Wallowed-Out Bolt Holes? How to Fix Them with Weld Washers on Any Side-by-Side

If a bolt on your side-by-side keeps working loose no matter how many times you torque it, the bolt probably isn't the problem. The hole is. Once a factory mounting hole gets wallowed out — stretched from round into an oval — no amount of thread locker or a bigger washer will keep that joint tight. The fix is a weld washer, and it works on every make and model out there.

Shop them here: Wolfpack 4130 Chromoly Weld Washers

What a wallowed-out hole is (and why it happens)

Factory brackets and tabs on most UTVs are thin sheet steel. Every time the suspension cycles, the bolt pushes against the edge of the hole. If the bolt is even slightly loose, that push turns into a hammer — thousands of times per ride. Over time the hole stretches, the bolt gets sloppier, and the hammering gets worse. It feeds itself.

The usual causes:

• Under-torqued or loose hardware — the number one cause. A bolt that's moving is a bolt that's eating its hole.
• Thin factory tabs — built for stock use, not jumps, whoops and rock ledges.
• Bigger tires, more power, longer travel — every upgrade puts more load through the same factory bracket.
• Impacts — one hard hit can ovalize a hole in a single ride.

Signs your mounting holes are wallowed out

• Clunks or knocks over bumps that you can't trace to a ball joint or bushing.
• Hardware that won't stay tight — you torque it, it's loose again next ride.
• Shiny wear marks or an oval shape around the hole when you pull the bolt.
• Visible movement at the joint when someone rocks the part by hand.
• Alignment that drifts — toe and camber that won't hold.

Pull the bolt and look. If the hole isn't round anymore, it's time to fix it — not just run a new bolt through it.

How a weld washer fixes it

A weld washer is a thick, precise steel ring that gets welded over the hole. It gives you three things the factory tab can't:

• A round, tight-tolerance hole again — no slop between the bolt and the mount.
• More bearing area — the load spreads over a thicker, wider ring instead of the edge of thin sheet metal.
• A reinforced tab — the washer stiffens the area around the hole so it's less likely to wallow out again.

The basic process: clean the area to bare metal, open up or file the damaged hole so the washer covers the wallowed section, run the bolt through the washer and mount to hold everything in line, then tack and weld it in. Let it cool, paint or coat it, and reinstall your hardware at the correct torque. If you're not comfortable welding near suspension or chassis parts, any fab shop can do it quickly.

Sizes: Metric and Standard

We stock weld washers in eight bolt sizes, metric and standard, so you can match the hardware on just about anything:

• Metric: 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 16mm. Every major side-by-side brand runs metric hardware, so this is what you'll use on most UTV mounts.
• Standard: 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". These are for trucks, Jeeps, trailers, hitch brackets, older machines and any aftermarket parts or custom fab that use SAE bolts.

Not sure which size you need? Measure the bolt, not the hole — a wallowed hole will always measure big. Match the washer to the bolt that goes through it. If your bolts are inch-size rather than metric, grab the standard size that matches.

Need more than one size? Pick a size and bag on the weld washer page, add it to your cart, then switch to the next size and add again. Everything ships together in one order.

Universal — works on every side-by-side

Weld washers aren't model specific. They don't care what brand is stamped on the bed. If your machine has a bolt going through a steel tab, they fit. That includes:

• Polaris — RZR XP 1000, Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo R, Pro R, Pro XP, Xpedition, General, Ranger
• Can-Am — Maverick X3, Maverick R, Maverick Sport and Trail, Commander, Defender
• Honda — Talon, Pioneer
• Yamaha — YXZ1000R, Wolverine, Viking, RMAX
• Kawasaki — Teryx, Teryx KRX, Mule
• Arctic Cat / Textron, CFMOTO, Hisun, Segway and anything else with steel mounts

Common places they go: suspension arm and radius rod mounts, trailing arm brackets, shock mounts, cage and roof mounts, bumper and skid plate tabs, seat and harness mounts, and spare tire carrier brackets.

Not just side-by-sides

The same fix works anywhere a bolt runs through a steel bracket. With standard sizes up to 1", that includes trucks and Jeeps, trailers and hitch brackets, ATVs, buggies and sand cars, and custom fab projects. If you're building your own tabs and brackets from scratch, welding in a washer from day one is the easiest way to keep the hole from ever wallowing out in the first place.

Why 4130 chromoly

4130 chromoly is the same material we use in our suspension arms and ball joints. It's stronger than mild steel at the same thickness and it welds well to the steel tabs and tube you'll find on most UTV frames. For a part whose whole job is to stand up to a bolt hammering on it, that strength matters.

FAQ

Can I just use a bigger bolt instead?
Drilling out to the next size can work, but it removes more material from an already-weakened tab and you'll often need to change the part on the other side too. A weld washer brings the hole back to the original bolt size and makes the tab stronger, not weaker.

What sizes do weld washers come in?
Metric 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 16mm, and standard 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1", in bags of 10, 20, 30 or 40. See all sizes and packs here.

Will weld washers fit my side-by-side?
If the bolt is one of our eight sizes, metric or standard, and it goes through a steel mount you can weld to, yes — they're universal for any make and model.

Do I need to be a welder to install them?
It's a simple weld, but it's still welding on parts that hold your car together. If you don't weld, a local fab shop can install them fast.

Can I use them on aluminum parts?
No — these are steel and need to be welded to a steel mount.

How do I keep the hole from wallowing out again?
Torque your hardware to spec and re-check it after the first ride and regularly after that. Loose bolts are what start the whole problem.

Join the Wolfpack

Stop chasing loose bolts. Grab a pack of 4130 chromoly weld washers and fix those holes for good. Building something bigger? Check out our UTV fabrication parts and raw materials, including chromoly rod ends and stainless spacer packs. Questions about your build? Call us at 714-694-3797 or email utvwolfpack@gmail.com, and follow @utvwolfpack for more tech tips.