User 051420

Well, I bent my stock skids badly and the front crossmember for the skid has about a 2" upward bend in it now. I can't just pound it out with a hammer. Any ideas on how to bend it back down? Idiots at the QuickieLube rounded my bolt heads, so the skid isn't coming off anytime soon.

Gangus2006

Umm...StudGun/Slide hammer will pull it out... Or drill a hole and stick a bolt through there, and grip the bold and pull it out. Or use a selftapping screw is you cant get behind it...Or get a screw-out.

Ilovemountains

I had to heat "carefully" and crank one of the bolts out of mine with vice grips. I then installed stainless bolts with anti seaze so it wont happen again!

User 051420

I don't care so much about the bolts (i can get them out). My biggest issue is the bent crossmember. How do I straighten it easily?

Ilovemountains

You could try the slide hammer or like I have done before and this isn’t pretty but works, I have pulled bent cross beams, bumpers, bumper brackets etc out using my truck. For your cross beam I would take the valance panel off so it is fully exposed. Then I would use my recovery strap, chain come-along what ever you may have and tie it around the beam and around the base of say a large tree or stationary object down low, put the truck in 4 low and reverse, have some one stand back and watch as you pull it back out. This has worked many times for me and for something that isn’t seen why not give it a shot. You may have to pull up and really tug on it to get that cross member to pull back out, and if you take it out to far go wheeling again and smack it back in! You may want to have your front end alignment checked after this one though I’m not sure if you could have knocked the front end out or not! It’s either this way or take it to a body shop and pay to get it pulled out with a hydraulic frame rack. If you do use my method make sure what ever you are using is NOT going to break because it could lash back and do more damage.