Front skid- pics of lower attachment points

[vt_maverick]

Sue - It looks like your passenger side is the one that's farthest away right? When I first put my plate on the holes were about that far from each other and I was like WTF... I ended up pushing HARD on the bottom of the plate with my left hand while I turned the bolt by hand with my right until it caught the threads. It looks to me like one side of your plate isn't all the way on - maybe you need to wiggle it back and forth to get it to fit right? I think you mentioned putting spacers and what-not behind the plate to protect the cladding - maybe you have too much of that?

I dunno, very weird. Have you tried the rear plate yet? If you think the front is hard...

[ron]

Wow VX Kat! I checked out your pics and I really don't understand why the angle of the misalignment is so far off. It looks like a good 1-2" off center! Usually it would be around .25"-.5" but not that much. I really think your mounting bracket (where the screws go into) have been pushed inward too far and need to be pushed back out. I really wished you were closer so I can remove the cladding and examine and adjust the brackets myself. Sorry to see you're having so much trouble just with the front plate. The rear is a bit more challenging but doable.

[ron]

I believe this bracket needs to be pulled out a bit. You may need to remove the front cladding to get to it. I don't have a VX any more to reference off of. So, I can't really recall if there's anything else in front of the foam padding area (in front of the bracket) that would block you from doing this. Maybe someone has a pic fromt he front of the foam padding with the cladding off?

[VX KAT]

I So, I can't really recall if there's anything else in front of the foam padding area (in front of the bracket) that would block you from doing this. Maybe someone has a pic fromt he front of the foam padding with the cladding off?

I just added a few pics to the picasaweb album of a few shots I have with the front cladding just slightly down, maybe it will show what you're looking for, not sure?

[ron]

Sue.. I checked out your additional pics. Is that one bracket with the bumpstop at top, the same bracket that extends all the way down to meet the bottom cladding screw mount? It appears this way but not sure if that's the case or not. If it is the same bracket, I suggest removing the cladding entirely to pull out the bracket farther forward enough to re-align the screw holes with the plate. If not, you may need to remove the cladding anyway to get a closer look at this bottom bracket and make the adjustment then. ron

[VX KAT]

Sue.. I checked out your additional pics. Is that one bracket with the bumpstop at top, the same bracket that extends all the way down to meet the bottom cladding screw mount? It appears this way but not sure if that's the case or not. If it is the same bracket, I suggest removing the cladding entirely to pull out the bracket farther forward enough to re-align the screw holes with the plate. If not, you may need to remove the cladding anyway to get a closer look at this bottom bracket and make the adjustment then. ron

I can try to figger' it out tomorrow...but anybody else know? I believe he's referring to the vertical black metal bracket with the rubber bumpstop on top of it. Can see in that one shot it does go down pretty far.....will have to check.

[MSHardeman]

Sue, I think Ron is right about pulling the lower cladding mount out a bit. If you've been to Moab, and I know that you have , you have probably pushed those mounts back a little bit. They are just flimsy pieces of metal used to hold the bottom of the cladding in place. I've bent them around a couple of time just pulling the front cladding off, or tryin to put it back on. You can really just leave the cladding on and give the bracket a good tug toward the front of the VX and it should move with no problem.

[VX KAT]

Thanks Ashley & Ron. I think tomorrow I'll try loosening the top two like you described and try wiggling it around. I'll take the rubber washers off if I have to.

Ron, the distance from hole to hole on center is about 1".

Also, during my extended search for slightly longer flange bolts (with a thread pitch of like 2!) for installing the JDM mudflaps, (Oh that's another story....)..... I discovered that nifty parts book Napa has, where they've shrink wrapped samples of all nuts/bolts/clips etc in a book. I can get all kinds of "retaining clips"...those little things the top 2 screws go into in the license plate area. Maybe I can find a different clip (maybe stronger too) that will let me angle the plate down a few hairs or something....making it get closer to alignment, then push like he!! on the bottom edge like you did, hopefully catching the threads.

I have about 3/4" from the skid hole to the edge of the plate...if I have to elongate that hole with a file, how much can I go...maybe 1/4"? What's the minimum amount I should leave for strength? If this hole is going to be under extra pressure with the bolt really applying force to the one edge, I don't really want to remove much of that plastic....I would guess?

I'm also thinking I should drill the skid hole a tiny bit larger, so I can get a latex tubing "sleeve" (like LDub did) on it for extra abrasion protection, since I "think" this bolt is going to end up being under pretty good pressure on the one edge.

Ron your idea is probably really the best one, move that bracket a little toward the rear, and push on the plate really hard. Or maybe Luna's idea of a slide hammer to persuade that bracket to move a little.

Maybe after a few Chocolate Munkees on the stoop, and AFTER some wheeling, and some more alcoholic beverages, some of the gang on the stoop will be ready to rip in to the front bumper. Get that bracket moved, plate installed and send me on my way home!

Thoughts?

[Ldub]

Maybe after a few Chocolate Munkees on the stoop, and AFTER some wheeling, and some more alcoholic beverages, some of the gang on the stoop will be ready to rip in to the front bumper. Get that bracket moved, plate installed and send me on my way home!

Thoughts?

It could happen...