tj skid plate

[08_2000_tj]

does any one know what to do when your transfer case skid plate is loose and it rattles a lot when ever you put a load on the drive line? the bolts wont loosen or tighten. any suguestions please thanks

shawn

[thumper1]

i'm no expert but i have had mine off 3-4 times. the bolts should lossen. get some penitrating oil and a bigger wrench and try loosening it again.

are you sure its your plate that is ratteling? my exaust used to do that when i was in deep soft sand- (heavy load on driveline).

[JEEPINKC]

Sounds like it could be the cat??????

[08_2000_tj]

its the skid plate i have a little over a 1/8th of a inch of play in all of the spacers...and the bolts spin freeley. so my guess is the guy that had the jeep before me striped them out. any idias how to get them off? thanks

shawn

[08_2000_tj]

[AdamG]

grinder or sawzall.
You have an XJ right?
then you have nutserts.
No real easy cure.

I took a nut of the apropriate size, folded a rather oversized fender washer over it ( made a nut taco so to speak) the ground the washer away to insure clearance, then fished the homemade nutsert into the framerail, then got the bolt started, then cussed alot, then got it down tight enough to grab, then tightened it down tight enough, then wheeled it. Repeated same on the skid to crossmember mount.
have fun!
Best of luck!
Adam G

[08_2000_tj]

i have a tj and thanks for the info.

[AdamG]

EW. Then you have more issues than you think, that "skid" is also the mount for your tranny, best get that fixed pronto.
Adam G

[08_2000_tj]

i know thats what is makingm e worry about it. if it was just the skid plate i would deal with it but its a bigger problem than just that. do you thank it would be work it i could find a way to get the bolts out and just retap the nuts that are welded in to the frame?

[AdamG]

That would seem to be a pretty good option.
Cut the bolts off, tap the nuts and you shoudl be good to go.
Adam G

[08_2000_tj]

after i cut them off do you thank it would be possibel to hammer the remaing part of the bolt up through the nuts?
thanks
shawn

[AdamG]

Ok i just re-read the original set of posts.
And it sounds like you are up the proverbial creek, sans paddle.
If the bolts are spining and wont loosen or tighten as you said.
Then chances are the nuts are no longer welded to the inside of the frame rail. (I however have never owned a TJ and have no idea if this is even possible)
If that is the you really have no choice but to cut the bolts off, fish in some sort of "nut taco" or maybe try to use carriage bolts of the appropriate size, fished into the frame rail and then thread the nut on from below. I did this on the skid plate on my XJ with pretty good results.
But my crossmember was held on by its own bolts so it wasnt quite as "mission critical" an issue as what you are facing here. Course the cross member was only held up by 3 out of 4 of the required bolts, so...
This is about all I have for you bud.
Good luck!
Have fun!
Keep smiling!
Adam G

[Guest]

nut taco

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't know about TJs, but YJs have weld-in nutserts that will sometimes break free. I had one break loose, and ended up cutting the head off the bolt to get the skid off. Then I pulled the nutsert out of the frame, put the nutsert in a vice and was able to get the bolt out. Then I just welded the nutsert back in place.

I can't imagine what he did to make all 6 of them break loose!

[AdamG]

Dont be hatin on the nut taco man.
works wonders.
Adam G

[ilovetrains]

I am confused, are you talking about the 4 bolts that go through the skid plate to the transmission mount, or the 6 bolts that hold the skid plate to the frame?

Are you saying that all six of those bolts are spinning freely or just a few?

The nuts on the backside are welded in place. It is of course possible to break the weld free, but I would have trouble believeing someone could break all 6 free. That had to be one heck of an impact gun!