License plate bolt is a #6 Metric
- Thread starter Sungod
- Start date
Warning: Rant
So frustrated by the rear license plate mount on my 2016 4Runner. An account of my experience, so far:
Out of state dealer did not provide mounting hardware. Get vehicle home and wipe off my plate to install. Notice I'm missing screws and also that the standard installation will have the back of the metal plate rubbing directly on a painted surface (it will be hidden behind the plate, but I don't want to invite rust). Old screws won't fit. Go to corner auto parts store in search of mounting solution and all they have is a pack of PLASTIC screws and washers for $5. I don't want plastic and I don't want to pay $5 for junk. Drive further down the road and visit two more auto parts stores. Same deal. Nobody sells stainless screws? Really?
I go back home and search through my collection of leftover screws (which I have spread throughout the house, garage, and shed over the years and stored in toolboxes, junk boxes, baggies, unopened packaging, storage containers, organizer trays, dusty bins, rusty bins, and cardboard boxes). Discover that I have enough parts to build my own space shuttle, but nothing to fit the 4Runner rear license plate mount.
Drive back to corner auto parts store and hand over $5 for junk plastic screws to get me through until I can find a better solution.
Spend two hours on the Internet looking for a quality license plate frame that comes with mounting hardware. Come up empty handed, but find 7 other things I'd like to buy.
Drive to Lowe's 3 miles down the road. Spend 20 minutes looking for stainless M6 screws and rubber washers. No dice. Settle for 2 rubber grommets that will protect the paint job behind the license plate. Still no screws. Swear under my breath that I'm going to send a harsh letter to Mr. Toyota himself.
Spend an entire Saturday in the garage organizing my screw collection and Plasti-dipping the metal license plate frame from my old car.
Get up Sunday morning to mount my newly rubberized metal license plate frame and pop the head off one of my two plastic mounting screws. Curse Mr. Miyagi. $2.50 down the drain. Go back inside and do a search on the Lowe's website. Nearest store with M6 stainless screws in stock is 10 miles away. Can't mount license plate, so I'm stuck until my wife comes home. Come back inside to tell you guys about it.
Please tell me that there's a happy ending (or any ending) to this saga.
So frustrated by the rear license plate mount on my 2016 4Runner. An account of my experience, so far:
Out of state dealer did not provide mounting hardware. Get vehicle home and wipe off my plate to install. Notice I'm missing screws and also that the standard installation will have the back of the metal plate rubbing directly on a painted surface (it will be hidden behind the plate, but I don't want to invite rust). Old screws won't fit. Go to corner auto parts store in search of mounting solution and all they have is a pack of PLASTIC screws and washers for $5. I don't want plastic and I don't want to pay $5 for junk. Drive further down the road and visit two more auto parts stores. Same deal. Nobody sells stainless screws? Really?
I go back home and search through my collection of leftover screws (which I have spread throughout the house, garage, and shed over the years and stored in toolboxes, junk boxes, baggies, unopened packaging, storage containers, organizer trays, dusty bins, rusty bins, and cardboard boxes). Discover that I have enough parts to build my own space shuttle, but nothing to fit the 4Runner rear license plate mount.
Drive back to corner auto parts store and hand over $5 for junk plastic screws to get me through until I can find a better solution.
Spend two hours on the Internet looking for a quality license plate frame that comes with mounting hardware. Come up empty handed, but find 7 other things I'd like to buy.
Drive to Lowe's 3 miles down the road. Spend 20 minutes looking for stainless M6 screws and rubber washers. No dice. Settle for 2 rubber grommets that will protect the paint job behind the license plate. Still no screws. Swear under my breath that I'm going to send a harsh letter to Mr. Toyota himself.
Spend an entire Saturday in the garage organizing my screw collection and Plasti-dipping the metal license plate frame from my old car.
Get up Sunday morning to mount my newly rubberized metal license plate frame and pop the head off one of my two plastic mounting screws. Curse Mr. Miyagi. $2.50 down the drain. Go back inside and do a search on the Lowe's website. Nearest store with M6 stainless screws in stock is 10 miles away. Can't mount license plate, so I'm stuck until my wife comes home. Come back inside to tell you guys about it.
Please tell me that there's a happy ending (or any ending) to this saga.
chitown40
Member
Most dealerships will hook you up with license plate screws for free. What they won't do is give you the secret ingredient that will prevent frustration 5 years later -- anti-seize.
If you live in a rust state, or wet state, take the extra few seconds and start putting anti-seize on the little bolts and screws that are known to rust out sooner than we'd like. The skid plate bolts are one perfect example. Take them out, clean them off with a wire brush, coat with anti-seize and reinstall.
If you live in a rust state, or wet state, take the extra few seconds and start putting anti-seize on the little bolts and screws that are known to rust out sooner than we'd like. The skid plate bolts are one perfect example. Take them out, clean them off with a wire brush, coat with anti-seize and reinstall.
flipflopnfly
New member
Absolutely. Dielectric grease on electrical connections also.
verman84
New member
This was a big issue for me. I broke the head off one in the rear and had the most difficult time getting it out. It required me removing the rear hatch panel. On the inside of the metal body work there's a square threaded nut that is spot welded. I head to remove that as I was unable to remove the screw. I then sanded it down, found m6 hardware at my local home depot and jb welded it, then painted over it and reinstalled but not first before applying anti seize. Lucky I moved away from the rusty Midwest but that was one of the more frustrating experiences for just a license plate bolt.
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Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
RBLACAUSA
Member
7 year bump 
.
While taking my rear plate of my LX yesterday (need to remove the plate from the plate frame as the frame covers part of the renewal sticker) it dawned on me that I should replace with a theft-resistant fastener, since plate theft is on the rise. I'm in So Cal so rust and corrosion doesn't solve that for me lol. I was thinking Torx, but I see BlackWorks suggested hex on his post on P.1, which seems like a good option too.
So...today's mission is to source some for my LX and our 4Runners.
.While taking my rear plate of my LX yesterday (need to remove the plate from the plate frame as the frame covers part of the renewal sticker) it dawned on me that I should replace with a theft-resistant fastener, since plate theft is on the rise. I'm in So Cal so rust and corrosion doesn't solve that for me lol. I was thinking Torx, but I see BlackWorks suggested hex on his post on P.1, which seems like a good option too.
So...today's mission is to source some for my LX and our 4Runners.
AuSeeker
Elite Member
7 year bump
While taking my rear plate of my LX yesterday (need to remove the plate from the plate frame as the frame covers part of the renewal sticker) it dawned on me that I should replace with a theft-resistant fastener, since plate theft is on the rise. I'm in So Cal so rust and corrosion doesn't solve that for me lol. I was thinking Torx, but I see BlackWorks suggested hex on his post on P.1, which seems like a good option too.
So...today's mission is to source some for my LX and our 4Runners.
Get some tamper proof Torx screws and a bit for them, can't remove them with a regular Torx bit.
tamperproof torx 6mm screws - Search
AuSeeker
Elite Member
Some people do.
But if you want to try and prevent your tag/s being stolen, it has to be metal screws and tamper proof to some degree.
I personal don't worry about my tag getting stolen, it not very common around where I live, and I have used plastic screws on some of my vehicles.
