I unfortunely have a problem with my budbuild skidplate.

I need to get it off, as i am installing crawler gears, but can't get the bolts out. I put it on last summer, and have since beat the snot out of it (it works really well). This has caused, i believe, the threads on the bolts and the skid to get all mashed together, and put a bunch of strain on the heads, so that now, they are impossible to move.

First, for those who may not know, the bolts are countersunk style, flat topped, with an allen head. This makes the bottom of the skid completely flat.

The bolts are so hard that they strip the allen head wrenches, so i tried drilling them out, and using a spiral extractor. First of all, i want to check if i am using this too right. I was told by the guy at the hardware store, but you know how knowlegeable they can be, right?

So, what i did was drill with the suggested size bit, then go in forwards with the extractor, then try and go in reverse, the idea being that the bolt would back out. It would catch, then spin inside the drill, and then, after tightning the chuck, it would just spin.

Any other ideas, or am i even using the tool properly? Thanks.

 

Don't use the drill with the extractor - use a small cresent wrench, turn slowly.

All that being said, I've never had good luck with screw extractors. Another option is to use a dremel tool to convert it from an allen to a slotted screw that you can get a big screwdriver in.

Last option is to drill it completely out and retap the hole.

 

another last option is to weld a nut on and take an impact to it...

welding upside down like that might a little tricky

 

I second the welding deal. If you try to drill it out and dont get it perfectly centered, it screws the threads up which just causes more problems. Take a nut and place it below the screw, then weld it on from the inside of the nut (through the hole, this will prevent it from getting welded to the plate, and allows you to get a decent weld on it). BUT dont go crazy, remember that when you weld, it makes alot of heat, which also warps stuff. Good luck.

 

You could drill the head of the bolt off. You wouldn't have to drill the whole entire thing out. But this would get the skid plate off, and you would still have a bolt to remove. The chances are though, you would have enough bolt sticking out of the hole, you could get a set of vise grips on it. Just use a bit larger than the bolt diameter.

 

Well, none of those options worked at all. The skid was nearly destroyed in the removal process, and the 2 of the xmember bolts wouldn't come off, so i dropped the case with the xmember on, and removed the case from the base mount when it was off the truck.

I now have some fab work to do on the skid to get it back on, and i am going to regular bolts, smooth belly be damned. Its not worth this much hassle.

 

I posted about my problems with the skid plate and bolts. Someone told me to check this post. Can you please look at my post, https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...328#post975328

In my case the bolts are not countersink nor Allen head. They are M8-1.25 with a 12 mm hex head. The countersink idea is good, I guess Toyota is saving some bucks in the later models going this route.
Did you have any luck with your bolts, what did you end up doing?

 

broken bolts are always a pain , i broke two taking my sway bar out yesterday , if you break them flush best way i've found so far is to grind them flat, center punch them , and then use a left hand drill bit thats just a bit smaller then the bolt , getting it straight can be tricky, the left hand bit will end up turning the bolt out most times , and if not i just clean it up with a tap

 

posted in your thread.

 

Why not pull the skid and t-case together and drill the heads off the bolts and throw the trannie mount away if you can't get the bolts out after you get it off the rig and get another mount and 4 new bolts?

I install and pull my duals bolted up to the skid and do the disassembly on the ground instead of trying to get the bolts out under the truck. If you put your floor jack under the front t-case mount with duals it balances pretty good on the jack. Just find your spot and from now on pull it all together. Then you're not screwing around doing something under the rig that's easier to do on the floor.