Good to see you used a Dremel and cutoff wheels to cut that bolt in two (as I suggested - but was met with scorn).

Concerning getting at the bolt heads using your impact wrench:

With the tailpipe free it can be moved to the side for access to the bolt heads.

I used a short 1/2" drive extension to get past the pipe and it worked well.

Make sure you have a fully charged battery in your impact wrench because you may have to hammer on those bolts for awhile to get them free.

The threaded portion of the bolts extends past the weld nuts quite a bit and rust up, but once you break the torque loose on the bolt the bolt will spin past the rust quickly. Blue thread locker was applied to the bolts at the factory which locks them in pretty good. Use of penetrating oil is or applying heat is useless in this case.

I went back in with Stainless Steel bolts and washers (blue Loctite). Unless you do towing with your Jeep they are strong enough; however, if you do tow, I suggest you go back in with Class 10.9 bolts.

Once you get everything out you may find that your heat shield is rusted out as well. This is another project for another time....

 

There's nothing wrong with using a dremel...sometimes, it's the only option. This wasn't one of those times, but, hey, it got it done... that said, I'll leave this here, as it is related:
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/le...2/#post2967975

 

If you've ever seen pictures of what can happen to someone not wearing face (or at least eye) protection when using a cutoff wheel....ya...

Particularly when you're buying cheap cuttoff wheels from HF like I do, you gotta be real careful.

Angle grinders are about the most useful tool for a Jeep after a BFH, and I've cut a ton of stuff even on my OEM xj, but yes - you need to be careful.

Also I'm still surprised people go through all this work to fix that back hanger "properly". I've used plumbing strap on 3 different XJ's now, and though it sounds redneck you can't even see it, especially if you get short bolts to put through the strapping or just cut them shorter.

 

Hey these young guys just haven't been twisting wrench's as many years as some of us. Hell I started buying some tools in the mid 50's at Pawn Shops to work on my bicycle's, then bought a car when I was 13 in 1959 and bought a lot more.

 

Three-fourths of the questions and answers in this thread were thoroughly covered in an earlier thread series this past week.

From the same original poster. Same job.

 

Lol I always wondered who bimmer was and why not to feed him

 

 

Knowings 1/2 the battle

 

Before suggesting an impact wrench, maybe we should be advising to start with the basics. Use a 1/2" ratchet with appropriate extension to clear the tail pipe and use varying lengths of 1.5" inner diameter steel pipe no more than 3 feet long and gradually move up the varying lengths of pipe until you can turn the bolt without rounding it. If the bolt ends up breaking it is no big deal, you will just have to remove the rear bumper and pull the nut strip out of the frame rail and get a new one then reinstall everything in the reverse order from which it was removed. If you insist on using the impact wrench make sure everything you plug into it is designed to be used with an impact wrench, you can shatter extensions that are not designed for the impact wrench.

 

Actually, I disagree. I've broken more bolt heads off that I care to think about using this technique. An impact wrench works at it through torque pulses not constant torque pressure.

 

I think he was just showing us what he had accomplished - no harm done - and had additional questions unrelated to cutting the u-bolt.

 

The nut strip the bolts for the bracket screw into is removable/replaceable if necessary, but you will have to remove the nut strip from the frame (requires removing the bumper and hitch if you have one) and replace it with a new one (available online or at the dealer). When I did mine I only unbolted the rubber part (2 small bolts inside of the rubber circle) from the bracket not the bracket from the frame (bracket was in good shape, no reason to replace it), depending on how rusted your bracket is you may or may not need to replace it. For the 18mm bolts to the frame, a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar should do the job. If any of the bolts are rusty, apply a healthy coating of kroil, liquid-wrench, or PB Blaster and let them sit overnight.

 

Hi Ken, I've broken and rounded more bolts with the impact wrench than the steel pipe, just my experience. But also my wording was not good. I meant that maybe he needs to start with the basic hand tools before stepping into the power tools. In one of the OP's previous threads he said that he has had no one to show/tell him how to do these things. Once he has busted his knuckles a time or two he will start to see how these things work for himself, maybe.

 

You do NOT need an impact to remove these bolts. Depending on the size of your impact gun, you may not even budge them with it anyway. There has been more than one bolt on my XJ that none of my impacts would move at all (using air, corded, or cordless). All you need is the correct size socket, a 1/2" breaker bar, correct size extension, and a section of pipe for leverage (3/4" should work). Assemble these items in this order: socket-extension-breaker bar-pipe (over breaker bar handle)-hands. Attach this assembly to the head of the bolt, and then turn (remember righty tighty, lefty loosey). It will either break loose, or break the bolt. If it shears the bolt, then you can be assured that the rest of the bolts probably are in the same condition and you'll have to replace the nutstrips (after you shear the rest of the bolts off too so that you can remove them). If you still can't budge the bolts you have three options: 1. get a bigger pipe. 2. Pull harder (or hit the gym). 3. Throw in the towel and sell the Jeep (it doesn't get any easier than this). The bolts on the rear of mine were completely seized and I had to break the bolt heads/mangle the nutstrips to remove them. There isn't one bolt on these things that can't be spun with a breaker bar and a long enough lever.

 

Yes, I removed one of those bolts with just the 1/2" drive handle and a short pipe when I installed my hitch. I sprayed it down good from the inside with pb blaster. I did not use the impact gun.