Can't get studs out of t-case crossmember..please help!

As with every project I have ever attempted on my 91 my waders aren't tall enough for me to get through the you know what to finish a project and trying to install a T-case drop has turned into the latest nightmare. I got an OME drop kit which looks great and came with new hardware and everything but today when I went to install it I could not get the studs out. I tried everything I have learned during my past blunders, I had a stud remover (can't get a grip on it b/c of the cross member), Latched on with vice grips (just spun around the stud and screwed up the threads worse), finally I tried to weld the nut on to the stud so maybe I could turn it out with a wrench (couldn't get the weld to stick to the stud). I am out of ideas that seem even remotely logical or sane and I am looking for help. I have a 900 mile round trip next weekend that I won't miss but I am tired of the driveline vibes. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance.

What studs are there on the crossmember? The only studs I can think of are the tranny bushing.....and those can't and don't need to be removed. There are bolts holding the crossmember on.....but where are the studs?

On some XJs, there's one stud and one bolt on each end of the crossmember. Are those the studs you're talking about? Have you removed the crossmember?

Did you try double-nutting it?

The cross member on mine is held in by a bolt and a nut on each side. The nut threads onto a stud that is sticking out of the frame rail and since the directions say to remove the bolts and studs, the kit came with 4 new longer bolts, and since the stud sticking out is too short for the drop, I assume it should be able to come out. Is my XJ really so evil that it is supposed to have 4 bolts and doesn't?

oh didn't know that some came with studs......that sucks. Well the best way to get studs out above a stud remover is the double nut method in my opinion. Take both of the nuts from the 2 studs you have...put them both on one stud and tighten them against each other as much as possible...now just put a wrench on the inner nut and turn. Of course you'll probably need to loosen up the stud with wd-40 or PB blater or something, but this is your best best to get them off. _nicko_

myne has the stud and bolt (2 studs and 2 bolts)

if you support the t-case with a jack, you can remove the x-member completely (2 bolts, 2 nuts, and 4 nuts on the t-case/tranny mount)

then get the x-member out of the way and use your stud remover.
if that doesnt work, cut the stud off, drill it out tap the hole and then go from there (i had to do this with one of the bolts, because i was stupid and over tightended it, causing the bolt to break off.
Annother thread on this here:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=30117&highlight=Stud+Remove
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/tcase.html
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=30720&highlight=Stud+Remove
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=29547&highlight=Stud+Remove

gearwhine said:

oh didn't know that some came with studs

Click to expand...

I don't know of any that came without the same combo of one stud and one bolt in each side of the crossmember. Squeezing the nuts (ouch, that's a harsh image) with two wrenches can work, or a pair of Vise-Grips cranked down on the stud to turn it will help. Shoot it with PB Blaster and even tighten it slightly before removing it - they do come out but after a winter or two it's pretty tough.

I just ran into this with my drop brackets. 1 stud 1 bolt per side. use some pb blaster or penatrating liquid on the welded nuts inside the unibody. I went to sears and purchase a set of stud, bolt extracters. 19.99 for the regular socket style or you can get the air tool quality with a few more sizes for 59.00. soaked the stud for about 1 hour with pb blaster. and they came right out no problems.

I really wrestled with mine. I soaked it every day for w week inpb blaster, tried double nutting and even ground a flathead notch with a grinder to no avail. In the end it took a low temp plimbers torch and some vice grips on there REALLY tight. I wouldn't recomend drilling adn tapping as it is not solid metal, but a welded nut on top of tin sheet metal. Try heat.

I know this doesnt really help you out but just thought i would share. I needed a tc drop and my crossmember had been banged around and didnt want to loose the ground clearance so i did this...
http://rustysoffroad.com/Merchant2/...ROD&Product_Code=CM-200&Category_Code=xj_skid installed in 30 mins or so.