A Simple Build

[Alex01]

This is what happens when you use bolts that are too long to hold the front bumper on

The nut that is spot welded onto the nut plate inside the front bumper has broken off. It looks like I’ll have to fabricate a new nut plate and use my Dremel to try and get the old one off.

View attachment 194075

Wow, that looks like a fun repair. Looks like it's time to sell the silver one and jump back to the Khaki

I wonder if a nutzert would work? I can't think of an easy way to weld a new nut in that location.

 

[zebra12]

This is what happens when you use bolts that are too long to hold the front bumper on

The nut that is spot welded onto the nut plate inside the front bumper has broken off. It looks like I’ll have to fabricate a new nut plate and use my Dremel to try and get the old one off.

View attachment 194075

Why would someone use a too long bolt in a stock bumper? Was it swapped back on when it was sold/traded in?

 

[Chris]

Why would someone use a too long bolt in a stock bumper? Was it swapped back on when it was sold/traded in?

Hard to say, but that may be. It had a roof rack at one point and it has aftermarket speakers. So while someone didn’t go crazy with it, it’s apparent they did a few mods.

Wow, that looks like a fun repair. Looks like it's time to sell the silver one and jump back to the Khaki

I wonder if a nutzert would work? I can't think of an easy way to weld a new nut in that location.

Blaine told me how to fix it. I got some new square weld-on nuts from McMaster Carr and I’ll have to see if I can grind the old nut plate off of there with my Dremel. It’s not too difficult, just a hassle really.

 

[Chris]

Took me a few hours, but I finally got the nut plates out

 

[Alex01]

Took me a few hours, but I finally got the nut plates out

View attachment 194316

Seeing that piece it makes more sense now. I thought they were all individually attached not linked together.

Are you going to have someone weld it back on or are you seizing this moment to add a welder to your tool collection?

 

[Chris]

Seeing that piece it makes more sense now. I thought they were all individually attached not linked together.

Are you going to have someone weld it back on or are you seizing this moment to add a welder to your tool collection?

Yes, and to get it off you've got to drill two little holes on the top of the frame rail where you can vaguely see little spot welds. It's attached with those two spot welds and one at the front where you can easily access. I now know exactly how they managed to get those nuts in there.

I'm just going to pay a mobile welder to come out and take care of it for me. I can't imagine it will cost that much. I ordered the nuts, I just need to fab a plate to attach them to, then he can easily tack them in place. Should be simple.

@mrblaine, any idea what size the smaller nuts are that hold on the factory sway bar mount bolts? Not sure I even need those though if I'm running an AntiRock. Maybe just incase anyone ever wanted to return it to factory.

 

[MountaineerTom]

Seeing that piece it makes more sense now. I thought they were all individually attached not linked together.

That’s what I thought too. Good to know.

 

[Chris]

I realize how this happened now.

When I bought the vehicle it was missing the factory recovery points / tow-hooks on the front bumper. The factor bolts are much longer due to holding those tow hooks in place. Someone used the same bolts (as oppose to shorter ones) to put the bumper back on without them, thus causing the bolts to strip out and put me in this dilemma. Gotta love previous owner shit, right?

 

[mrblaine]

Yes, and to get it off you've got to drill two little holes on the top of the frame rail where you can vaguely see little spot welds. It's attached with those two spot welds and one at the front where you can easily access. I now know exactly how they managed to get those nuts in there.

I'm just going to pay a mobile welder to come out and take care of it for me. I can't imagine it will cost that much. I ordered the nuts, I just need to fab a plate to attach them to, then he can easily tack them in place. Should be simple.

@mrblaine, any idea what size the smaller nuts are that hold on the factory sway bar mount bolts? Not sure I even need those though if I'm running an AntiRock. Maybe just incase anyone ever wanted to return it to factory.

10mm coarse thread. I'd have to look it up but likely 10mm x 1.5. Or, I suppose I could do the math. 3/8-16 almost works and the thread pitch is .062 peak to peak. Metric 1.5 is .059 peak to peak so 1.5 it is.

 

[Chris]

10mm coarse thread. I'd have to look it up but likely 10mm x 1.5. Or, I suppose I could do the math. 3/8-16 almost works and the thread pitch is .062 peak to peak. Metric 1.5 is .059 peak to peak so 1.5 it is.

Sounds good. 10mm x1.5 is what I'll get.

 

[mrblaine]

Sounds good. 10mm x1.5 is what I'll get.

In case you ever contemplate that particular thought process. I put 3/8-16 bolts in the kits to hold down the Savvy front bumper because they work in the 10mm weld nuts and I wanted the bolts to match.

 

[en480c4]

Yes, and to get it off you've got to drill two little holes on the top of the frame rail where you can vaguely see little spot welds. It's attached with those two spot welds and one at the front where you can easily access. I now know exactly how they managed to get those nuts in there.

Any chance you could post the distances from the front of the frame rails to the two spot welds? I’m in a similar situation and I already broke a bit trying to drill out the bolt from above.

 

[Chris]

Any chance you could post the distances from the front of the frame rails to the two spot welds? I’m in a similar situation and I already broke a bit trying to drill out the bolt from above.

I can measure, but there’s no need to. You should be able to see the spot welds from the top. Take a photo and I’ll point them out for you with Photoshop.

 

[en480c4]

I can measure, but there’s no need to. You should be able to see the spot welds from the top. Take a photo and I’ll point them out for you with Photoshop.

I’ll see what I can see when I pull the bumper. You overestimate the shape of an otherwise clean LJ’s frame horns after having a plow frame to it there for untold years before I bought it.

 

[Chris]

I’ll see what I can see when I pull the bumper. You overestimate the shape of an otherwise clean LJ’s frame horns after having a plow frame to it there for untold years before I bought it.

Trust me, my frame is clean as can be, but even I was able to spot the little spot welds. They are subtle, but they are there. If you get a photo I’ll circle them for you. I just used a drill bit and drilled right in the center of both of them. Worked like a charm.

 

[Chris]

Custom plate arrived today!

 

[JMT]

Custom plate arrived today!

View attachment 194377

It doesn’t say Wrangler.

 

[MountaineerTom]

It doesn’t say Wrangler.

Or LJ.

 

[Chris]

Or LJ.

We all know LJs aren’t really TJs

 

[Apparition]

We all know LJs aren’t really TJs

Better TJ’s