Is this normal?

[codyyy]

I've now gone up to the junkyard 6 or 7 times... for a gas tank skid and a hitch.
1. Got a hitch, the little mounting point for the electrical wires to mount to is damaged, but since I am using this for a recovery point, I didn't care. It came off an older XJ and has a big plate going up to the body to mount to (unlike the newer ones that don't have that plate).
2. Realized that I needed the driver's side bracket, I went back up there to grab it. Didn't realize I needed a pry bar and drill for those rivets, so went home empty handed.
3. Went up there again, with a backpack full of anything I could possibly need. I must've had enough tools there to build a junkyard Transformers if I wanted. Grabbed the bracket, went home.
4. Realized that my passenger side bracket is rusted out and basically broken. Went up there again to get that bracket.
5. Found out that I should grab a skid plate as well, so I head up there and grabbed one off a ZJ since newer XJ gas tank skids are apparently rare. I noted that the new Mopar hitch on one newer XJ does not have that back plate on it, so pretty much the hitch mounted with the 8 or 10 bolts.
6. Realized that the driver's side bracket I got I stripped out, I tried running a tap through and then realized that the nuts on the bracket were crooked, so the bolts wouldn't go in there square. I kept trying to tap them but I gave up trying to fix such a stupid part. Went back up there and grabbed another driver's bracket.
Now I realize that the factory hitch I have won't mount up because that back plate has to be cut off, it doesn't fit between the back of the skid plate and the body. I still need to drill out the holes in the ZJ skid plate. I was debating on grabbing a ZJ transfer case skid but realized it probably won't fit.
Is this normal? I don't think I can say, "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand", because this is highly an extreme case for such a simple thing. It took me about a month to put the lift on my Jeep, because every bolt either broke or was seized and I never can have enough tools for this Jeep. Heck, I started working on my dad's Model A and it's like 5000 times easier, and it's an 80 year old vehicle. No bolts break, parts are cheap, no rust to deal with or breaking loose anything.

[GSequoia]

Sounds like working on rust belt junk!

As for the center plate that is an earlier hitch thing only, I'm not sure when they stopped but somewhere between 1991 - 1993 from my observations. You can put that hitch on any early body style XJ with no modifications, the holes are even there. I have no experience with later body XJs though so you may have to cut it then.

[codyyy]

I'm pretty sure I have to just cut that back plate off. My Jeep doesn't even have the two holes that that plate would mount to. It has provisions for the holes but they aren't punched out or anything, so I'll just cut it off. I don't think that plate will weaken the hitch or anything. The newer Mopar hitch I've seen doesn't even have that plate at all and most aftermarket hitches don't have it either I don't think.

[SanDiegoOverland]

yeah, cody, mine has that plate too, i think. is it the one that has two holes in it? I was going to throw a few short bolts into mine cuz my 92's body does actually have the ability to tie in there.

I've towed my little 4x6 trailer all over town without them tied in, however, with no ill effects...

-Brian

[codyyy]

Yeah it has two oval holes in the top of it. It's a rectangular plate. My Jeep doesn't have the holes in the body to mount that plate and not only that, fitting the bolts in there would be a real pain because the plastic gas tank is about an inch or so from the mounting plate, making it near impossible for me to mount it without dropping the tank.
I won't be towing anything with my Jeep I don't think, I want to use the hitch as a recovery point off-road.

[SanDiegoOverland]

ah, I see.

Yeah, I think its plenty strong for recovery without those two bolts. I'd feel fine snatching someone without them in right now (even though I'll eventually add them for the sheer "over-beefness".)

[GSequoia]

've towed my little 4x6 trailer all over town without them tied in, however, with no ill effects...

Yeah, there will be no problem not using that attachment point. The mid-90s and up hitches do not have that plate (the only differences are the lack of that plate and a better wiring box).

[PhotographerMike]

The plate might have something to do with exploding gas tanks in Pintos. One of my hitches has the plate and the other Cherokee has the mounting holes.

