Skid Plate Stuck - any ideas?

[THEREALTOR1]

I'm trying to get my front skid plates off while i'm doing some work under the front end (diff drop, steering rack bushings, etc...). I've taken out all the bolts (to the best of my knowledge) per this pic I found online. I was able to drop the smaller (back) skid no problems, but for some reason the front (larger) skid doesn't seem to want to drop.


I seem to recall that I had this damn thing off once several years ago, and i'm almost positive of this, as I remember not putting back the center bolt in at the rear of the large skip plate. So i've pulled the 3 bolts from the front, 2 from the rear corners in the back, and the 2 from either side of the smaller back skid plate. The (front) skid will slide front to back about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch, but I can't get it to drop.

Are there tabs that slide into the frame somewhere that are still holding this thing up? Is there a bolt or pin or something from the top side of the plate that I need to pull to get it to drop? I'm stuck here. I've beat on it with a bfh and a 2x4 towards the back, towards the front, nothing. Is it possible that its just pushed up into place really tight and needs to be pried down? Because I've tried to get a 2x4 into the openings on the sides and pry it down, and it does seem to move some, but doesn't seem to be getting any looser.

Any ideas, past experiences, anything anyone can throw my way?

Thanks in advance.

 

[3rdgensr5]

There is a tab at the front if im correct, and double check all bolt are out lol

 

[THEREALTOR1]

There is a tab at the front if im correct, and double check all bolt are out lol

I'll check for a tab. I know there's like 3 small tabs at the "bolt-hole" locations on the front, and those tabs are down (its hanging about an 1" from where it would be if it were tightened up), and I double checked again tonight to make sure I had all the bolts out. When I get a chance to check it out again in the daylight vs just using the shoplight i'm going to do a discount triple check, just to make sure, but i'm pretty sure i've got all the bolts out.

 

[Dous]

There are 2 little tabs that hook into the radiator support I believe. They keep it from dropping on your head if you remove all the bolts.

Push up on the skid plate, then push or pull the skidplate forward towards the front of the vehicle.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

There are 2 little tabs that hook into the radiator support I believe. They keep it from dropping on your head if you remove all the bolts.

Push up on the skid plate, then push or pull the skidplate forward towards the front of the vehicle.

push up then towards the front of the truck, i'll give it a try. Thanks Dous

 

[Dous]

No problemo brother, they are really goofy, just look at them and you should be able to wriggle it out

 

[BlackCat914]

Man, if yours is that hard to get off, imagine how hard it'll be to get back on. I replaced all 3 of my belts a few months ago, and it took me longer to get the damn skid shields back in place, haha.

 

[Doc2012]

AAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD that's why I have BudBuilts.

 

[Dous]

AAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD that's why I have BudBuilts.

Hey I would rather be installing the stock ones, rather than my Buds, they are so freaking heavy

 

[Doc2012]

But they're sooooooooooooooooo worth it.

I like doing silly stuff.....

(As if this doesn't show that well enough.....)

I would rather have 3/16ths under my oil pan than have the thin stock stuff....

 

[mark3406e]

Are you stuck sitting there? Did the truck survive without major issues?

 

[Dous]

LOL don't get me wrong I love my Budbuilts, but the installation is a pain in the butt

 

[Hacker]

push up then towards the front of the truck, i'll give it a try. Thanks Dous

The tabs go from back to front, and are immediately above the two outside bolt holes on the front end of the plate.

The tabs are such that, if they were hooked in to the support bar, the skid plate would be hanging loosely about 1/2" down from the bolted-in position. As has been said, those tabs keep the plate from falling after loosening those front bolts (and allowing you to loosen the rear bolts).

If you are hammering on the plate and it won't move, it is NOT because those tabs are holding it in. If it were hanging on the tabs, the skidplate would be quite loose and fall off easily after just moving it a bit. I suppose there might be some shims on those front tabs....?

To get the plate to fall from the tabs, the skid plate is moved AFT, toward the back of the car.

 

[Doc2012]

Are you stuck sitting there? Did the truck survive without major issues?

Oh yeah. I was stuck. Sucked water into my intake, got the ECU wet, all that jazz.

the truck survived though. Got back to Singtoe's house, rinsed the ECU off, got a new MAF, fluched the transmission(got the dreaded pink milkshake), new starter, and she's good as new. Still DDing her.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

There is a tab at the front if im correct, and double check all bolt are out lol

Winner Winner chicken dinner! When you go back and look at the pic in the OP, the 2 rear bolts that it shows are NOT the 2 rear bolts holding on the smaller skid plate, those are 2 more bolts that aren't even indicated in that pic. The 2 rear bolts that are indicated in that pic, are hidden about 3" up in the small circle openings. LOL, feel like such an idiot :biggrin2:

The tabs go from back to front, and are immediately above the two outside bolt holes on the front end of the plate.

The tabs are such that, if they were hooked in to the support bar, the skid plate would be hanging loosely about 1/2" down from the bolted-in position. As has been said, those tabs keep the plate from falling after loosening those front bolts (and allowing you to loosen the rear bolts).

If you are hammering on the plate and it won't move, it is NOT because those tabs are holding it in. If it were hanging on the tabs, the skidplate would be quite loose and fall off easily after just moving it a bit. I suppose there might be some shims on those front tabs....?

To get the plate to fall from the tabs, the skid plate is moved AFT, toward the back of the car.

Yeah once you get all the bolts out its quite easy to see all the tabs and what not. Good info tho Hacker, and now that i've got everything off, i'll try and remember to get up under there and take some pics of all the bolt locations etc., and post everything back in this thread.

 

[Ghostrider]

It is hard to tell from your picture but I just put the two plates back on my 01 last week. From front to back there are three bolts on the radiator side, 2 that are recessed on the front plate, 2 holding the two plates and 2 holding the rear plate. You need a socket and an extension to get to those two. There are actually two plates and two bolts hold the two plates together and then 2 more bolts hold the rear plate on. I am guessing you missed the two recessed bolts on the front plate. They are about 4 inches up a hole. There are 9 bolts total

 

[THEREALTOR1]

It is hard to tell from your picture but I just put the two plates back on my 01 last week. From front to back there are three bolts on the radiator side, 2 that are recessed on the front plate, 2 holding the two plates and 2 holding the rear plate. You need a socket and an extension to get to those two. There are actually two plates and two bolts hold the two plates together and then 2 more bolts hold the rear plate on. I am guessing you missed the two recessed bolts on the front plate. They are about 4 inches up a hole. There are 9 bolts total

Yep, those are the ones, sneaky F'ers they are.

 

[hrt4me]

are all the skid plate bolts the same diameter and thread pitch?

 

[THEREALTOR1]

are all the skid plate bolts the same diameter and thread pitch?

For some reason I was using a 12mm & a 14mm socket head, but I don't think mine are all factory, because the bolts don't look the same. They should all be 12mm heads I believe, but not sure what the thread pitch is. If I had to guess probably m6x1.25 (maybe 1.50), I can throw one of the factory ones in my pocket and next time i'm at lowes or ace or something check it out on the thread/nut board.

 

[Ghostrider]

are all the skid plate bolts the same diameter and thread pitch?

Yes - I replaced mine the first week (bought new). The original ones were cheap
so I stopped by Ace and got some better ones. However all 9 of mine are the same. I cannot remember if the original nine were all the same socket size but obviously the diameter and thread size is the same