Help..... Rock rail issue....

[Pappibri]

Somehow my front upper bolt hole is stripped for my rock rail. I heard thumping going over obstacles or bumps and upon inspection found that the front upper bolt was loose, but even worse it is stripped... I dont know how the heck that happened. I have not tightened them recently. I even went and got two more bolts just to make sure it was not the bolt. I made sure I got the hardened ones... So my question is, there is not much room to move in there. ... It just sucks because it is the upper one, and there is not much room to maneuver. I am also thinking of doing the 1 inch daystar bodylift while I am at it.. Has anyone had this happen to them? What size up should I thread it out to now???????

 

[rsc]

There a a bunch of ways to fix it. You could drill out the hole and tap it for a larger bolt. I'm sure the nut is a captive setup that could be opened up and just the nut changed. You could weld the sliders on permanently, you could weld up the hole and re-drill and tap it...

 

[Pappibri]

Dont want to permanently weld them on.... It sucks that it is the top one, just so damn tight up in there... I might just do what you said and drill it and tap it. Just dont think I can get a drill up in there...

 

[alrock]

Your rock rail is moving with one bad bolt? There's five or seven other bolts holding it in place, aren't there? I forgot to tighten one bolt on my original install and it remained that way for about four years. Curious how there's enough movement to make noise.

 

[rsc]

Is it bent and banging against the frame or does it all move up and down when you say its loose?

 

[Pappibri]

Your rock rail is moving with one bad bolt? There's five or seven other bolts holding it in place, aren't there? I forgot to tighten one bolt on my original install and it remained that way for about four years. Curious how there's enough movement to make noise.

I know. It was driving me crazy trying to find the noise. The foremost mounting plate is not quite flush so when I go over any significant bumps it pops against the frame which is loud inside.

 

[Pappibri]

Is it bent and banging against the frame or does it all move up and down when you say its loose?

No up and down movement, just banging, which is annoying as hell

 

[cgalpha08]

I retapped all of my holes when I first put my sliders on. I used a pair of pliers to rotate the tap a half turn at a time...long an painful but it got the job done

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[Pappibri]

I retapped all of my holes when I first put my sliders on. I used a pair of pliers to rotate the tap a half turn at a time...long an painful but it got the job done

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I did the same. That was not fun and that was just cleaning existing threads. Now I will be threading new threads so I imagine it is really going to be a P.I.T.A

 

[rsc]

Nah, not that much more effort. Go slow and use oil in the threads. Maybe back it up a turn now and again.

 

[digglesworth]

I had to do the same thing when I snapped off a bolt for the drivers side sway bar mount. It wasn't too bad. The lack of clearance is gonna be the biggest pain. Just take your time. It'll work out.

 

[rascole]

Weird, the second bolt should still be holding it tight against the frame. Good luck drilling and tapping it, very tight location. I would just have the one tab welded on so in the future only one weld has to be ground off. Grinding welds is not as bad as you think.

 

[Pappibri]

Weird, the second bolt should still be holding it tight against the frame. Good luck drilling and tapping it, very tight location. I would just have the one tab welded on so in the future only one weld has to be ground off. Grinding welds is not as bad as you think.

True .. I will try to tap first, then if its to much of a P.I.T.A I will just weld the top one