I apologies, this is a long opening post, but I want to try and give as much info as possible in the hope somebody can help.
As part of my body lift I attempted to undo the four bolts inside the jeep on the passenger side front footwell (RHD Jeep so passenger side not driver side) to release the torque shaft bracket, as per part labled in this picture. This was advised in some of the instructions I had read, but I now think it was a mistake.
However, I managed to make a bit of a horlicks of it. Three of the bolts unscrewed fine and I removed those, but the fourth just span and span. I got under the Jeep to have a look at the it to see what the issue might be. Unfortunately as I was playing with the the bracket came away. As can just be made out in the picture above and also the one below, the four tabs that are bolted to the body do not have holes in them, but slots. As best as I can see there are then two rubber gaskets sandwiched between a metal clip which is threaded and it is this the bolt screws in to. Unfortunately, on the corner where I could not remove the bolt the torque shaft bracket separaed from the rubber gasket, metal clip sandwich.
The result is I now have three bolts in my passenger footwell, one bolt still going through the body into the gasket / clip sandwich and my torque shaft bracket hanging free but only with a gasket / clip sandwich on three corners. Clearly this gives me an issue getting the bracker back on.
As far as I can see I have two obvious ways forward. One, try and force the corner of the bracket back into the middle of the gasket / clip sandwich on the dodgy corner. But the bolt is still tighly screwed into the clip, so I think that will be tough, especially given it is not exactly an easy part of the underside of the Jeep to work in. Two, cut the bolt off in side the Jeep and then pick up the gasket / clip sandwich and look to get the remains of the bolt out somehow, refit it to the bracket and find a new bolt with the correct thread.
However, I am also going to be fitting a motor mount lift. That will require me to use a jack to support the engine, the instructions suggest under the oil pan. If I am doing that, with the jack supporting the engine and transmission would that be enough support to allow me to remove the skid supporting the transfer case? If I can do that I think it would give me much better access to the area I am trying to work in and may allow some other option.
Thoughts, experience, advice desperately wanted! Thanks in advance.
As part of my body lift I attempted to undo the four bolts inside the jeep on the passenger side front footwell (RHD Jeep so passenger side not driver side) to release the torque shaft bracket, as per part labled in this picture. This was advised in some of the instructions I had read, but I now think it was a mistake.
However, I managed to make a bit of a horlicks of it. Three of the bolts unscrewed fine and I removed those, but the fourth just span and span. I got under the Jeep to have a look at the it to see what the issue might be. Unfortunately as I was playing with the the bracket came away. As can just be made out in the picture above and also the one below, the four tabs that are bolted to the body do not have holes in them, but slots. As best as I can see there are then two rubber gaskets sandwiched between a metal clip which is threaded and it is this the bolt screws in to. Unfortunately, on the corner where I could not remove the bolt the torque shaft bracket separaed from the rubber gasket, metal clip sandwich.
The result is I now have three bolts in my passenger footwell, one bolt still going through the body into the gasket / clip sandwich and my torque shaft bracket hanging free but only with a gasket / clip sandwich on three corners. Clearly this gives me an issue getting the bracker back on.
As far as I can see I have two obvious ways forward. One, try and force the corner of the bracket back into the middle of the gasket / clip sandwich on the dodgy corner. But the bolt is still tighly screwed into the clip, so I think that will be tough, especially given it is not exactly an easy part of the underside of the Jeep to work in. Two, cut the bolt off in side the Jeep and then pick up the gasket / clip sandwich and look to get the remains of the bolt out somehow, refit it to the bracket and find a new bolt with the correct thread.
However, I am also going to be fitting a motor mount lift. That will require me to use a jack to support the engine, the instructions suggest under the oil pan. If I am doing that, with the jack supporting the engine and transmission would that be enough support to allow me to remove the skid supporting the transfer case? If I can do that I think it would give me much better access to the area I am trying to work in and may allow some other option.
Thoughts, experience, advice desperately wanted! Thanks in advance.
