The replacement screws that come in the latch update kit have locktite on them from the factory, but the strength of the locktite Mazda uses seems like overkill. I also bought a dremel tool to just carefully wittle away at the broken stud.Įfreeman, did you use locktite on your replacement screws. The final try will be carefully drill through and use a regular old easyout. So far I've tried soldering iron, minitorch, and Craftsman 'Drill Outs'. Well the broken studs are still in the hardtop. Cost around $6 for a box of ten, as I recall. Purchased them from McMaster-Carr and they are great. Not wanting to go through this again, I replaced all the Phillips screws with Allen-head flanged screws, essentially a black allen head screw with a flanged lip that acts like a flat washer. I have access to all sorts of tools and wound up using a heat gun to soften the thread locker and a proper-size Phillips screwdriver. I had the same problem when I removed the hardtop latches from a damaged top I purchased. Another sign of an engineer that never had to work on any of his products. According to the instructions with the update kit, you just take the screws out with a screw driver and remove the latches.yeah right. Once all the screws are out, the threads are going to have to be chased with a tap to get the remaining locktite residue. The replacement screws in the update kit are torx. Either way they are going to require lots of heat on the broken stud left to loosen the locktite. Either have to use a soldering iron or drill through them and go the easyout way. There is not enough left on them to use the visegrips. I ending up drilling the heads off all three screws, taking the latch off, then heating visegrips with a torch to loosen up the locktite and got one out. Drivers latch came off ok but the pass latch wouldn't budge any of the screws. Ive got an 05 MSM and am putting a 99 HT on so I had to install the front latch update kit. The CT Sounds BIO-4-COX 4 2-way coaxial car speakers are the perfect upgrade for your factory car speakers and are extremely versatile with the ability to be powered by your factory head unit, an aftermarket head unit, or a multichannel amplifier. Some are going to have to get ez-outted or use a dremel and vice grips. I used a soldering iron to heat the screws up and then a manual screw driver to remove them. The car amplifiers are engineered to be the best in performance, sound quality, and reliability. An impact screw driver would have been nice. CT Sounds manufacturers extremely powerful monoblock and multi-channel car audio amplifiers. Details The coveted Strato-12-D2 12 Inch Car Subwoofer provides a conservatively rated 1250 Watts RMS of sub-bass destruction. I would take you sweet time trying to take these guys out. Customers gave STRATO-12 // 1250 Watts RMS 12 Inch Car Subwoofer 4.98 out of 5 stars based on 48 reviews. Mazda uses red loctite to hold the bolts in. Have no experience with heating the bolt before trying to remove. If all else fails you may have to consider drilling and using an Easy-Out. If the philips slots are stripped you could try to cut a slot with a Dremel tool and use a regular screwdriver. With the above method you should be able to put your weight on the end of the screwdriver to keep it from skipping out of the hole. Lay the hard top belly up on a blanket on the ground, have a helper hold it in the best position to support it under the bracket. I pushed as hard as I could downward on the butt end of the screwdriver handle to keep the tip engaged in the bolt, while I turned the hexagonal part of the screwdriver tip with an open end wrench to turn it. The shaft of the screwdriver tip is hexagonal. I used a screwdriver handle that had interchangeable tips.

I remember there being some type of thread locking compound on them. I do remember them being extremely difficult to remove. So if you want a pair of speakers that elevate your system to the stratosphere then look no further than the Strato 6.5” 2-Way Full-Range Coaxial Speaker Set from CT Sounds.I had to remove the front latches from my hard top when I bought it used to switch from the old style latches to the newer style latches for my 2004. These 6.5 inch car coaxial speakers are a marvel to any pair of ears and will be able to handle the power of just about any 4-channel amplifier. Furthermore, the 14 oz ferrite magnet will push these car coaxial speakers to their limits and give you complete tonal accuracy. The IMPP cone (weatherproof) and NBR surround create a sound signature to keep your ears happy.

The great thing about the strato coax speakers is their ability to reproduce sound in an accurate and clear fashion. There are no roads in the stratosphere all you need are the 88 dB strato 6 1/2 coaxial speakers to take your ears to the future and experience the tonal quality of the injection-molded cone. CT Sounds engineered the Strato 6.5” 2-Way Full-Range Coaxial Speakers to bring you the perfect balance of price and performance while delivering uncompromising quality.

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