I am curious to know if the mounting posts, to which the tail light assembly mounts, is a stud/part of the frame, or is it a bolt that can be removed from the other side? I ask because the bolts sheared off when I tried to remove the tail light assembly to replace the bulbs.
Thanks!

 

It's a stud, and it's only attached to a single layer of thin sheet metal. And because it's exposed to the weather, it gets rusted and seized to the nut very easily. You saw the result, and it's no surprise given the retarded design. I put anti-seize on them.

There are repair studs you can put in. Or you can leave the tail light hanging off the other two studs.

 

You can also drill and tap it and use a bolt to hold the light on instead of a nut.

 

tap sheet metal?

 

Isn't it thicker where the stud was attached? Usually they are. Also you can use sheet metal screws or self tapping screws.

 

No, just sheet metal.



If you drill, you create a point of ingress. Anybody who lives in a rainy area knows that compromising the body is a no-no.

 

So, if Drill/tap is a bad idea because of potential for rust, what is a better option? This is a company vehicle; the company is super cheap and wants vehicles to magically stay functional without spending money, so I'm trying to find easy/cheap option that is more permanent than duct tape!
Thanks!

 

Joe is almost right. But it would have to be a real sloppy hole to allow water to enter. A dab of RTV or a rubber washer would stop any water from getting in. I'd worry more about electrolysis. 2 different kinds of metal and water make a battery, and in turn rust.

 

Water has a way of getting into the smallest of crevices, Stan, and then eating away at it.



RTV might work for a year or two. I like the rubber washer idea more. Or maybe blind rivnut.


TBH, I would leave it be. The two other studs are more than enough to hold the tail light which doesn't weight very much.


What two metals?

 

Virtually any two. One acts as an anode, the other a cathode. In this case, water would be the electrolyte.

Electrolysis isn't always bad. It can be used to actually remove rust. In a tank, with a DC power supply(battery charger), a sacrificial anode, and electrolyte(water and washing soda). I've de-rusted many items. But then there's bad electrolysis. Boats that stay in the water for a season (or more) need a sacrificial anode to draw electrons away from important metal parts of the boat. Auto makers got away from chrome strip body accents because of electrolysis.