Do all Jeep Wrangler TJ have side step OEM mounting holes?

Kaptainkid1

Kaptainkid1

TJ Enthusiast
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I'm trying to sell set of OEM side step for TJ and I noticed not all TJ's have these mounting points. Is that true? Which models would have them? Mine is sport and is wondering lower end models are void of this mod.

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Kaptainkid1 said:
I'm trying to sell set of OEM side step for TJ and I noticed not all TJ's have these mounting points. Is that true? Which models would have them? Mine is sport and is wondering lower end models are void of this mod. View attachment 113774View attachment 113774

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View attachment 113777
Click to expand...
All the frames have step mounting options. Not all have the nutserts installed. Not all are the same hole and slot, some are 4 holes.
 
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My 1998 Sahara has 4 mounting holes which was interesting when I bought new side steps which had 2 mounting holes and 2 slots as did my 1999 Sport.
 
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Just bought a set of these, and was suspecting that nutserts are used to mount them. I would be installing a 4 hole set, to a 2005. I'm assuming this will work. Would anyone be kind enough to tell me what size the nutserts and bolts are? Maybe a tool used to install them?
 
lindsey97 said:
Just bought a set of these, and was suspecting that nutserts are used to mount them. I would be installing a 4 hole set, to a 2005. I'm assuming this will work. Would anyone be kind enough to tell me what size the nutserts and bolts are? Maybe a tool used to install them?
Click to expand...
The OEM nutserts are 8mm x 1.25 and fit into a 13.5mm hole.
The very common 5/16-18 nutserts for corner armor fit into a 17/32 hole.
13.5mm = .531"
17/32 = .531"

They are perfectly interchangeable. The only thing to watch for is to get the right grip range. The frame is .150ish thick.
 
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mrblaine said:
The OEM nutserts are 8mm x 1.25 and fit into a 13.5mm hole.
The very common 5/16-18 nutserts for corner armor fit into a 17/32 hole.
13.5mm = .531"
17/32 = .531"

They are perfectly interchangeable. The only thing to watch for is to get the right grip range. The frame is .150ish thick.
Click to expand...

Hi,

I realize this is an old thread, but I have a 97 TJ and recently bought a pair of used Mopar side-steps (images attached). The holes line up perfectly but I have no hardware. Mopar tells me that they no longer make them.

Can you tell me more about these OEM nutserts you're describing? Are those the parts that I have circled in my attached pic? Trying to figure out what to do, since Mopar no longer makes the hardware.

Thanks!

Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 3.37.23 PM.jpg


Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 3.38.33 PM.jpg
 
lindsey97 said:
Just bought a set of these, and was suspecting that nutserts are used to mount them. I would be installing a 4 hole set, to a 2005. I'm assuming this will work. Would anyone be kind enough to tell me what size the nutserts and bolts are? Maybe a tool used to install them?
Click to expand...
I see that @lindsey97 hasn't been on since Oct 2020, and like you @SSTJ I wonder how it went. I have a 2005 LJ and thinking of picking up a pair of OEM side steps.

Anyone with these on a LJ? Can you share a couple of pics?
 
I don't have an LJ but it should be the same. You need four nutserts for each side. I don't remember the size. Installing a nutsert (nutrivet) is not rock science and there are plenty of how-to's.
 
SSTJ said:
Hi,

I realize this is an old thread, but I have a 97 TJ and recently bought a pair of used Mopar side-steps (images attached). The holes line up perfectly but I have no hardware. Mopar tells me that they no longer make them.

Can you tell me more about these OEM nutserts you're describing? Are those the parts that I have circled in my attached pic? Trying to figure out what to do, since Mopar no longer makes the hardware.

Thanks!

View attachment 118527

View attachment 118528
Click to expand...
The part you have circled is the nutsert. insert it in the hole and use the mounting bolt and the other bolt pictured (basically a spacer) to slowly compress the nutsert so it bites on the inside and outside of the hole it is inserted in. Once compressed, back the mounting bolt out and the nutsert remains.

If you have multiple nutserts to install you can purchase a nutsert tool. Works like a rivet tool to compress the nutsert. Installs just like a rivet does hence it's often called a rivnut.
 
MikekiM said:
The part you have circled is the nutsert. insert it in the hole and use the mounting bolt and the other bolt pictured (basically a spacer) to slowly compress the nutsert so it bites on the inside and outside of the hole it is inserted in. Once compressed, back the mounting bolt out and the nutsert remains.

If you have multiple nutserts to install you can purchase a nutsert tool. Works like a rivet tool to compress the nutsert. Installs just like a rivet does hence it's often called a rivnut.
Click to expand...

Hey there. Fun to be reminded of this, and to remember the time when I didn't know what a nutsert was.

For what it's worth, I wish I had just bought a good nutsert tool. I did eventually, and this job would have been so much easier with one.
 
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SSTJ said:
Hey there. Fun to be reminded of this, and to remember the time when I didn't know what a nutsert was.

For what it's worth, I wish I had just bought a good nutsert tool. I did eventually, and this job would have been so much easier with one.
Click to expand...
I bought one when I was doing the flat fenders on my JK. Makes installation incredibly easy. Even a cheap HF tool works wonders.
 
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Noxid said:
I see that @lindsey97 hasn't been on since Oct 2020, and like you @SSTJ I wonder how it went. I have a 2005 LJ and thinking of picking up a pair of OEM side steps.

Anyone with these on a LJ? Can you share a couple of pics?
Click to expand...

Yep, you can find these on Facebook Marketplace from time to time, especially on part-outs. I don't know anything about LJs, so am not sure if it's the same setup. But yes, it went smoothly. Also, I do recommend buying a good nutsert tool. There's talk of starting a tool sub-forum or a tool thread on the forum. That'd be a great first post for it, getting recommendations of a nutsert tool.
 
Kaptainkid1 said:
I'm trying to sell set of OEM side step for TJ and I noticed not all TJ's have these mounting points. Is that true? Which models would have them? Mine is sport and is wondering lower end models are void of this mod.

View attachment 113774

View attachment 113775

View attachment 113776

View attachment 113777
Click to expand...

Interesting. I didn't notice this at the time, but the side-steps in this pic have different mounting plates than mine do (pictured in post #10). Makes me wonder if this style would have positioned the steps a bit more flush with the body, whereas the ones I installed are set back about 1/2" from the bottom of the rocker. I wonder what year these were from.
 
SSTJ said:
Interesting. I didn't notice this at the time, but the side-steps in this pic have different mounting plates than mine do (pictured in post #10). Makes me wonder if this style would have positioned the steps a bit more flush with the body, whereas the ones I installed are set back about 1/2" from the bottom of the rocker. I wonder what year these were from.
Click to expand...
The step height did not change or any other aspect except how they mount.
 
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