removing factory XJ towbar

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
I want to know WTF somebody was thinking.
Trying to remove the factory hitch bar, '89 XJ Wagoneer.
Aside from the 3 bolts on each side pinning it to the "frame" rails (pretty normal for a hicth), it looks like there's two additional ones... in the back of the bar, there's a plate covering the back end of the hitch receiver tube. Up at the top of this, two more are sticking into the crossbar.

Not only is there only a few inches up there to get to 'em... but their F-ing Torx heads! Huh? Why! this makes it such a big PITA. Now I'm going to have to go find/buy a really short torx-head socket just for this.
Why couldn't they just be regular bolts.

Only thing that makes me feel better is imagining (hoping) this engineer loast his job when AMC went under.

I hate to ask this - but I'm assuming the nut on the otehr side is welded in. If not, does teh bumper have to come off to get this damn hitch off?
 
RatLabGuy said:
I want to know WTF somebody was thinking.
Trying to remove the factory hitch bar, '89 XJ Wagoneer.
Aside from the 3 bolts on each side pinning it to the "frame" rails (pretty normal for a hicth), it looks like there's two additional ones... in the back of the bar, there's a plate covering the back end of the hitch receiver tube. Up at the top of this, two more are sticking into the crossbar.
Not only is there only a few inches up there to get to 'em... but their F-ing Torx heads! Huh? Why! this makes it such a big PITA. Now I'm going to have to go find/buy a really short torx-head socket just for this.
Why couldn't they just be regular bolts.
Only thing that makes me feel better is imagining (hoping) this engineer loast his job when AMC went under.
I hate to ask this - but I'm assuming the nut on the otehr side is welded in. If not, does teh bumper have to come off to get this damn hitch off?
Click to expand...

i put an aftermarket hitch on my XJ, I'm pretty sure it was just the three bolts per side going up in to the uniframe. I had to take the rear bumper off to slide in the nutsert strip on the driver's side (passenger side already had the strip there to hang the exhaust). I used hex head bolts :lol:

These 2 additional bolts you talk of sound like the bumper mounting bolts. How bout some pics?
 
I now own an XJ how do I wipe my own ass?:flipoff2:

If I was mod I have too move this to a special section, Former toyota owners who now own jeeps. This is a very special group that will have many, many Q's about how poorly designed american cars are, this section would also need to offer some emotianal counseling, specializing in buyers remorse. Fortunatly for you, you spent less than $100 so your emotional trama may stay below actual hospitalization levels.


Im done. oh ya just cut that thing off.
 
Cperry said:
I now own an XJ how do I wipe my own ass?:flipoff2:
If I was mod I have too move this to a special section, Former toyota owners who now own jeeps. This is a very special group that will have many, many Q's about how poorly designed american cars are, this section would also need to offer some emotianal counseling, specializing in buyers remorse. Fortunately for you, you spent less than $100 so your emotional trama may stay below actual hospitalization levels.
Im done. oh ya just cut that thing off.
Click to expand...

You got it!
Look back through the years, how few idiot tech Q's like this I've had to ask about the Yota.
I think about this every time I go to loosen a nut, and it takes 4 tries to find one teh right size. Oh look, this one is Metric, that one is SAE, and this random one is a Torx.
At least I'm finally getting use of the other wrenches... always looked funny having only the 12, 14, and 17 mm ones dirty.

Cutting it off crossed my mind (several times). But since my wife has limited me to a budget of $0, I have to sell it to recover the cost of registration (Due to the F-ing state thinking thsi POS is worth $1.5k)

I'll snap a pic this evening
 
if the state thinks it's worth that much, get it appraised (aka get an offer from car max and a dealer) show it to the state "hey it's only worth $400 according to them" and you get it re-assigned and get some $$ back.

learned this when they said my 93 was worth 1700 when i bought it for 300 and my 56 pontiac they thought was worth 3500 when i paid 300 for it
 
I had the registration in mind when I threw in the extra 'Duckey'
Also...I knew there was a good reason for leaving that hitch on it. If it had been easy, I might have kept it.lol Good luck....yota man:flipoff2:

Triple money back offer still stands!!!!!
 
dirtySouth said:
if the state thinks it's worth that much, get it appraised (aka get an offer from car max and a dealer) show it to the state "hey it's only worth $400 according to them" and you get it re-assigned and get some $$ back.
learned this when they said my 93 was worth 1700 when i bought it for 300 and my 56 pontiac they thought was worth 3500 when i paid 300 for it
Click to expand...

I thought seriously about this. Here's the problem.
You now have to have 2 shops appraisal, they don't just take the old method of just arguing it and providing pics.

At $1500,x 3% that's $45 tax.
At $500 x 3% that's $15. Save 30 bones.
Now, relatively speaking, $30 is 100% of my initial investment.
However on the other hand, this requires taking the vehicle to 2 shops. Currently it's not real reliable to drive on the street, and I don't have a tow/trailer. Now I'm sure I could work something out, but the time/effort for me to do this, during the work day when I am supposed to be working and am very busy already, is simply not for the $30 saved.

Now, will the yactuall yre-pay it later? If so, once it's reliable, i'll definitely give it a shot. I mean that'll almosy buy 1/2 tank of gas, lol.
 
You can see the offending bolts here

awww.4rtoy.rewazule.com_Pics__30XJ_hitch_torx.jpg


now really this thread was 75% just to bitch.
but just to be sure - I can uncrew these from thsi side, right?
I just happen to have an old Chilton's... all it says for bumper removal is "first remove any hitch. Then remove bolts for the bumper. Installation is reverse of removal." How useless. But implies the hitch comes off first...
 
Most all bolts liek that on an XJ are threaded into a welded nut, so i would guess that is true for those, although not positive. My torx set are bits with an adapter to a 3/8 ratchet, so i cna use a (i think) 3/8" wrench to turn just the torx bit itself. This allows me to get into a pretty tight space, and may or may not be needed for those bolts.
 
awspence said:
Most all bolts liek that on an XJ are threaded into a welded nut, so i would guess that is true for those, although not positive. My torx set are bits with an adapter to a 3/8 ratchet, so i cna use a (i think) 3/8" wrench to turn just the torx bit itself. This allows me to get into a pretty tight space, and may or may not be needed for those bolts.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually have a set that are just like that; half of them are short bits, but all the larger ones (e.g. the T45 this thing looks like it uses) are a much longer, too much to fit in that space. I think that's part of why I'm so pissed... just my damn luck of having *almost* the right tool.
So tomorrow it's off to buy this one tool.
At least I get to justify buying some new tools.
I just don't understand why they'd use a Torx. I typically think of these as being for high-torque parts, like seat belts and suspension components.
 
Gas tank is in the way. No way to get the grinder up in there.
Plan B = drop gas tank and cut it.
 
awspence said:
well i was talking about cutting off the torx bit short enough to fit up there, then turn with wrench.
Click to expand...

Well.... duh... that's what I just did, and low and behold, just enough room to get them out.
This one's for you :beer:
 
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