What did you do TO your Gladiator today? [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS, NO GUN TALK]

[Rusty PW]

Got my ASFIR transfer case/fuel filter skid plate installed today.

Next project. Finish installing my Core 4x4 controls arms. Had the front lower installed last year. Ok.......figure 6 controls arms, 12 bolts and nuts. Figure time wise half hour per control arm..........yea right......... Got the front upper installed. The rear upper installed. The rear lower. Bite me in the ass. The bolts on the axle are frozen in place on both sides. Can't even beat them out. I started around 10am, and called it quits at 7pm.

Turning a 3 hour job into a 2+ day shit show. My old body is really feeling it now.

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[WILDHOBO]

Got my ASFIR transfer case/fuel filter skid plate installed today.

Next project. Finish installing my Core 4x4 controls arms. Had the front lower installed last year. Ok.......figure 6 controls arms, 12 bolts and nuts. Figure time wise half hour per control arm..........yea right......... Got the front upper installed. The rear upper installed. The rear lower. Bite me in the ass. The bolts on the axle are frozen in place on both sides. Can't even beat them out. I started around 10am, and called it quits at 7pm.
Turning a 3 hour job into a 2+ day shit show. My old body is really feeling it now.

I’ve been through that same thing. Really sorry it’s happening to you. The bolts have likely seized to the steel sleeve inside the bushing. Impact wrenches don’t help since the bolt just wiggles the rubber bushing, making you want to kill baby seals, over and over. I had to buy expensive carbide sawzall blades and cut them out. It was horrible. Every control arm bolt I touch at this point gets lathered up with so much Antiseize, you’d think I was crazy. But I’m not going through that again, ideally in my lifetime. One of them was a four hour bolt cut.

 

[mx5red]

Added the 270 batwing to my rack, excited to get on the trail and camp.

Did those big vertical brackets come with it?

 

[chorky]

Got my ASFIR transfer case/fuel filter skid plate installed today.

Next project. Finish installing my Core 4x4 controls arms. Had the front lower installed last year. Ok.......figure 6 controls arms, 12 bolts and nuts. Figure time wise half hour per control arm..........yea right......... Got the front upper installed. The rear upper installed. The rear lower. Bite me in the ass. The bolts on the axle are frozen in place on both sides. Can't even beat them out. I started around 10am, and called it quits at 7pm.

Turning a 3 hour job into a 2+ day shit show. My old body is really feeling it now.

lets see the shiny new stuff!

 

[Rusty PW]

I’ve been through that same thing. Really sorry it’s happening to you. The bolts have likely seized to the steel sleeve inside the bushing. Impact wrenches don’t help since the bolt just wiggles the rubber bushing, making you want to kill baby seals, over and over. I had to buy expensive carbide sawzall blades and cut them out. It was horrible. Every control arm bolt I touch at this point gets lathered up with so much Antiseize, you’d think I was crazy. But I’m not going through that again, ideally in my lifetime. One of them was a four hour bolt cut.

I ran into the same problem when I replaced the controls on my Power Wagon. Sawzall was my friend. What gets me. I had installed Rock Hard skid plates about 2 yrs ago and put a ton of anti seize on the bolts. And they still froze. The skid plates are going to make it really tough to cut.

 

[Rusty PW]

lets see the shiny new stuff!

Tomorrow night when I down load my camera.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I ran into the same problem when I replaced the controls on my Power Wagon. Sawzall was my friend. What gets me. I had installed Rock Hard skid plates about 2 yrs ago and put a ton of anti seize on the bolts. And they still froze. The skid plates are going to make it really tough to cut.

Me too. Rock hard bolt through Lca skids. It was really not fun. I had to replace one of the front axle side skids after what I did to it to get the arm out.

 

[Rusty PW]

Me too. Rock hard bolt through Lca skids. It was really not fun. I had to replace one of the front axle side skids after what I did to it to get the arm out.

Tomorrow, I going to try with my Thor Hammer (short handled 15 lb sledge) and heat. After that. It's the sawzall.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I ran into the same problem when I replaced the controls on my Power Wagon. Sawzall was my friend. What gets me. I had installed Rock Hard skid plates about 2 yrs ago and put a ton of anti seize on the bolts. And they still froze. The skid plates are going to make it really tough to cut.

 

[chorky]

Did those big vertical brackets come with it?

I can't speak for him but the ironman4x4 awnings do come with those brackets. It looks like he has extensions though that they do not come with.

I think I have an extra set if you are in need.

 

[WestwallNF104A]

Nothing big, just installed the quadratec dead pedal.

 

[22EcoDs]

Got my ASFIR transfer case/fuel filter skid plate installed today.

Next project. Finish installing my Core 4x4 controls arms. Had the front lower installed last year. Ok.......figure 6 controls arms, 12 bolts and nuts. Figure time wise half hour per control arm..........yea right......... Got the front upper installed. The rear upper installed. The rear lower. Bite me in the ass. The bolts on the axle are frozen in place on both sides. Can't even beat them out. I started around 10am, and called it quits at 7pm.

Turning a 3 hour job into a 2+ day shit show. My old body is really feeling it now.

Thoughts and pics on the skids? Would you trust them at rousch ?

 

[Zero_Accel]

Added an overhead molle panel and routed the GMRS antenna to the hood. We’ll see how long until I need a steel bracket on the cowl lol. Dang aluminum.

I’ll add more to the molle, but this will do for now.

This setup has worked great for us.

Ditto, did the same thing, saw it on here one day and I found it the easiest and so far best solution.

Bracket was 3 dollars . If only all jobs could be this quick and easy!

 

[howeitsdone]

Ditto, did the same thing, saw it on here one day and I found it the easiest and so far best solution.

Bracket was 3 dollars . If only all jobs could be this quick and easy!

Where’s it from? Went 75mph and it stayed in place perfectly. If I find some scrap steel I’ll fab myself up one, but it earned its keep today.

 

[Zero_Accel]

Where’s it from? Went 75mph and it stayed in place perfectly. If I find some scrap steel I’ll fab myself up one, but it earned its keep today.

Home depot! Found them near the lumber. Just used a step bit to make the lower hole larger on the 1.5 inch section, and used a punch pinned to mark and drill a new hole for the longer 2 inch section to get the antenna aligned better further towards the center so that it wasn't hanging over the edge .

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