[GSequoia]

I think when they contracted the hitch out ot Valley (if I recall) they didn't tell them that the vehicle would only be rated to tow 5,000 lbs so they were way overbuilt. Down the line during Chrysler's constant cost cutting they removed that plate.

[SanDiegoOverland]

Yeah, there will be no problem not using that attachment point. The mid-90s and up hitches do not have that plate (the only differences are the lack of that plate and a better wiring box).
yup, cool, mine has the wiring box, too.

Mine's a 1992, but the hitch was bought 2nd-hand, so its probably from 1990 and earlier.

by the way, I bought my nut-strips from www.morris4x4.com (http://www.morris4x4.com), for about 14.00 a side, (mine had neither). Very good service, and price for a nice plug and play part. Just fyi cody, if you end up needing them. They took about a week to get to my doorstep.

[codyyy]

yup, cool, mine has the wiring box, too.

Mine's a 1992, but the hitch was bought 2nd-hand, so its probably from 1990 and earlier.

by the way, I bought my nut-strips from www.morris4x4.com (http://www.morris4x4.com), for about 14.00 a side, (mine had neither). Very good service, and price for a nice plug and play part. Just fyi cody, if you end up needing them. They took about a week to get to my doorstep.
I was looking for some new ones, I called up the nearest Jeep dealership and they wanted IIRC 30 or 35 dollars per side.

[SanDiegoOverland]

I was looking for some new ones, I called up the nearest Jeep dealership and they wanted IIRC 30 or 35 dollars per side.

Yeah, I looked too. I think I ended up paying 39.00 out the door, shipped for two.

[IslanderOffRoad]

Is what normal?

The plate, repeated trips to fix a Jeep issue, or Jeepers trying to fit parts from other vehicles to fix them?

I think all 3 are normal

[Blazair]

I've now gone up to the junkyard 6 or 7 times... for a gas tank skid and a hitch. ...

Is this normal? .
Its just you. I never have any problems with my Jeep! :)

[codyyy]

Haha. I've just never had to do so much work for such a simple part. Usually when I hit up the junkyard it's a one time thing.

[codyyy]

Well I cut off the back plate on the hitch, and it still doesn't fit with the skid plate. I drilled out holes using the hitch as a template and realized I have to roll up the back of the skid plate because it hits the hitch. I should have just bought the newer Mopar hitch but I didn't know about it after I already had another one. This is a royal PITA, just like every other part I put into this Jeep.

[MaxxXJ]

dude, your xj is just like mine!! =) everything ive tried to replace has either broke a bolt or something! my nut strip was rusted bad, and my transfer car bolts broke out so i had to cut them out with a plazma cutter and weld in some different bolts... lame, im so afraid to try and remove my front shock mount bolt... hey, and did you know that the transmission mounts on xj's are different... i didnt i went down to the jy and bought a tranny mount for my cross member off of a 96 xj and went home to put it in and it didnt fit! i had to pry it over into place to get it to bolt into place... your not alone on owning a demon jeep lol

[codyyy]

There's a lot of questions I have for Chrysler, like why they never anti-seize anything. I guess they must've pinned these XJs as throw away cars or something.
Heck, I broke a seat mount bolt due to being rusted out, and it's inside the vehicle. However my floorboards look mint almost. It's amazing how my Jeep survived Michigan with only a small rust hole in the quarter panel, yet every bolt is seized just about.

[MaxxXJ]

There's a lot of questions I have for Chrysler, like why they never anti-seize anything. I guess they must've pinned these XJs as throw away cars or something.
Heck, I broke a seat mount bolt due to being rusted out, and it's inside the vehicle. However my floorboards look mint almost. It's amazing how my Jeep survived Michigan with only a small rust hole in the quarter panel, yet every bolt is seized just about.

holy crap, yours came from michigan too lol, after there mine went to san diego, and now bakersfield, dude, i broke the driver side rear bolt next to the door, i had to drill it out, cut off the old nut thing, and feed the bolt thru from outside to inside!, i broke out all my rear shock bolts up top, i broke the rear bumpie stops trying to put longer ones in... i think 2 of my bleeder valves on my front brakes broke... i had a small dime size rust spot on my passenger front door, broke 2 of the 4 bolts that held my Transfer case cross member on... not to mention my tranny mount was pretty much destroyed... when i bought the jeep my rear seal was leaking on my front axle... i could go on, but im sure your story is the same as mine lol

[codyyy]

8 bolts going through the hitch will be more than enough, right? Those nutserts have 5 nuts on each one, and the factory hitch only has 4 holes per side.

