Upper rear shock mounts all broken.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 495
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From: PA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
:Can I get away with dlilling and or beating the 4 bolts out.? Then drilling through the floor too, using the largest washers I can find for the floor side? Using long bolts to "sandwich" the whole thing? If that will work temporarily can I come back and fab 2 plates around 1/4 inch thick to bolt through to stiffen it up? Ive looked @ the previous threads and I dont think this was an easy fix.
Last edited by R Cannon; Mar 21, 2010 at 03:40 AM. Reason: no smilies
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Virginia
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 H.O.
Member
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From: Sullivan County NY
Year: 1994
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 High Output
yes. punch out the nuts, drill up through the floor to give you a pilot hole, then drill a 9/16" hole in the floorboard to give you room for a bolt and a socket.
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Forest, VA
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
i seriously don't think all of that racket is necessary. just rotate the location by 90 deg. redrill and install with self-tappers. shocks do not put as much load as you think.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 89
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From: Hudson, WI
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 liter K&N intake, Hushpower 40 series exhaust
I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.
Good luck!
They dont put load but they do pulll load. If you flex the axle it can rip out the selftappers. Not a good idea. Same thing happened to mine and I used 1/8" x6"x8" steel plates for the top of floor boards and 3inx5/16 grade 8 bolts . Silicone around the holes before you put the bolts through to seal it from water.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2009
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From: PA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
Im going to DREMEL the bolt heads flush and try to beat the tacked nut out. If I cant Im going to drill through the bolt and get my pilot hole through the floor. Then use a hole saw for access to that pesky nut. The rest should be gravy. Knock on wood!
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It's a pretty easy fix. As someone else said, just break off the old bolts, punch the old tack welded nuts upward w/ a hammer and drift. Then fish bolts through the holes w/ the threads facing downward; do it with a magnetic flexible tool. You can still get a box end wrech on the head to hold the roll. You can even fish heavier bolts down through the bigger hole than you started with, so you end up w/ a stronger setup. I think the stockers are #8, and you can get #10's in there to replace them. Good luck!
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Forest, VA
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
Wow Tural, that is one of the easiest fixes for this common problem I have heard yet.
I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.
Good luck!
I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.
Good luck!
Really I think its best to just to weld a peace of 2x1 1/2 c chanal and replace the barpin with a bolt. I wish I could show you picks but I can't. Anyway it would cure it once and for all.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 495
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From: PA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
I took info from every source I could find. I ended up with no holes in my floors, 5/16 X1 bolts flat and fender washers on the bolt head side. Nylocks and flat washers on the shock end after fishing the bolts in. Mine had 3 different bolts/ screws out of the 4. 1 was stock! I cut them off with a Dremel, Air Chiseled the nuts out. Fished the new bolts in, after anti seezing them. Im going to be lifting itg soon, so I'll get an easy shock removal then. What surprises should I expect with the front shock change?
I've done this 3 times successfully now:
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.
Good luck!
-Break off bolts
-punch out nuts with air chisel
-tape new larger nuts to the OPEN END of a wrench and feed through the triangular hole toward the inside of the body from upper shock mount.
tread new bolts into nuts.
Good luck!
IMO the easiest and best way to go.
No drilling the bolts out or cutting your floor boards necessary.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 495
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From: PA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
I have 10 screws and 2 bars in my back. It still took longer to find fixes than do the work. I did it right and took my time.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 495
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From: PA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
Try the wire to fish the bolt in. It works great with beer and patience. Use a 13mm Wrench to give that extra tape clearence. If you are using 5/16 X1 bolts. I even fit a flat and fender washer on the inside. Flat washer and PolyLock on shock side. Too easy! Left side is harder than the right to do. You can always step up to a3/8 bolt with a little shock work.
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7,874
Likes: 100
From: Northern Ontario, Canada
Year: 1990, 1999, 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
easiest way was to drill a hole between the shock bolts through the floor and use that as a guide to cut a hole in the floor and use a die grinder to remove the weld nuts, then just use new bolts from the top and nut below.
then you can just either tack the piece back into the floor, or make a slightly larger plate and use tech screws to make it removeable for later access.
or at this point, you could bolt in some bar pin eliminators.
then you can just either tack the piece back into the floor, or make a slightly larger plate and use tech screws to make it removeable for later access.
or at this point, you could bolt in some bar pin eliminators.


