So yeah, I twisted the heads right off all four of them. As a temporary fix, I drilled them out and have them held in with bolts that are too long and stacks of washers, but one side is already starting to make noise. For something more permanent, I was thinking about just drilling through the frame and mounting an appropriately sized grade 8 bolt through the frame, leaving one end long enough to mount the shock to (after removing the bar pin). Any other suggestions?

Here's a diagram of what I'm thinking. Any suggestions?


(click image for larger view)

That might work. However you will be depending on the shear of the holt in question. How about adding a top plate with the two bolts welded to it and nuts on the bottom side? Would that be possible?
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

yea i wouldnt do the grade 8 idea unless someone here has done it and knows it to be safe.get ahold of a air hammer with the interchangable chisels and such,use the spike.remove the shocks and bolts then air hammer the nuts out(they are only tack welded on).then put the shocks back up with regular size nuts and bolts.

I'm not sure how the top of the rear shocks on a TJ mount up, but I have sheared off the top mounting bolts (due to rusted condition). Repairing that was no biggie. After I drilled out the stud, I purchased some chock mount stud kits from my local auto parts store. They come complete with the through bolt, jam nut, washers, polyurethane bushings, and attaching nuts. If I remember correctly, they only cost about $7 ot $8 each.

BTW I LOVE the picture, nice. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I have done the grade 8 method. If the shocks aren't your limit in the suspension, then it will work. If you shocks are your top stop or bottom stop, you will bend the bolt. Bending the bolt isn't too much of a problem, but when the bolt bends the eye is forced at an angle. This will bend the eye to fit the new angle of the bolt. SO before you add a bolt, double check the shock has the travel.

Thanks for the input guys. I've already gotten the old bolts (most of them anyway) drilled out and replaced then with grade8 hardware, but (and a large one at that), not all of the old bolts came out, since the drill bit wandered off center and ended up off to the side. As a result, the bolts I put in to replace them are sitting at quite an angle because of the tip of the old bolts not wanting to come out. I banged on them with a hammer and prybar trying to break the tips off/out of the old nut, but they would not budge. I dont see any way to get in there and fix it properly without lifting the body off the frame or drilling large holes in the rear of the tub, neither of which is high on my list of things I want to do anytime soon.

The replacement bolts had gotten pretty noisy in the last week or so, so I pulled them out and added several more washers to each bolt. They seem to be holding so far. Just for good measure I made sure to torque one of those bolts in half in the process. Good thing I bought a couple extra.

Sunder, do you have a recommendation for measuring the shocks? I have the old ones I can use to measure full travel on, but since remounting them like that will drop it an inch and a half to two inches, I'm thinking I'll need to get shorter shocks. But then again, I dont recall ever having bottomed or topped out the shocks before (replaced with same model rancho), so maybe?

You need to compress the suspension ALL the way (articulating will work) then measure eye to eye, then top it out and measure eye to eye. The right way to do it is to remove the coil and measure and add straps limiting straps. But... that can be a lot of work.