[codyyy]

I almost want to trade someone for a newer hitch but I doubt anyone will.

[MaxxXJ]

the extra 2 go thru the pinch seam by the bumper right? i wouldnt stress those 2 for a recovery point. i made a spare tire swing away and mounted it to my hitch =) it looks pretty nice

[codyyy]

It's two holes in the middle of the nutsert IIRC, the third nut in the middle of each nutsert. The factory hitch I have only has 4 holes per side: the first holes go through the pinch seam, the next two are about an inch or so from the first ones, then comes the two holes about 3/4 the way down and then the last two are the last ones at the back of the hitch.

[MaxxXJ]

well all your weight is going to be on those front bolts not so much the back, or at least thats what i think. the hitch is soft enough you could always just drill a hole for the 5th bolt hole, bolt the nut strip to the hitch, draw out the hole, mark center with a punch and drill a hole a lil bigger than the dia of the bolt just so you have a little bit of play to work with... thats what i'd do.

[codyyy]

I could do that but that just adds to the already huge amount of work I have to do just to put this on, and besides it's 1/4" steel or so.

[MaxxXJ]

what i had to do was tie fishing line to my carriage bolts and feed the string thru each hole and tie it to the bolt and drag it thru the unibody into each hole, then put the nut on the outside... whats an extra 20 minutes drilling 2 holes... i would do it now while its off, and IIRC the exhaust bolts up to the back 2 bolts... it did with my xj

[codyyy]

Darn I forgot about that. This blows.

[MaxxXJ]

lol at least i told you before you installed it =) makes things a lil easier i dunno where bay park is but if you were close i'd drive down and bring some pb blaster =D

[codyyy]

I have PB Blaster, that's the one thing this Jeep gets soaked in. If I could I would buy a tub full of it and just let the Jeep bathe in it for about a week. Bay Park is in San Diego, aka not close to you.

[MaxxXJ]

another scary coinsidence... my xj moved from michigan to san diego, and got sold at an auction to a dealer down here... no wonder our jeeps are so similar, they are prolly related somehow too lol i think i still have the car fax report stating when it moved etc lol
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e88/sik05civic/jeep%20pics/IMG_0190.jpg

[codyyy]

Haha yeah. I bought my Jeep from a dealer about 4 or 5 years ago when I lived in Michigan. This one had been taken care of pretty good and I got a bit of good parts.

[MaxxXJ]

what year is your jeep? and btw i found the pic and posted it on the last post on the first page... i edited the post

[codyyy]

'98 Cherokee Limited.

[MaxxXJ]

does yours have the power window problem where only the driver side control switches works? mine i have to control the rear's and passenger door windows by my side cuz the other switches doesnt work

[codyyy]

The passenger window is the only one that doesn't work, but even then it's just finicky. I took care of the Jeep when I was there, a lot of my friends had rusting problems with theirs.

[codyyy]

I don't think this ZJ skid will work without a ton of modification. I keep drilling more and more holes in it and it magically still doesn't line up. Must be just my luck that I pick an old XJ hitch and a ZJ skid plate expecting it to work because people say it will work with "minor modification".

[SanDiegoOverland]

any progress, bud?

-Brian

[codyyy]

I ditched the ZJ skid plate and just put the hitch on. I'm awesome and drilled out one of the holes in the hitch a little too far off, so I have 9 bolts going in instead of 10, big deal. I'm either going to wait until someone has a cheap skid plate or sell/trade this ZJ skid plate for what I need. Out of all the skid plates I have, none of them work.