Working my way back through the body, I've drilled out multiple rusted/seized body mount bolts and have made my way to the rear floor brace (the one under the rear seat area). How are the body nuts on this brace retained? I don't see any cages, nor anything that would show that cages had ever existed here.

Did some bizarre electrolytic process cause the cages to rust away leaving everything else? Should the nuts be free to turn? Should they be welded directly to the brace? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks, y'all.

Surely someone's looked at their rear brace at some point?

Ive replaced my body bushings, but I didn't have the body off or was able to look at the bolt inside the body.

I KNOW the nut is not supposed to spin freely, but not wether the nut is secured with a cage or is welded somehow.

If the nut is spinning, I would think your only option is to weld it (or maybe a new nut). I don't think anyone makes any aftermarket or repro cages for these bolts.

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Charles Perrell
cperrell@yahoo.com
65 malibu SS Convertible
283 2v powerglide

Thanks, Charles.

I "made" a cage for the first one, but wanted to find out for sure if I was doing the right thing.

It does seem that if the nut was directly welded, it'd remove the ability to adjust the alignment there though, so it must have had a cage.. but there's no remnants of the cage, so I can't be sure..

Anyone replaced this brace or had to play with these nuts?