What goes here, and what size bolts did it use?

Fulton_Hogan

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I'm wanting to fix a flat surface over my left front fender/shock tower to mount a reel light. (Access to the top of the shock will stay unobstructed.)

I'd like to use some combination of these existing holes, mostly the two with rectangular borders, maybe one of the others. I'm having a hard time finding what went here (inside the drawn border) and what size bolts held it.

This is on a 2005 LJ with no ABS if it helps.
20211216_193905.jpg
 
I'm wanting to fix a flat surface over my left front fender/shock tower to mount a reel light. (Access to the top of the shock will stay unobstructed.)

I'd like to use some combination of these existing holes, mostly the two with rectangular borders, maybe one of the others. I'm having a hard time finding what went here (inside the drawn border) and what size bolts held it.

This is on a 2005 LJ with no ABS if it helps. View attachment 296669
Evap stuff, TCM mount, and a different washer fluid reservoir. Note the lower hole partially blocked by the reservoir.

Jeep is pretty good about keeping all the holes from previous years. What they didn't do is put the nut plate on the under side if the accessory wasn't carried forward.
 
Evap stuff, TCM mount, and a different washer fluid reservoir. Note the lower hole partially blocked by the reservoir.

Jeep is pretty good about keeping all the holes from previous years. What they didn't do is put the nut plate on the under side if the accessory wasn't carried forward.
I did have a look at the underside, I just didn't take any pictures, but (as I remember) there is what looks like an oblong plate under the centermost set of holes. Is that a nut plate?

Are the holes with rectangular borders basically like captured nuts or nutserts?

I can get pictures showing what I've tried to describe this evening if it'll help.

Again, thanks for the help on this.
 
I did have a look at the underside, I just didn't take any pictures, but (as I remember) there is what looks like an oblong plate under the centermost set of holes. Is that a nut plate?

Are the holes with rectangular borders basically like captured nuts or nutserts?

I can get pictures showing what I've tried to describe this evening if it'll help.

Again, thanks for the help on this.
The factory uses at least 3 methods for securing stuff to the fenders.
The rectangular solid nuts that are spot welded into a hole which then get threaded with a self threading body bolt or similar.
An extruded hole just in the sheet metal for lighter stuff that gets either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.
An extruded hole in a nut plate that is spot welded to the underside. Extruded means a tubular hole in the metal that accepts either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.

I just put late model fenders on a 97. The 97 has two horns, late model has one. The hole for the second horn is there, the reinforcing nut plate for the second bolt is not.
 
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The factory uses at least 3 methods for securing stuff to the fenders.
The rectangular solid nuts that are spot welded into a hole which then get threaded with a self threading body bolt or similar.
An extruded hole just in the sheet metal for lighter stuff that gets either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.
An extruded hole in a nut plate that is spot welded to the underside. Extruded means a tubular hole in the metal that accepts either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.

I just put late model fenders on a 97. The 97 has two horns, late model has one. The hole for the second horn is there, the reinforcing nut plate for the second bolt is not.
All that totally make sense. Thanks!

Initially I planned on mounting a simple flat plate via existing holes and securing the light to that plate. It would give me flexibility in light location and orientation. Maybe even get one hole on the light to match the fender hole through the plate.

Once I knew what originally went here, I considered getting an original bracket and modifying that to hold the light. Those all look pretty expensive because they come with canister, or if it's cheap, it's because the bracket is caked in rust.

I've not ruled out putting the light on the ABS shelf, but that's my least favorable course of action.
 
All that totally make sense. Thanks!

Initially I planned on mounting a simple flat plate via existing holes and securing the light to that plate. It would give me flexibility in light location and orientation. Maybe even get one hole on the light to match the fender hole through the plate.

Once I knew what originally went here, I considered getting an original bracket and modifying that to hold the light. Those all look pretty expensive because they come with canister, or if it's cheap, it's because the bracket is caked in rust.

I've not ruled out putting the light on the ABS shelf, but that's my least favorable course of action.
You don't have to get all fancy. I'm working on one right now that has the SPOD relay box zip tied to the ABS tray.
 
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The factory uses at least 3 methods for securing stuff to the fenders.
The rectangular solid nuts that are spot welded into a hole which then get threaded with a self threading body bolt or similar.
An extruded hole just in the sheet metal for lighter stuff that gets either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.
An extruded hole in a nut plate that is spot welded to the underside. Extruded means a tubular hole in the metal that accepts either a sheet metal screw or self threading body bolt.

I just put late model fenders on a 97. The 97 has two horns, late model has one. The hole for the second horn is there, the reinforcing nut plate for the second bolt is not.
This is the underside of the fender. I think that oval bit is the nut plate you mentioned.

Existing_Holes_Underside.jpg


None of these looked threaded. Self-threading bolts or sheet metal bolts for each then.
 
This is the underside of the fender. I think that oval bit is the nut plate you mentioned.

View attachment 297161

None of these looked threaded. Self-threading bolts or sheet metal bolts for each then.
Yes, it would look like that "oval" version. Without a reference point, the one on the 97 is just back of the grill where the horns mount.
 
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