[Rhino8541]

I was trying to take my OEM aluminum toyota skid plate off today, since I dropped a piece of a plastic clip between it and the metal skidplate.

When trying to get the front two bolts off, they both seem to have broken up inside, and now they spin freely. The nut they are screwed into must be broken too, because it feels like the whole assembly is spinning, but won't come out.

Short of cutting them off, or maybe taking it to a dealer (I'm still under 36K) I don't know what to do. Any ideas?

 

[Rhino8541]

:bump:

 

[08impulseredtacoma]

i'd take it to the dealer

 

[sntckr]

What reason would the dealer have for pulling the skid off under warranty? The skid bolts strip pretty easily. I've replaced a number of them and keep a few on hand.

Maybe you can take the truck to the dealer for an oil change and let them have their most inexperienced tech piss the old oil from your upside down filter all over and then demand them to clean up the mess they made, which would require the removal of the skid plate...

 

[Rhino8541]

Well they aren't really stripped as far as I can tell. It's like the nut that the bolt goes into broke loose, so now that is stuck on the end of the bolt, and I can't get the bolt out, but it is spinning freely. I have a feeling I'm gonna end up doing some cutting. :headbang:

I do my own oil changes, and I try to keep it away from the dealer when I can, they don't have the level of respect for my truck that I do.

 

[sntckr]

Bolts are just a few bucks a piece if you end up cutting. My oil change was a bit tongue and cheek and quite sarcastic. I also don't trust the dealer unless it is beyond my ability to figure it out on my own.

 

[Rhino8541]

I gotcha, thanks for the input, I'll probably end up cutting them. That'll be fun...:thumbsdow

 

[gdctaco]

could u get a nut splitter on it?

 

[Rhino8541]

I can't see the nut, or whatever the bolt is stuck in, it's up in a crossmember underneath the engine.

 

[Larzzzz]

That'll be no fun to cut. Put vise grips on the head and pull it down, you may be able to get a saw blade in there to cut the head off. A sawzall would be a nice thing to have right about now.....

Good luck,
Larzzzz

 

[Rhino8541]

That'll be no fun to cut. Put vise grips on the head and pull it down, you may be able to get a saw blade in there to cut the head off. A sawzall would be a nice thing to have right about now.....

Good luck,
Larzzzz

Tell me about it, I'm gonna have to do it by hand, unless I can get ahold of one cheap. I don't think I even have enough room to be able to use a hacksaw, just the blade. There isn't much room to get in there.