Longer OE type LCA bolts to work with Rock Hard LCA skids?

[Pliny]

Does anyone have a source for longer OE like lower control arm bolts that will work with the Rock Hard LCA skids?

The latest Mopar lift kit instructions gives the bolt sizes as:

Front: M16x1.5.x105
Rear: M14x1.5x105

But I have doubts.

Guessing that M14 is a typo, as it shows the nut being M16. I went and checked the OE bolts that I saved and all three pairs (front axle side and rear frame and axle side) were all the same.

Lift kit is supposed to be delivered on Monday, so I had crawled under our JTR and hosed down every bolt that will need to be loosened as part of the install with penetrating oil. After only a year and a half here in AZ, the RH supplied bolts don't look great.

When I install the lift, I'm going to remove each one of the RH supplied bolts and coat the shaft with anti-seize, but I'd prefer a more OE solution.

Anyone look through the parts catalog for say the RAM 1500 or 2500 looking for bolts that OE type bolts that would work for this application? I'll measure the length of the RH ones and then see if I can find ones in the stock diameter and pitch but with longer length.

Hoping that someone else has already done this and is willing to share.

Thanks,

Philip

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[Rusty PW]

I had to cut the 2 bolts on my rear axle lower mounts when I installed my new control arms. I got the bolts and nuts from Fastenal.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Does anyone have a source for longer OE like lower control arm bolts that will work with the Rock Hard LCA skids?

The stock bolt sizes are:

Front: M16x1.5.x105
Rear: M14x1.5x105

Lift kit is supposed to be delivered on Monday, so I had crawled under our JTR and hosed down every bolt that will need to be loosened as part of the install with penetrating oil. After only a year and a half here in AZ, the RH supplied bolts don't look great.

When I install the lift, I'm going to remove each one of the RH supplied bolts and coat the shaft with anti-seize, but I'd prefer a more OE solution.

Anyone look through the parts catalog for say the RAM 1500 or 2500 looking for bolts that OE type bolts that would work for this application? I'll measure the length of the RH ones and then see if I can find ones in the stock diameter and pitch but with longer length.

Hoping that someone else has already done this and is willing to share.

Thanks,

Philip

I have rock hard skids as well. I needed longer bolts for the rear shock skids. Check belmetric.com. They’ve got everything.

 

[Steven_B]

Grimm Offroad offers a full suspension hardware upgrade kit for the Gladiators and Wrangler JLs.

https://trailrecon.com/products/grimm-offroad-hardware-upgrade-kit-jt

Edit: Nevermind, looks like the Grimm bolts are actually shorter.

 

[Pliny]

After a trip to the hardware store, I can confirm that the OE LCA bolts are M16x1.5x105.

I would have been annoyed with myself had I ordered a bunch of M14 bolts only to find out that they were too small. This will teach me not to trust what I read on the internet...

 

[Pliny]

I have rock hard skids as well. I needed longer bolts for the rear shock skids. Check belmetric.com. They’ve got everything.

Ordered longer bolts, washers and lock nuts with the gold zinc finish from belmetric.com. They didn't have plain zinc finish in the lengths that I ordered.

I will try to remember to do a follow up post once I get them installed and can confirm that the lengths I ordered will work.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Ordered longer bolts, washers and lock nuts with the gold zinc finish from belmetric.com. They didn't have plain zinc finish in the lengths that I ordered.

I will try to remember to do a follow post once I get them installed and can confirm that the lengths I ordered will work.

The gold zinc will hold up great.

 

[Pliny]

Following up. This is what I ordered from Belmetric:

Have them installed and these bolts are the same length as what Rock Hard supplies with their skids.

I went with the bolt and washer but with the flanged nut to match the OE configuration. Since these are fine thread, can use the initial torque plus X number of degrees torque specs. Can't do that with the RH bolts since they are coarse thread.

 

[GladLad]

Following up. This is what I ordered from Belmetric:

Have them installed and these bolts are the same length as what Rock Hard supplies with their skids.

I went with the bolt and washer but with the flanged nut to match the OE configuration. Since these are fine thread, can use the initial torque plus X number of degrees torque specs. Can't do that with the RH bolts since they are coarse thread.

It's fairly implied since you say they're the same length as RH supplied and you installed them, but just to verify before ordering...

The RH4x4 rear frame side LCA skid's instructions state the bolts are 160mm, but you bought 150mm. The 150mm are long enough to fully seat a nut using the RH skids, spacers, and extra thick washer they provide?

Thanks!

 

[Pliny]

It's fairly implied since you say they're the same length as RH supplied and you installed them, but just to verify before ordering...

The RH4x4 rear frame side LCA skid's instructions state the bolts are 160mm, but you bought 150mm. The 150mm are long enough to fully seat a nut using the RH skids, spacers, and extra thick washer they provide?

Thanks!

No idea what RH is supplying now, if that 160mm is a typo, or how they are measuring the bolt length.

This is the front LCA axle side skid with the bolt with 150mm shank length:

Rear frame side skid, 150mm bolt shank length:

And the rear axle side 120mm bolt ends up with this many threads past the nut:

 

[WILDHOBO]

No idea what RH is supplying now, if that 160mm is a typo, or how they are measuring the bolt length.

This is the front LCA axle side skid with the bolt with 150mm shank length:

Rear frame side skid, 150mm bolt shank length:

And the rear axle side 120mm bolt ends up with this many threads past the nut:

The issue is the rear shock bolts.

 

[GladLad]

No idea what RH is supplying now, if that 160mm is a typo, or how they are measuring the bolt length.

This is the front LCA axle side skid with the bolt with 150mm shank length:

Rear frame side skid, 150mm bolt shank length:

And the rear axle side 120mm bolt ends up with this many threads past the nut:

You the man! Bringing the receipts with a caliper and everything.

Thank you. Just wanted to make sure the rear frame skid was part of your project and that there was plenty of bolt for their whole kit of skid, spacer, washer.

I don't see how they could have made it wider considering the tight fit on the passenger side, so I'd wager it's the same.

 

[Lochsa]

This is the front LCA axle side skid with the bolt with 150mm shank length

I have the front axle side lower control arm skids, the rear axle side lower control arm skids, and the rear frame side lower control arms skids. What are you guys torquing these to? I have done 210 foot/lbs, but still can't get enough compression to eliminate clunking on the Rock Hard 4x4 skids. I think the front lower axle side skids are the worst. They also seem prone to loosen up over time. Any suggestions before I give up on them and take them off?

 

[GladLad]

I have the front axle side lower control arm skids, the rear axle side lower control arm skids, and the rear frame side lower control arms skids. What are you guys torquing these to? I have done 210 foot/lbs, but still can't get enough compression to eliminate clunking on the Rock Hard 4x4 skids. I think the front lower axle side skids are the worst. They also seem prone to loosen up over time. Any suggestions before I give up on them and take them off?

You get clunking on all of them, or can't tell?

I don't have them, just in the market considering the rear frame side. And now wondering what would allow them to cause clunking. The spacers moving around, sliding on the mounts, or what. I imagine you don't mean arms are hitting in extreme articulation.

 

[Lochsa]

I think it is in the front lowers primarily, but would not be able to tell exactly until I remove the fronts and see if the rears are also "clunking". The design of the skid wraps around the factory bracket making it difficult to get enough force to clamp the bushing on the control arm. The skid is in no way hitting the control arm, it is probably just some slop in the control arms due to lack of torque that can be applied

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