rear body bolts

[mud hungry]

Hey guys how do you remove the rear body bolts on k5. I know this is a noob question. I am having a hard time with taking off the rear bumper so I can take off the tow hitch so I can take off the gas tank skid plate to take off the gas tank to get to the body mount bolts. If this is the correct way to do it how the hell do you get to the upper bumper bolts. the ones that hold on the tailgate springs.

 

[badmix]

hmm, I was able to get to all my rear bumper bolts pretty easily. Shouldnt have to do anything with the tailgate or their springs. Jus work at it, youll get it.

 

[mud hungry]

the biggest problem that I am having is the damn tow hitch is in the way. when I try and take of the bolts to the hitch they spin in the frame rails which I don't know how to get to.

 

[Randy92782]

i'd say on something like a hitch i'd cut the bolts off. unless you don't want any of that next to your gas tank which i can't blame ya

 

[nvrenuf]

I just went through this last weekend. 1st don't mess with the skid plate, it's not in the way. You need to get the bumper off, once out of the way everything is accessible. On mine, I wasn't going to reuse the bumper (and it as bent) so I cut it off - I know, I cheated. It did look like you could unbolt the bumper from the brackets (not unbolt the brackets from the frame), this would have been my next course of action had I wanted to save it.

With the bumper off I found that the forward most hitch bolt was in a plate to keep it from spinning, only the rear one needed to be held on top while loosening. With the hitch gone or the bumper off the body bolt is wide open.

 

[user]

bumper bolts

If I recall correctly, those are carriage bolts - i.e., they have a square protrusion below the head which fits into a square hole in the bumper. It's that square hole that's supposed to hold the bolt while it's being loosened or tightened. So either you've stripped that squareness, either on the bumper or the bolt and you'll have to cut it off, or the bolt is flailing around having loosened enough that the bolt is no longer engaging the bumper properly, in which case you should get a friend to push the bolt down from the outside while you turn the nut, or tape it down with duct-tape, so as to prevent the bolt from spinning.

 

[badmix]

Ah, now I recall. I took bumper off brackets and then brackets off frame. Made it easier IMO.

 

[6.2Blazer]

I just put new body bushings on my K5 a year or so ago, I had previously removed the hitch but didn't have to remove the bumper or gas tank skid.

 

[mud hungry]

Got the hitch off!

I finally got everything off. The hitch and the Bumper. Though you are right I didn't need to take of the bumper. I had to use a cutoff wheel. for the bolts on the hitch. I do have another question though. What size is the bolt for the body mount. Everything I tried didn't seemed like it fit. any one know? Thanks for the help.

 

[mud hungry]

never mind i got the bolts off! After i loss some skin. I need better tools. Like a plasma cutter.