Shocking problem

[Rowdy2]

I have a 99 XJ (my baby), my problem is I was installing new shocks and while removing the top rears, all but 1 bolt head broke off . The next problem occurred while I was having the bolts removed, the actually insert broke out. So now I have just a hole with no way to thread a bolt in. I have a feeling that when I try to remove the other 2 the same will happen. Does anybody know how I can get my shocks mounted? I have asked a few welders and so far none of them feel comfortable welding that thin metal... Please help.

Shirley

 

[JeepFreak21]

Hi Shirley,

This is a common problem. There are a few solutions. You can cut the floor to get to the top of the bolt. You make/buy a cross member to mount the rear shocks to. And there may be other solutions too. Just search for "shock bolt" and I bet you get a bunch of relevant hits.

HTH,
Billy

 

[Original_MudButt]

I just did a lift on my '98 and even after a week of soaking in PB Blaster, I still broke 3 of them.

Here's how I fixed them.

I took a punch and knocked all of the welded nuts out from the bottom so all that was left was a hole.

Then I took a box end wrench and taped the washer and nut into it. With a razor blade I cut a hole through the tape where the washer is.

Then you can feed the wrench (with nut/washer) up onto the top of the shock hanger.

Install shock and bolt then remove wrench.

It was really easy.

 

[Onyx Dragon]

You had it worse than I did. I was still able to drill out mine.

 

[BillDunn83]

its almost not worth drilling them out because it is so easy to just replace the weld on nuts. I have had it happen to all 4 bolts on both of my xj's now i break them on purpose just to go ahead and replace them.

 

[mcantar18c]

Damn, from the thread title I was hoping to see something about you getting zapped somehow haha.
But yeah, SEARCH and you'll get your answer in about 1000 different ways.

 

[96TNXJ]

Damn, from the thread title I was hoping to see something about you getting zapped somehow haha.
But yeah, SEARCH and you'll get your answer in about 1000 different ways.

hahaha I thought the same thing and as far as fixing it I was thinking (never done it) get Bar Pin Elim and instead of bolting them on you could weld them on. Anyone done this??

 

[Rowdy2]

I have bar pin elim, however the fabricators that I talked to said that the thin metal that is nomally welded by computers is difficult to weld manually. They could not guarantee their work.

I would like to thank the XJers that already responded, you guys had good ideas. Thanks for helping a girl out!

 

[mfascuba]

I put bar pin eliminators in that area after breaking two of four bolts. I'd second the suggestion of knocking out the welded nuts and just using normal non-welded hardware to secure the BPE's - next time around it will be an easy day!

Mark

 

[kastein]

I had this happen - either drill them out or knock the rest of the nuts out (you got lucky, most people will try to do that and yours came out that way by themselves) and use the tape+wrench method... or tie a piece of fishing line around the end of a new bolt and pull it in from above, then put the nut on the bottom. You probably want either M8-1.25x35mm or 5/16-18 1" bolts, grade 8.