I paid to have a shop do my last diff fluid change (which I thought was a good idea since they are reputable, but I'll go back to doing it myself now). Now some months later, I took off my front skid to find that one of the front mounting bolts had about 1/4" of the thread chewed, likely by some dolt that couldn't be troubled to start the bolt by hand during reassembly. I suspect the female side has some damage as well.

Nevertheless, I just got a new skid with new M10 hardware and I'm not sure of the best way to clean out the nut receiver (or whatever it's called) in the suspension crossmember. I could risk it and just thread the new bolt into the slightly-chewed nut, but that might cross-thread it if it doesn't grab right away. I might be able to get a thread cutting tool, but haven't really used one before. I MIGHT be able to get a sacrificial bolt in from the top side with some knuckle-banging to sort of "push" any deformation or crud out, perhaps with a higher grade steel so it'll be more likely to cut the threads out straight again.

Your thoughts?

Dan

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

Just get a M10x1.50 tap from almost any auto parts place.A small cresent wrench is all the tools needed,just start it in(maybe very hard) and turn 1/2 turn,backout 1/2 turn,turn 1 full turn,backout 1/2 turn,and just repeat till you rethread the whole nut.

If the majority of the thread is okay (just at the far side), should I try to thread it in from the top to keep the cutting edges spaced properly with the good thread material?

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

Well, I got the M10X1.5 (and the rest of the 40 pieces) of "pittsburgh tools" tap/dies at harborfreight. I got the hole about halfway tapped before the metal literally bent and fell apart on the tool. I had to finish the job holding the tap with a pair of vice grips. Oh, well, glad I only paid 17 bucks for the kit.

in other news, putting on a new skid plate somehow miraculously solved a clunking noise I've been having for months. Either the bolts had been a little loose for a long time and that's what was clunking, or the extra rigidity of the plate is holding things in place so the flexing that made the clunk is gone, or something involving an incantation and the spilling of pigs blood took place in a dark room somewhere,... but I'm stumped as to why that happened.

Dan

_________________

2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

Yeah, you can't go straight in with those things. You have to do what the other guy said, go in a few threads, back out, go in a few more threads, back out etc. It is almost like you are wiggling it in. You are lucky the die didn't break off in the hole. That isn't an easy fix.

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2002 KJ Limited 3.7
Completely Stock
215/85R16 Kevlar

Dan, I'm sure you followed Troy's instructions to the 't'. Where you made your mistake was buying the tap from Harbor Freight. Scott did the same thing an took it back for a refund. There stuff is crap. The only thing we get there now is shop supplies. Glad you got it done.

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"Keep the shiny side up and the oily side down"
'06 4X4 KJ, skid plates, Daystar lift, Wrangler MT/R 245/75/16, Reese hitch, Surco Safari Rack/Hella 500's, Cobra 75 wxst/Wilson 4' Firestick, Optima Red Top, Pilot fog lights, Detours KJ Backbone/Smittybilt XRC8 winch, Spidertrax spacers.

'04 Harley-Davidson Road King FLHRI Bagger

Frankly, It's so cheap the trip almost isn't worth the headache to return it (and I work 1 mile from the store)...but there will be no tools purchased there any more for me.

Dan

Sent from my subdural android implant using Tapatalk 2

_________________

2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids