Body mount bolt help – popping, but would rather avoid crackle and snap

[John in the Woods]

Count me among the hundreds who've battled with the body mount bolts. I read everything I could find here, and watched every video I bumped into, but I'm up against something I haven't seen directly mentioned ...

Using a propane torch to apply heat, up to 60 seconds at a time, as many as five or six times in 15 minutes. Middle driver's side bolt was stiff, but came out after one or two blasts from the torch.

Front driver's bolt was VERY stiff, even after all the heating it backed out about 1/4 inch, then wouldn't go further. It started "popping" and turning a little at a time, but not coming out any more. I assume this is the hidden winged nut on the top jumping and spinning.

Back driver's did the same thing, but only after about one turn.

No amount of added heat could get me past this point on either bolt. I gave both bolts a few blasts with a weak-ass Harbor Freight impact wrench, but no motion at all. I could break out the breaker bar, but I don't want to be the latest fool who snaps one of these bolts.

With an added round of heat, I managed to get the driver's front and rear bolts back tight and torqued. I reinstalled the middle bolt (with a little anti-seize). I didn't even try the passenger side.

So I'm back to square one. I'm open to any and all advice. Should I:

• Keep heating and going at it, using the 1/2 turn out, 1/4 turn back method?
• Is it time for a serious impact driver?
• Do I get out the breaker bar and a pipe?
• Is there a trick I'm missing?
• Or do I take it to the dealer and see if I can pay them to remove and reinstall the body bolts with some anti-seize on them all?

If there are other options, I'm open to anything. I hate to waste winter days not working on the rig, but damn those stories about broken body bolts are scary.

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[hjdca]

If you decide to continue, ..... Keep heating with the torch, but, make sure you do not damage the huge rubber bushing. First, go only 1/4 turn back and 1/8 turn forward... or, 1/8 turn forward and 1/8 turn backward for a while. I did use a breaker bar for this. The slack you feel when changing directions does not necessarily mean that the welded nut is broken, but, it could be starting to get loose.... The more you go back and forth - even if you are not loosening much at all, the more you will loosen the red lock tite. Just take your time, even if you think you are not making progress... Even moving it a smidge one way and a smidge the other way is helping you loosen the red locktite. I would not put an impact driver on it.

 

[bleda2002]

Personally would just pay a dealer to remove and reinstall sans red loctite.

Most likely you could just do above and basically loosen and tighten again and again but the cost to repair a broken bolt worries me enough that I'd not chance it

 

[John in the Woods]

Personally would just pay a dealer to remove and reinstall sans red loctite.

Most likely you could just do above and basically loosen and tighten again and again but the cost to repair a broken bolt worries me enough that I'd not chance it

I'm going to reach out to the dealer and see if they're game. If they are, I'll go that way. If they say no, then I'll go the ultra-slow heat way.

Thanks @bleda2002 and @hjdca for the feedback.

If I do end up going at it myself, any suggestions on how to deal with that "popping" upper nut?

 

[LostWoods]

Impacts are going to better for you than a breaker bar which will have a tendency to shear the head off. A cheap impact may feel like it's working but anyone who has played with a real 1/2" impact knows the difference.

First make sure your impact is getting enough air. Pancake compressors don't put out enough flow at high enough pressure to sustain a 1/2" impact and it'll taper off. If that's not the issue, you probably need a stronger impact.

To the other suggestion, no shop will remove known stuck fasteners without a waiver and hiding that from them is a dick move. They're not responsible in any case if one breaks and it'll be on you to fix it. For something like a body mount bolt where it's an arguable safety issue, they might not let you leave until it's fixed and that will cost you. They are fully within their power to do so in many places because it creates an unsafe vehicle.

 

[John in the Woods]

Impacts are going to better for you than a breaker bar which will have a tendency to shear the head off. A cheap impact may feel like it's working but anyone who has played with a real 1/2" impact knows the difference.

First make sure your impact is getting enough air. Pancake compressors don't put out enough flow at high enough pressure to sustain a 1/2" impact and it'll taper off. If that's not the issue, you probably need a stronger impact.

To the other suggestion, no shop will remove known stuck fasteners without a waiver and hiding that from them is a dick move. They're not responsible in any case if one breaks and it'll be on you to fix it. For something like a body mount bolt where it's an arguable safety issue, they might not let you leave until it's fixed and that will cost you. They are fully within their power to do so in many places because it creates an unsafe vehicle.

Legit point, my friend. I'll reach out to the dealer, but play it straight and upfront. It's a small shop that does a lot of Jeep aftermarket work too, so maybe they're game to try. If not, I'll give it a shot myself. Thanks.

 

[BrentMG]

Have you tried just pulling it down? I think I had the same problems with the same bolt. I pulled straight down, with some effort and it came off.

 

[John in the Woods]

Have you tried just pulling it down? I think I had the same problems with the same bolt. I pulled straight down, with some effort and it came off.

Do you mean pull down while turning? I had to use a bar to give the middle bolt a tug down, but I could tell it was free and loose and it just needed to pop out. The front and back bolts are still locked in, and very hard to turn. I could get a second person to apply some downward pressure while I try to heat and turn. Is that what you mean?

 

[NC_Overland]

Stupid question, why are people removing body mounts? Are people doing body lifts on JTs now?

 

[John in the Woods]

Stupid question, why are people removing body mounts? Are people doing body lifts on JTs now?

Maybe not so stupid, given the experience some folks have.

A few different manufacturers use the body bolts to attach rock sliders.

 

[bleda2002]

Maybe not so stupid, given the experience some folks have.

A few different manufacturers use the body bolts to attach rock sliders.

You may want to ask the dealer how much to install the sliders, the quote i got was less than 2 hours of labor so it was fairly reasonable (depends on the hourly rate of course). I ended up going with different sliders but when I was looking in to the rockhards i asked around a bit since I was worried about the body mounts.

 

[John in the Woods]

You may want to ask the dealer how much to install the sliders, the quote i got was less than 2 hours of labor so it was fairly reasonable (depends on the hourly rate of course). I ended up going with different sliders but when I was looking in to the rockhards i asked around a bit since I was worried about the body mounts.

I did exactly that. Offered them both options.

 

[NC_Overland]

Maybe not so stupid, given the experience some folks have.

A few different manufacturers use the body bolts to attach rock sliders.

Oh. Ok. That totally makes sense. Frame mounted sliders.

I didn’t think I’d ever heard of anyone doing a body lift on a JL/JT. I haven’t seen many body lifts since the TJ days.

 

[BrentMG]

Do you mean pull down while turning? I had to use a bar to give the middle bolt a tug down, but I could tell it was free and loose and it just needed to pop out. The front and back bolts are still locked in, and very hard to turn. I could get a second person to apply some downward pressure while I try to heat and turn. Is that what you mean?

It's been over a year but I think I just grabbed some 550 cord wrapped it around the bolt and pulled straight down. The bolt was stuck but wasn't threaded, that was why it kept popping and turning.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

I used a small torch and 18" breaker so that I wouldn't be able to over torque them. then when loosened a bit, I used the 24". There was some popping along the way with 2 or 3 of the long bolts. The other ones came out with a little less effort.

• Keep heating and going at it, using the 1/2 turn out, 1/4 turn back method?
• Do I get out the breaker bar and a pipe?

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