Spinning your....... nuts

[Carl McFly]

Doing some homework before I drop my xfer case skid. I'm sure I'll have at least a couple bad nutserts and I wanna be prepared. Found an awesome write up on replacing the factory nutserts on the xfer skid. It has PN's for factory nutserts and a wicked easy-to-make jig that you can use to install them. There's also opinions / options, if you don't like the way the Heep engineers did things

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/nutse ... ll-390635/

[nostaw]

I've used some nutserts on my XJ (3/8" instead of 1/2")... I built a similar jig for them and it worked really well.

I also used red loctite when installing them on the mating surfaces... The idea was to seal the edges to avoid moisture rusting the metal (I was drilling fresh holes).

JW

[Kurt]

Here is a trick I use. Never spun a nutsert yet using it even on my old YJ's.

Drill a 1/8" hole thru the outside of the frame about 1" up next to each of the 6 skid plate bolts.
(There are lots of factory holes in your frame so a few additional 1/8" hole aren't an issue)
Then insert the straw from your handy can of PB into each hole and liberally apply it onto the threads and nutserts inside the frame.
Repeat dosing them with PB over the course of a few hours or even a day.

Then remove the 6 bolts.
If they don't back out relatively easily all the way be sure to screw them back in, apply more PB and then try to back them out. Repeat if necessary until they come out.

Once they are out you ought to chase the nutsert threads with a tap to clean them up.
I prefer to put anti-seize on the threads when re-assembling.

[ZAEDOCK]

I don't trust pop-rivet nutserts.

Weld 'em. It will take more of a beating and never spin out. Before we headed to Moab, I replaced my skid and found all the nutserts borken and rotted. I made a welded nutsert strip with a piece of 1/8" x 2" strap and welded 1/2" nuts's to it, and then welded it to the frame. If your frame is fine, make a fixed nutsert using a thick washer with a nut welded to it. The nut fits into the hole in the frame and you then weld the washer to the frame.

I found this post over on the other forum funny:
I do have a question, though...were the inserts you got from Jeep steel? Did it require an ungodly amount of force to install them? I was thinking about getting some 3/8" steel nut inserts, but I wondered if I could realistically install them with hand tools.

Yes they where steel inserts. I started with a 3/8 drive ratchet and ended up using my 1/2 drive torque wrench. By the time I had the 4th one installed my arms were screaming. I had the torgue wrench set at 80lbs and it crushed the insert.

[Baseshakers]

I would second a number of thoughts here. Loctite is your friend for sealing the threads. (though anti-seize is not a bad option, you definitely want something on there) I would also recommend welding up all of the nutserts when you have the skid off.

[Hoodoo Man]

cant go wrong with what I got from rock krawler

[Carl McFly]

WOW that's hard core!