How to remove trailer hitch nuts and bolts?!

Last year, while buying some used parts, this was thrown in as part of the deal while negotiating prices for the other parts:

It's a gas tank skid that was apparently manufactured by Five Bolt.Main, a company that seems to have gone the way of the dodo. It seems super beefy, and I figure that it's either time to install it, or time to sell it. It apparently just uses the eight bolts that hold the trailer hitch onto the unibody frame. I had some time to kill this past weekend and thought I would knock out this install in a matter of a few minutes. I even did the unthinkable and soaked all the bolts with WD40 a few days before I tried this.

Come to find out, I can't get any of the driver side bolts loose. This is what I am working with:

The bolts just spin inside the subframe. It's like I need a wrench on the other side to hold them in place, but I can't get a wrench in there without removing the bumper, right?
Even if I had the bumper removed, would the space be big enough for me to reach my hand in there to get a wrench on the bolts furthest from the back of the XJ?

I tried to find a writeup on how to remove a hitch, but couldn't find one.
Anyone that has removed a hitch after it has been installed, your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

First,WD40 is worthless for rust.Sounds like they just used regular bolts instead of a nutstrip or square washers/carriage bolts.Your going to need to pull the bumper(or grind/cut the bolts).

Have you tried an impact wrench? Sometimes, with enough torque, the nuts will come loose even if the bolts are spinning with it. If nothing else, pull the bumper and see if you can get breaker bar into the frame. You might have to cut/grind the opening for it.

Your best bet might be to cut them off.

Still going to have to pull the bumper since he's got to reinstall the skid/hitch!

I had this problem too.Remove the bumper and use a long ball-joint spreader that is 3/4in between the forks.Put that in there to hold the nut still while you turn the bolt with a socket.Then use a piece of coat hanger to fish out the nuts.It's a PIA but it works.

jeeperguy21 said:

It's a gas tank skid that was apparently manufactured by Five Bolt.Main, a company that seems to have gone the way of the dodo.

Click to expand...

:bs:


Thats a stock gas skid. Its also been cut down at the very back of the mounts, most likely to clear a bumper/hitch.

jeeperguy21 said:

It apparently just uses the eight bolts that hold the trailer hitch onto the unibody frame.

Click to expand...

It uses 5 bolts per side.





Cut the bolts off and throw them away. Go get yourself some new factory nutsrips and some matching 10.9 hardware. Or get some nutstrips from JCR.

foxwar71 said:

Thats a stock gas skid. Its also been cut down at the very back of the mounts, most likely to clear a bumper/hitch.
It uses 5 bolts per side.

Click to expand...

After seeing a picture of a factory gas tank skid, this most definitely is from the factory. A free skid plate is still free

I guess we were both wrong on how many bolts it takes. It doesn't take 8 or 10. It takes 4 bolts on the driver side and 5 on the passenger side, 9 in total.

Thanks for the suggestions on how to get these out everyone. I really like the ball joint separator idea. I'm now starting to wonder how much I really want this thing on there. :roll: With how little my XJ sees the big rocks, I think this might just be unnecessary weight for my DD. I'll let you know how it goes if I end up going through with the install. For now, it might just continue to take up space in my garage. Can anyone testify about the durability of the factory gas tank skid plate? Thanks again.

I don't see alot of rocks either but it does help when you drop into a deep hole when mudding.Mine has saved me on countless occasions.I would put it on if it were me.I did mine and it took me about 2hrs by myself. Well worth the time.I didn't have nut strips.If you use nut strips and an extra hand then it'll go alot faster.

jeeperguy21 said:

I guess we were both wrong on how many bolts it takes. It doesn't take 8 or 10. It takes 4 bolts on the driver side and 5 on the passenger side, 9 in total.

Click to expand...

No, Im right


It takes 10 bolts, 5 per side. 5 round holes on the PS and 5 slotted holes on the DS. Unfortunately, somebody has hacked that one up a little bit and the full mounting advantage of the rearmost bolt holes.




Heres how I beefed up my last stocker skid too:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1001169

foxwar71 said:

No, Im right


It takes 10 bolts, 5 per side. 5 round holes on the PS and 5 slotted holes on the DS. Unfortunately, somebody has hacked that one up a little bit and the full mounting advantage of the rearmost bolt holes.




Heres how I beefed up my last stocker skid too:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1001169

Click to expand...

Ha! Fair enough. I am right about MY skid plate then only taking 9 bolts

Thanks for your help.

lol, five bolt main is a band that falls under the one hit wonder category circa the early 2000's era. thatd be a factory skid, still cant beat free!!