Hitch Removal Problem

[noresttill]

Im removing an OEM rear hitch from an 87 XJ and am having difficulty. I cant get that center brace off of it. Do I need to take the bumper off? Or is there a trick to it?

Jesse

[noresttill]

Reading it again, maybe I wasn't clear enough, there is a verticle brace that bolt to the frame right by the gas tank. I cant get the two torx bolts off.

Jesse

[Matthew Currie]

It's been a while since I took the factory bumper hitch off my rusty 87, but as I recall I had to torch off the torx bolts. The rest of the fasteners weren't too bad despite the rust, and if you're lucky you might be able to recycle the nut strips inside the frame, which are the same as those used on the class III hitch.

Handy hint for recycled nut strips if the threads are tired, rusty or stripped. The metric fasteners used for the hitch are just a little smaller, and the same threads per inch, as 3/4" US coarse thread. It is very easy to retap the holes for US 3/4 x 10.

[need4speedjp]

I had a hell of a time with my stock hitch, it ended up in many pices after i found my Sawz-All.

[x99j]

after heat i still could not budge three of the bolts so i got a very long breaker bar and put a pipe on it. then i twisted the heads off the bolts. then the hitch came down. the bad about this is the studs are still stuck in the screw holes. the good news is i got rid of a rusty ugly aftermarket hitch that hung lower than any stock one.

[noresttill]

Well, I got off the 8 hexes. I had to cut one because midway the nut came out of the strip.

Its those %&^$% two torxs!!! Im thinking the tank has to be removed, or cut through the cargo floor. Neither of which I want to do.

Anyone else??

Please??

Jesse

[Saudade]

I have an '88 with the light duty hitch. I can get to the nuts on those torx on mine. There is a plate blocking direct access but I could slide a long wrench in from the side over the nut. Of course, I didn't attempt to loosen them since I'm not trying to take mine off.

I'll try and take a picture in the morning, if you haven't used explosives by then.

[Eagle]

Well, I got off the 8 hexes. I had to cut one because midway the nut came out of the strip.

Its those %&^$% two torxs!!! Im thinking the tank has to be removed, or cut through the cargo floor. Neither of which I want to do.

Anyone else??

Please??

Jesse
I did one with copious quantities of P-B Blaster followed by using the biggest pipe wrench I had available (I think it was a 24 incher). There was just enough space to get the pipe wrench up there and on the bolt heads.

[Saudade]

I assume you're referring to these.....
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2447/img0001smalliz9.jpg

I am able to reach mine. It's a bit tight but I can get a long box end wrench over the nuts. They are the ones circled in red.....

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1122/img0003smallqu3.jpg

Funny, now that I look at the picture a bit closer, it looks like a nut plate. As suggested earlier, try shooting some PB Blaster in there to lube them up.