6 threads of the new bolt similar to the OEM bolt. This will allow the new bolt to center in the OEM hole.

As an alternate method you might try and find something that would fit into the large void, to one side of the void (like a piece of wood the shaped to tightly fit the space) you could then use leverage to force the trim panel slightly upward and allow you to start the bolt. You might be able to press hard on the trim panel with your hand forcing a slight upward movement of the hole and align the hole without using a lever

Another method would be to hog out the trim panel plastic screw hole slightly to allow the bolt to be started......