P500 Skid Plate Bolts

[FuzzyGrub]

Early on (less than 500 miles) I switched from the multi-peice skid plate to a one piece UHMW one. Even though it was relatively new and used plenty of penerating fluid a few broke off. They were dispersed and was able to use heavy duty wire ties at those bolts.

Now that it is older and near 4500 miles, that plate needs to come off to get maintenance and repairs done. I know that a good number of those bolts are going to break. The existing thread in, seems to just be a punched in hole in the square tubing that has been threaded. If I'm extremely lucky, I will be able to get the broken bolts out, but that is very optomistic.

I'd be very interested in hearing and seeing what solutions others have come up with. It woul be nice to count on something that won't freeze up or gall and jam on removal. Maybe just some long lasting lube on bolt threads, like a marine grease?

 

[Admin]

 

[oldfortyfive]

Drown the frame tubes with a penetrating oil a few days before.
Probably wouldn't hurt to use anti-seize on the next go around. It'll help, but no guarantee. Stainless steel bolts will help too. Probably would not hurt to have some rivnut thread inserts on hand.

 

[Mopower58]

Drown the frame tubes with a penetrating oil a few days before.
Probably wouldn't hurt to use anti-seize on the next go around. It'll help, but no guarantee. Stainless steel bolts will help too. Probably would not hurt to have some rivnut thread inserts on hand.

Next time definitely use anti-seize.

 

[Prntckt]

When I replaced my factory skid plate with a 1/2” UHMW skid plate, I placed rivnuts at all of the skidplate fastener locations and purchased SS bolts to secure the skidplate. If the rivnuts strip out, you just drill them out and install a new one. I got the idea from members in the forum.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

Thx everyone. I'll have to order SS bolts along with the rivnuts.

I'm going to pressure wash as much dirt/junk out of the tubes, and then hit with lots of penitrating fluid. Elevating to "pool' it sounds like a good idea, too. It will be sitting about a week.

 

[crewcabrob]

I had one skid plate bolt that was sheared off when I started my build a few weeks ago. My P5 20 only had 330 miles on it, and most of them were around my property with no rocks and really no way to shear it off. So unless it happened in the mountains the first three days that I owned it, I suspect that it was broken from day one at the dealer.

I tried penetrating oil for three or four days, with no luck. I tried the vice grip route and got nowhere with that as there was not enough to grab a hold of. I drilled it out and used an extractor only to break the extractor off inside the bolt. Quite possibly the worst case scenario.

I finally took it to a buddy who took a look at it and could see that we could gain access to the top to put a nut on. He basically kept hitting it with a hammer and a punch until the well did not on the top popped a loose. And then we just put the nut on top and a longer screw to hold the skid plate in place.

Rob