Skid Plate Bolts...

Alright, so one of the skid plate bolts on my ‘03 no longer threads in properly. It’s one of the rear bolts. Anyone else had this issue and figure out a remedy?

 

timersert could work.. or i've seen people break the weld nut off, get a bolt up there and use it as a stud..

 

Is the bolt out? What do you mean doesnt thread correct? Is it stripped and loose or are threads curled over/crossed? Of the later then chasing the threads with a thread restorer or tap is route id go first.

 

I assume what you mean is that it will thread all the way in but that there’s not enough thread to tighten it. If that’s correct I have two solutions: both are cheap/easy... one is temporary, one permanent.

Temporary: take small strip of aluminum foil, wrap it around the bolt a couple times (like you would Teflon tape on a plumbing fitting). Then thread the bolt in. The foil will take up the space of the threads that have been worn away. Don’t tighten to full torque. You’ll have to reapply every time you remove the bolt but it will keep it on there.

Permanent: get a bolt that’s one size up and a corresponding tap. Tap the hole out to fit the larger bolt. Install the skid plate and tighten the bolt. Then take some red (or other conspicuous color) spray paint and spray the bolt head and immediate surrounding area.
Now the next time you remove the skid plate, you’ll be reminded that the red bolt takes a different sized wrench, and on reassembly, you’ll be reminded where the red bolt goes.

 

@tvpierce has the right idea.

For future maintenance, put some used oil on the threads of the remaining bolts when you do an oil change. I still have all my original bolts from 20 years ago.

 

I've had the same issue, thanks tvpierce.

 

Mine have been bunked up since new, when the dealer did a "complimentary" oil change, since I bought it there new. Along with overfilling it by 1-1/2 quarts of oil, they must have rammed the bolts in with a pneumatic tool. Anyway, suffice to say, I've done my own service since then, but I am going to try chasing the threads with the appropriate tap and buy new bolts to see if that will help, or remedy the problem. They aren't stripped, they just go in hard. Been like this for 20 years. I always intend to do it at oil change time, but I never seem to have the new bolts and tap on hand when I'm under the truck, and say to myself, I'll do it next time. Had I not let the goobers at the dealer do that first change, they would still thread in nice as you please. Lesson learned, they don't put the high paid guys on free oil changes, and nothing is free.

 

Yeah, those complimentary oil changes can be expensive.

 

Well, hit Oreilly for a package of new grade 8 bolts a size bigger than the M8’s that are on there. Got a tap and rethreaded the hole to the larger bolt size. Longest part was charging the battery to my cordless drill. Twas easy. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Did spray some WD-40 in the home to help lube things up a bit before tapping it out.