So... I figured hey I should take the doors and rear hatch off my Cherokee, because... meh I don't need them to drive it around the desert. I could cut the doors off, but it's not that easy, so I wanted to take them off.

Turns out it's a Torx 40 bolt, with only 1 1/2 inches of room... my torx 40 socket is 1 1/2 inches without the rachet... so that didn't work. The rear hatch is also torx... and a bunch of other cables and hoses, but I didn't have the right size Torx for that.

Then finally I went, "Oh yeah... DIE stock roof rack!"... once against torx... and too small for the tools I had.

I know the end solution is "go get the right tool"... but my wallet says,"Your going to have to wait on that one buddy"

Anyone got any tool recommendations for the tight space work?

 

dremel is a good friend

 

dynamite...nah jk dont hurt it..it doesnt mean it

 

Yeah, Im right there with you dude. I dont know why the **** they decided to attach everything with torx head bolts. Its goddamn ridonkulous.

 

I feel your pain. The hardest part about working on cars is having a $20,000 tool collection.

 

That's how it always works out... sounds a lot like my day went lmao

 

Or you could just have good friends who took the time and money and collect all the tools, and just mooch off them and use their shop like i do

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I do haha. I have decent set of tools but nothing sophisticated.

 

Im only 16 and havet even started a tool collection. The only tool i have is a pen and notepad

 

Haha it must be really hard to work on a rig with only a pen and notepad... no wonder you're having problems

 

Well if you have a welder weld a rod or a good strong bolt to your torx socket and use it like a allen wrench. Unless its a nice socket then that would be a bad idea. Or use vice grips to hold the socket but that may not work so good. Just an idea.


17 and inherited around $25,000 in tools and tool boxes etc. Got lucky. Although because of these tools n such Im a lower middle class uhhh... person.. citizen. Auto mechanics is in my future and its what I love so it wont go to waste. But good luck to you cherokee dreamer if you apply yourself and work hard you can accomplish anything. Jeepz rule!!!

 

Get a cheap t40 bit, cut it down a bit, put it in the shortest 1/4" drive, 1/4" socket you can find, small ratchet, and do it that way. Only downside is when the bit falls out of the socket.

 

I used a non-ratcheting socket wrench to break the bolts loose, this provided more than enough leverage to get the job done:


It was tight, but it did fit:


Once they are broke free, use a regular old box-end wrench to rotate the torx bit the rest of the way out. Take care not to strip the heads of the bolts, use some PB Blaster and take your time. Apply as much lateral force into the bolt as you can.

 

Open all the doors and slowly drive backwards into trees and just tear them off. Quick, easy, cheap

 

well it would make sense that you use torx head bolts on everything exterior because of the star pattern there should be more surface area for the driver to get a hold of so you don't strip as quickly the screw just like Philips heads have more surface are than flat heads