Easy to bolt on and off rusty chassis parts?

[DirtySouth89]

How easy or hard is it for a backyard novice to bolt off and on some OEM replacement parts for rusty chassis pieces? Specifically these to start, which can be bought at PartSouq or similar sites for about 50-300 bucks a piece.

Fuel tank protector cover

front engine under cover sub assbly (presumably the visible piece with the red arrow?)

front frame crossmember with hooks

 

[T4R2014]

Front crossmember is welded.

 

[DirtySouth89]

Front crossmember is welded.

Damn...

 

[hinmo24t]

Front crossmember is welded.

isnt the actual front cross behind the part hes concerned with? i heard of people buying and replacing the part circled but i could be wrong. OP, FYI, that part goes on a lot of these trucks with rust and something dripping on one side of it. i only have one hook up front because of that but its pretty clean overall.

goodluck

 

[DirtySouth89]

isnt the actual front cross behind the part hes concerned with?

goodluck

He may be right, looking at actual pictures of this part (and not a drawing), makes it clear there is no eyelets for a bolt of any kind. It just has those U shaped couplings. I'm not sure how it would attach other than a weld.

 

[djpope09]

The engine under cover sub-assembly (skid plate) is pretty easy to take off. You may need to jack up the front to get to it, but I think it's only 4 bolts. If it's rusty, you're probably going to break the bolts. There was a thread on here recently about using helicoils to fix this if you mess up the threads. Seems like it's not a big deal.

The fuel tank cover looks like it's 4 bolts as well. I think those would be less rusty just based on location. Shouldn't be too hard, but you'll probably need a long extension for your socket wrench.

I just remembered this video that shows the skid plate being taken at the 1 minute mark.
YouTube

 

[Morphyne]

Skid plates and tank protector are easy. And if you snap a skids plate bolt I have a turorialnonnhere somewhere about how to drill them out. I broke three and fixed them. As far as sourcing the skids you can go OEM. But if you are sourcing new (not used) parts I would recommend going aftermarket and getting something a little beefier for the same price. Budbuilt CBI, RCI, AEB etc make skids for these things if that interests you.

 

[y=mx+b]

Before you do anything, soak those bolts in a really good penetrating oil for days in advance, get a propane or mapp gas torch, and a 8mm x 1.25 tap.

Of the 8 bolts that hold on the skids, 2 were broken off by a previous mechanic, 3 broke after hitting with pb blaster about 4 times over 2 days and torching/hammering the bolt/surrounding area, 1 I got out with pb blaster and torch, and 2 I got out no problem with a 50/50 atf/acetone mixture. I would highly recommend the atf/acetone mix as it really worked for me. I soaked them the day before and came back the next day, hammered and used and impact driver doing short ugga duggas back and forth until it came free. The acetone reacts with rust, iron oxide, to form iron carbide. The iron carbide is more brittle and breaks away easier, or at least thats the theory.

After the bolts came out I chased the threads and they definitely had rust buildup in the threads that was cleared out by the tap. Haven't reattached them yet, but I got all new bolts and some antiseize for the threads for when they go back on. I haven't touched the tank skid yet, but I imagine its the same situation. Based on the prints you have, looks like hardware is the same so can get a bunch of m8 bolts to replace them. I have a broken tank strap that I need to attend to eventually, so I'll be in there soon enough.

Best of luck, with proper prep you'll get them out

edit: yes that front under radiator cross member is welded in. Mine is pretty crusty as well, so I'm probably going to weld up something to replace that in future

 

[MikeinNH67]

My covers were all swiss cheese. I ripped them off and chucked them. I'm not a hard core off-roader so they won't be replaced. If yours are crispy then do check your tank straps as they rust out too. That front frame piece is a tough one.

 

[LeMax]

Where do you guys got your replacement skid plates? I mean the front skid plate and gas tank plate...I want OEM plates not armored ones...I'm in Canada and can t find those darn plates!...lol

 

[y=mx+b]

Where do you guys got your replacement skid plates? I mean the front skid plate and gas tank plate...I want OEM plates not armored ones...I'm in Canada and can t find those darn plates!...lol

HOw messed up are your oil ones? Are they all swiss cheesed? My front skid plate had a thumb side hole on the passenger side, but thats fine for me. The driver side was in almost mint condition because it caught all the oil from the filter. When it gets changed without putting a cup underneath, it all falls straight donw. The one thats closer to the transmission was fine, so I'm going to por15 it, paint, and then throw it back once I por15 the frame up front.

Now canada might throw a wrench in things, but I have heard that mcgeorge toyota has the best online dealer pricing. I found the rear most of the 2 for $135, but couldn't seem to find the front one:
Skid Plate - Toyota (51450-60050) | Toyota Parts
The front one probably costs more because its more complex and is a good bit heavier. If you're getting them both at that price, might as well spend the extra $30 on some RCI skids for $295. Even if you don't go off road, its a better value:
Engine Skid Plate | 03-09 4Runner / GX 470 – RCI Off Road
Again, canada could throw a wrench in all of this for importing and crap, I'm not sure because I live in the states

 

[DirtySouth89]

Where do you guys got your replacement skid plates? I mean the front skid plate and gas tank plate...I want OEM plates not armored ones...I'm in Canada and can t find those darn plates!...lol

This website partsouq.com, you put in your VIN number and it gives you interactive diagrams of every single part that makes the vehicle. You can hover over a part number, click it, and add it to your shopping cart.