carmudgeons.com  

Go Back   carmudgeons.com > Automotive Forums > Technical Superiority

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-27-2008, 10:49 AM   #1
clyde
Chief title editor
 
clyde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 26,599
super dumb question

Changed some fluids, etc on the Armada this weekend. There's a skid plate that needs to be removed to get to the oil filter and I ran into a problem. There are four bolts that hold the skid plate in place, 2 at the front that go into what is basically the metal portion of the bumper (also might serve as the lower radiator support) and 2 at the rear that go into a crossmember. I couldn't get the front ones to come out. They spin and feel normal, they just don't back out at all. Going the other way, they don't torque up either. It's like there were nuts on the ends and you're not keeping them in place...except (as far as I know) there aren't supposed to be any nuts and if there were, there'd be no way to access them. The attached photo shows the front of a Titan with the bumper removed. The red ovals show the appoximate location where the bolts would extend through if they went all the way through the bumper, but they terminate within the bumper.

Searching the Armada and Titan boards, a lot of people have problems with stripping and/or snapping the heads on these bolts, but I haven't found anyone with the same issue as me.

Any ideas?
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	titanfront.jpg
Views:	512
Size:	71.1 KB
ID:	3332  
__________________
OH NOES!!!!!1 MY CAR HAS T3H UND3R5T33R5555!!!!!!1oneone!!!!11

Team WTF?!
What are you gonna do?

Last edited by clyde; 05-27-2008 at 11:00 AM.
clyde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 10:53 AM   #2
dan
redefined
 
dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 14,884
Quote:
Originally Posted by clyde View Post
The attached photo
dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 10:57 AM   #3
bren
lawn boy
 
bren's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: e46m3, f25x3,C5 Z06, C4 Vette, 06 CTD Ram, and a trailer
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,029
Maybe it's time to call on Nick's expertise with the torch.
bren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:01 AM   #4
clyde
Chief title editor
 
clyde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 26,599
Quote:
Originally Posted by makaveli View Post
__________________
OH NOES!!!!!1 MY CAR HAS T3H UND3R5T33R5555!!!!!!1oneone!!!!11

Team WTF?!
What are you gonna do?
clyde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:03 AM   #5
ff
.
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 13,514
Can you take a pliers or Vise Grips to the head of the screw and pull outwards/downwards as you turn? Sometimes that works.
ff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:04 AM   #6
dan
redefined
 
dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 14,884
Go by a Jiffy Lube and ask what's wrong
dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:08 AM   #7
Plaz
•••••••
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: '11 1M
Location: Churzee
Posts: 17,741
You're sure they're threaded bolts and not one-time-use breakaway clips of some kind?
__________________
2011 1M
Plaz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:10 AM   #8
ff
.
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 13,514
Quote:
Originally Posted by makaveli View Post
Go by a Jiffy Lube and ask what's wrong
That's probably the kind of place that stripped the screws in the first place.
ff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:23 AM   #9
clyde
Chief title editor
 
clyde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 26,599
Quote:
Originally Posted by ff View Post
Can you take a pliers or Vise Grips to the head of the screw and pull outwards/downwards as you turn? Sometimes that works.
That's probably the next option, but I'm not sure if I can get to them with what I have. Because of where they're located, I need a 4" extension to get a socket on them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plaz View Post
You're sure they're threaded bolts and not one-time-use breakaway clips of some kind?
Pretty much. I'm not exactly sure what they thread into; if it's the bumper itself or there's something inside the bumper. The latter would be pretty stupid, but it wouldn't be the first time that a manufacturer had done something dumb like that.
__________________
OH NOES!!!!!1 MY CAR HAS T3H UND3R5T33R5555!!!!!!1oneone!!!!11

Team WTF?!
What are you gonna do?
clyde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2008, 11:29 AM   #10
Optimus Prime
Carmudgeon
 
Optimus Prime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Golf TDi
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 3,283
I've had similar situations where a blind nut was captured or spot welded but got free and it was a major PITA to solve. I hope that's not the case, but it may be.

The only real fix for those issues it complete disassembly and then reattaching or capturing the blind nut.
__________________
Jason
Optimus Prime is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Forums © 2003-2008, 'Mudgeon Enterprises - Site hosting by AYN & Associates, LLC