Body Mount Bolts

[Micron Man]

I’m totally green to Wranglers and forums as well, so forgive me if this has been previously addressed. I have a 2024 Rubi X I had equipped with AEV accessories and a Rockslide Engineering retractable side step, no issues. 2 weeks ago I bought a second 2 Dr Rubi X for my wife. The I went to 4 Wheel parts to get a Rockslide Engineering step installed on it. An hour after I dropped it off. I received a phone call from the place that said they discovered a body mount bolt would just spin and could not be removed. I picked it up and took it to a local dealer and was initially told, it would not fall under warranty because accessories were attempted to be installed. I told the service advisor to just fix it and check the others. The next day I receive a phone call from the service advisor and he said, it would now be covered under warranty because they found five additional body mount bolts, and his words, “broken”. Regardless, I picked it up and I am taking it back to have the sliders installed tomorrow. Today I got underneath the Jeep and used a ratchet to check the body mount bolts and found the one that was repaired much easier to loosen than the other three that the slider needs to be attached. Those three bolts seem to get stuck about halfway out, and I did not want to force it. However, I believe they can loosen up tomorrow enough to install the slider, at least my fingers are crossed. Now for my questions. Is the body mount bolt stuff very common? Is it normal to be able to loosen the bolts before they seem to get stuck again? Does anyone know another slider in which my wife who is very short, can use to enter the vehicle, that does not use body mount bolts? The slider that came with the Rubi is too narrow to provide good footing, and although she can reach it, it’s a pain for her to get in and out of the vehicle. Excuse the grammar, I used Siri to write the above novel.

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[gek]

Body mount bolt issues are well documented here, but I haven't seen a post on them for a while. I always put a wrench on them and pry down as I turn otherwise they will just spin. Also if you feel a lot of resistance stop and go back in some then try again, or best to use some heat on the bolt. If you have to use a lot of force to turn them there is a good chance of breaking them.

Video timestamped to show you what I'm talking about with the wrench. I wouldn't use an impact like she did though

 

[Sportacus]

I thought it was the front two that are the real issue . Theyre loctited in. I loosed up the middle and rear ones to install my sliders. I did them carefully and if it seemed like it was gettinf tight i went back some and then forward again. Did it by hand with a ratchet.

 

[Sportacus]

4 wheel parts should have plenty of experience with body bolts on wrangler jl by now lol. Its only been 8 years now.

 

[Megawatt]

The top left bolt still has a washer attached in the pic, it’s down on the tip. The washer holds the bolt in place on the body until you force the body bolt down and away from the body. You can see how mangled up it got when I pulled out the bolt. The other bolts separated from the washer and you cant see them in the pic..

My sliders included new bolts, they don’t use the crush washers included in the OEM bolts. So it is my internet guess that your bolt has been unscrewed from the body but the washer is holding it in place, and that is why it keeps spinning.
Either way when you completely remove the body bolts they will look like the ones in the pic. If they are BROKEN they will not have a pointy end and that is a massive headache you don’t want.

 

[Terrymo]

I suspect they aren’t all truly broken. I removed mine carefully with hand tools and installed RSE step sliders. They can make popping sounds that might lead someone to believe something is breaking as they are being removed. Hopefully the person got cold feet and didn’t want to deal with it.

If you’re being told it is covered under warranty leave them alone and let them deal with it.

 

[Micron Man]

Body mount bolt issues are well documented here, but I haven't seen a post on them for a while. I always put a wrench on them and pry down as I turn otherwise they will just spin. Also if you feel a lot of resistance stop and go back in some then try again, or best to use some heat on the bolt. If you have to use a lot of force to turn them there is a good chance of breaking them.

Video timestamped to show you what I'm talking about with the wrench. I wouldn't use an impact like she did though

The bolts are a lot longer than I thought they were, thanks for the video. Do you have any idea why when I tried it with a ratchet they loosened up for about a quarter of an inch before it felt like they tightened. I’ve never experienced that before and like I said previously did not want to push it.

I suspect they aren’t all truly broken. I removed mine carefully with hand tools and installed RSE step sliders. They can make popping sounds that might lead someone to believe something is breaking as they are being removed. Hopefully the person got cold feet and didn’t want to deal with it.

