Wing seat bolt problem

I just bought a used Getaway with wings and noticed that one of the bolts which attached the support bar to the seat was missing. I removed the bolt from the other side to find the right length/thread replacement, but now neither ~4" bolt will go all the way into the seat, as each stops w/ 1/2" exposed. I removed the bolt and was able to stick a screwdriver all the way to the seat padding w/o encountering any obstruction, oiled the threads and tried again with no luck. Please note that the original bolt which was seated perfectly before my trip to the hardware store will not go all the way, and i don't want to strip anything. Is

Any thoughts?

Odd one... Maybe run a tap through the threads?

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)