Advice needed!! Body bolts

[IPvFletch]

Are you driving around with the bolts out?

LOL well yes, both of them were out for about a 20min ride back home. I was more worried about the plastic bushing spacer things poppining out but they held in place on their own. There's I think maybe 10 body bolts like this keeping the body in lined up and tight with the frame. The others were all tight, so it was just the 2 front bolts which were out. It was no big deal, and nothing got out of alignment.

No heat, just a breaker bar? I really want to add a set of ACE rock rails to my JLUR but I am terrified about breaking these bolts.

Yeah, I don't think the heat would have made it up to the threads anyways.

The pinging sound I want to think was the nut creaking, but it could have been his ratchet - he was using a big long ratchet, much longer than the one I had.

I would NOT re-use those. Buy equivalent grade/length and install new ones.

LOL well we looked at them real close and after a good cleanup they are fine. I cleaned them good and while some of the threads look scratched up, they are in great shape, with no big sections cut out or anything like that.

BTW, Carb/Parts Cleaner seemed to all but dissolve the threadlock. It came right off with just the force of the spray. But I scrubbed them good afterwards and screwed them through a rag too make sure the threads were nice and clean. I also markered them so I knew which ones were Front Middle and Rear, and which front bolt was D and P. This was just in case it helped fitment when I went to put them back in.


Update: I just put them all back in and they went in like butter. Much better w/out all the loctite gunk built up. I torqued everything down to 80 ft-lbs with my jumbo torque wrench.

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[IPvFletch]

Good point, Sean, I just may... now that I can get them in and out pretty easily...
Anyone have a link to buy them? Or info on the exact size/threading? Grade8 right?

 

[Mantacon]

Good point, Sean, I just may... now that I can get them in and out pretty easily...
Anyone have a link to buy them? Or info on the exact size/threading? Grade8 right?

The replacement ones are $4 from the dealership.

 

[IPvFletch]

This receipt from another member shows 2 part numbers, they range from $4-$13 online it looks like. I might just get them from the dealer because these say M14, but I know it was an 18mm hex head. Not that it matters, like you said, but just in case.

 

[George999]

Glad it all worked out, that's a scary situation, I snapped a seat bolt once could never get it out. My sliders are due in tomorrow, looks like i will have a weekend project. The ones i ordered however don't mount to the body bolts they mount to the studs on either side of the body bolts. Hopefully i will not have to loosen the bolts to align the washers to get the sliders on. I really don't want to have to mess with them.

 

[IPvFletch]

Glad it all worked out, that's a scary situation, I snapped a seat bolt once could never get it out. My sliders are due in tomorrow, looks like i will have a weekend project. The ones i ordered however don't mount to the body bolts they mount to the studs on either side of the body bolts. Hopefully i will not have to loosen the bolts to align the washers to get the sliders on. I really don't want to have to mess with them.

Ahh, LOD sounds like. Good luck with the install!

 

[Jondrew]

Ahh, LOD sounds like. Good luck with the install!

If you’re not going to locktite them back (I know I won’t, becuase I can imagine doing this at least one more time), I suggest putting a stripe of paint on the bolt head extending to some point on the frame. That way you can look once in a while to see if the bolt is loosening up. I may just blue locktite the new ones in when I do this

 

[IPvFletch]

If you’re not going to locktite them back (I know I won’t, becuase I can imagine doing this at least one more time), I suggest putting a stripe of paint on the bolt head extending to some point on the frame. That way you can look once in a while to see if the bolt is loosening up. I may just blue locktite the new ones in when I do this

I may be removing them in the not-so-distant future still, but I do plan to blue loctite them at some point when I am done done. Glad you brought that up!

 

[Rhinebeck01]

For those that read this thread that have a 2 dr. JL and are wanting the part numbers for the OEM body bolts you will be removing to install say Ace sliders, here are the part numbers:

Per my dealership parts receipt for the four body bolts:

Quantity 2 - Mopar part# 6511826AA
Quantity 2 - Mopar part# 6508326AA

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[Rhinebeck01]

Not me, I had no problem getting the middle/rears loose, it's just the fronts which are driving me nuts.

@IPvFletch

I found it... Read here: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/my-first-10-000-miles.19759/

 

[Hgrace]

Here’s a heat induction tool in action, From Snap On, so you know its expensive!

This actually heats up the head around the bolt causing expansion. Heat on the bolt alone may release lock tite but cause expansion as well. Let it cool a while and contract then go after it with a beaker bar

 

[Renegade]

Sorry if this is a duplicate, but I wanted to post this as a reference for anyone else who wound up here looking for reference material.
Ace posted a video of their technique. I would add that if/when you encounter significant resistance, turn the bolt back in a little, and take a break from that bolt for a bit. This allows the friction-induced heat to dissipate, and allows the bolt to turn easier when you begin again.

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