If you’re being told it is covered under warranty leave them alone and let them deal with it.

For clarification, it wasn’t the bolt that was broken, it was the nuts they screw into. Allegedly the nuts are either welded to the frame, or placed inside some type of “cage”. Because the dealership could only repair 4, they sent the Jeep to a body shop to fix the 5th. Although the dealership did not want to reveal the specific body shop, I tracked it down and visited. The body shop guy told me he cut a hole in the frame, found the loose nut, removed it and “tack” welded another. As a guy who spent his entire life on the NYSE, I was more than impressed. The body shop guy should build ships in a bottle. He instructed me to tell 4 wheel parts to only use ratchet. Some have mentioned a heat gun, is that to melt loctight? I just finished reading the instructions to install RSE sliders. It indicated not to un-screw the body mount bolts 1/2 inc. I can get them out about a quarter without much force, do they really need a half inch? The 4 Wheel Parts in Boise is mostly a Tacoma shop, which is the reason I’m doing my homework. Lastly, planning for the worst and hoping for the best, is there another slider of high-quality that does not need to be connected to the body mount bolt?

 

[Terrymo]

I followed the advice of @Tech Tim from @Northridge4x4 in this video and had no issues.

 

[Moses212]

Those are a pain in the a**... I've just used a bar to put downward pressure behind the wad an air ratchet. It seems like there's a plate hidden that breaks loose. I've put on sliders on a fee different year JLs and always had this same issue.

 

[Micron Man]

Like I indicated at the beginning, I do t know how this forum stuff works, so this is probably duplicate.
For clarification, it wasn’t the bolt that was broken, it was the nuts they screw into. Allegedly the nuts are either welded to the frame, or placed inside some type of “cage”. Because the dealership could only repair 4, they sent the Jeep to a body shop to fix the 5th. Although the dealership did not want to reveal the specific body shop, I tracked it down and visited. The body shop guy told me he cut a hole in the frame, found the loose nut, removed it and “tack” welded another. As a guy who spent his entire life on the NYSE, I was more than impressed. The body shop guy should build ships in a bottle. He instructed me to tell 4 wheel parts to only use ratchet. Some have mentioned a heat gun, is that to melt loctight? I just finished reading the instructions to install RSE sliders. It indicated not to un-screw the body mount bolts 1/2 inc. I can get them out about a quarter without much force, do they really need a half inch? The 4 Wheel Parts in Boise is mostly a Tacoma shop, which is the reason I’m doing my homework. Lastly, planning for the worst and hoping for the best, is there another slider of high-quality that does not need to be connected to the body mount bolt?

I followed the advice of @Tech Tim from @Northridge4x4 in this video and had no issues.

The video was incredibly helpful thank you so very much for taking the time

 

[Micron Man]

I have another question. I have four wheel parts scheduled to replace both front and rear differential covers, if my wife is just going to drive it on the street and some gravel roads is that truly necessary?

 

[virkdoc]

Besides that the diff covers look cool.....no not a necessity to replace them for the street.
But just do it.....they look beautiful

 

[gek]

The bolts are a lot longer than I thought they were, thanks for the video. Do you have any idea why when I tried it with a ratchet they loosened up for about a quarter of an inch before it felt like they tightened. I’ve never experienced that before and like I said previously did not want to push it.

They get tighter because they have thread locker on them. Can either heat them or reverse the ratchet every time it gets tighter and then try again, it will eventually work through it.

 

[TXSquid78]

I have a question. Are there any off road type shops in your area?

 

[Micron Man]

I have a question. Are there any off road type shops in your area?

Yes, there are two that I know about, Total Off Road, formerly 4 Wheel Parts, which was bought out about 18 months ago. That is the store that I’m going with to do the install.. However, the salesperson told me they do 20 Tacoma’s for every Jeep, which did not make me feel too good. The other is called Bucks, a family owned shop that do the most Jeeps in the area. However, the son that runs the place is a dick, very poor people skills. Someone told me they have a huge turnover in technicians. My goal is to learn to do the easy stuff.

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