Do I have to lift the body to slip the fuel tank skid plate bolts in?

Mhass

Mhass

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Dropped the fuel tank to ease lift installation and rear bumper install. The skid plate bolts are as nasty as you would expect on a 23 year old jeep and I snapped one. straps looked pretty good and everything else in the area appears solid.
Plan on a new skidplate soon as the original is looking pretty sad. When I order it I'll replace the bolts.

Question I can't find the answer to- Do I have to lift the body to slip the new bolts in?

It sure looks like it and that would suck, If I have to. If the body has to be lifted, I think I'll sneak a small body lift in to facilitate a tummy tuck down the road. Anything else to look out for besides the 4wd lever not wanting to pull in to 4 lo?

Also looking for cheap billing software so I can fabricate receipts with reasonable prices to show my wife when I buy parts...
 
If you have the gas tank dropped, it's easy to put the 4 gas tank skid plate bolts into the rear crossmember. The 2 that go into the rear shock crossmember are a little more difficult since they drop in from the top, but not hard. Getting the fasteners on them is more difficult so they don't push up when you try to install the nut. No, you do not need a body lift to do this.

Body lift: adjust the TCase shifter or buy an aftermarket cable shifter. If you don't have a MML, you'd have to lower the fan shroud. Loosen it before you install the body lift, then reposition 1" lower and done. You'll also have to lengthen the fuel tank filler tube so it reaches after the body lift. Disconnect all 7 bolts on the gas tank filler bezel before doing the body lift.

Forget the software, forget telling your wife, don't calculate this stuff, just go have fun!
 
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I seem to recall there are 9 or 10 bolts for the stock skid plate.

MHass I am happy to help you out if you need a hand. Not the easiest of repairs to make alone.
 
Thanks, I didn't have time to get a real close look but it didn't look like I could squeeze a bolt in the space I had.
There are three forward bolts though, not two. One is kind of an 'odd man out' and it's the one that broke.

Sounds good re body lift. I did not think about the filler neck and vent tube extension. Thanks for that heads up. I'm still on the fence about a body lift. Don't have a desire to go much higher but might when it's time to do SYE and tires.

My wife actually spends more than me on her jeep (20 JL 4 door) because she still has payments! But she has heated seats
 
I gave up getting the new bolts in the front crossmember. I don’t have a body lift and could only get one of the three in. I ended up drilling out the square holes in the crossmember and installing the nutserts. Then I just bolted it up from below.
 
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glowell222 said:
I seem to recall there are 9 or 10 bolts for the stock skid plate.

MHass I am happy to help you out if you need a hand. Not the easiest of repairs to make alone.
Click to expand...
Appreciate it Glowell. I'm not too smart but I'm really good at lifting heavy shit. Actually, just stuck it on a floor jack with a 1X6 laid across it. Piece o cake.
 
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Correct, there is a 3rd one in the rear shock crossmember, I just forget it's there because it's not used with the Savvy GTS.
 
LukesfirstJeep said:
When I replaced my skid, I had to cut several of the bolts. I replaced them with SS carriage bolts from the local Fastenal. I also used Push Nut Retainers, like Andy-White TJ posted.

To drop my skid, I used an ATV jack, similar to this
http://www.searshometownstores.com/product/Craftsman-34612-MotorcycleATV-Jack
It was easy to control up and down.
Click to expand...
Ahhh, stainless! When I replace hardware, I try to go stainless. So much easier to care for down the road.
 
en480c4 said:
I gave up getting the new bolts in the front crossmember. I don’t have a body lift and could only get one of the three in. I ended up drilling out the square holes in the crossmember and installing the nutserts. Then I just bolted it up from below.
Click to expand...
When i had the body off i welded them in
 
I just replaced the bolts for my skid plate/gas tank. I had to loosen the rear body mount bolts and jack up the body about an inch off the forward crossmember in order to get the carriage bolts to fit through the gap between the pan and crossmember. I used a piece of wire to fish the bolts through the gaps and into the holes.

I’d love to see some pictures or video of someone replacing the front bolts without increasing the gap between the body and crossmember.
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C341AC30-B455-4905-9DC4-CEB83AFA7170.jpeg
 
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Wheeler said:
I just replaced the bolts for my skid plate/gas tank. I had to loosen the rear body mount bolts and jack up the body about an inch off the forward crossmember in order to get the carriage bolts to fit through the gap between the pan and crossmember. I used a piece of wire to fish the bolts through the gaps and into the holes.

I’d love to see some pictures or video of someone replacing the front bolts without increasing the gap between the body and crossmember. View attachment 304690View attachment 304691View attachment 304692View attachment 304693
Click to expand...
Yep,what I did,hitch manufactures do it all the time
 
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