Ok, I really screwed up, but I'm not sure how badly.

I'm installing a Rough Country winch plate on my stock front bumper. I got the new horse-shoe brackets mounted in place of the tow hooks, and set it on the frame, putting the studs through the holes.

Here's the mistake: I took the original nuts and put them on the two driver's side, outside studs, instead of the new 12mm-1.75 nuts. I have no idea what I was thinking, because last night I set those new nuts aside, knowing what they were for. I guess a 13 hour high stress work day is the culprit, combined with a desire to get this thing together. Anyway, I forced those suckers on. They are VERY tight, obviously, because they threaded themselves on. I caught the mistake then, as I pondered why the hell these things were so hard to tighten.

My question is, is it ok to just keep them on, and go with it, or is there damage they could have done to the studs, such as weakening them? The other two are fine, and of course, on the passenger side, all four are fine.

I'm obviously not a mechanical expert, and certainly am not a metallurgist. Knowing that there could be some pretty strong force applied to these brackets, as it is a winch mount, is the reason I'm asking to see what some of you experienced guys think before I trust it.

Otherwise, I have to go back and wrench (somehow) those nuts back off of those two studs and ask Rough Country if I can purchase a new one. Ugh. I'm hoping I really don't need to do that. I'm not planning on really using the winch that often, and mainly just to get my Jeep out of the occasional pickle, but you never know. I want to rest assured it is fully capable of maximum pulling ability.

 

the only way to be assured of a safe setup is to force them back off with an impact or by hand or possibly ut them off if you installed the wrong nuts with an impact the threads are toast and the stud is compromised.... my advice is get another and learn from your mistake we have all done similar dont feel bad

 

Sorry to say man. I would get them off and make it right. Because the nuts are threaded on the wrong thread pitch they should come off.

You say your not going to use the winch often. Not sure how you can say that. Once you have a winch installed you tend to use it more than you think.

 

You need to get them out and start over on that side. No shame in it... you are smart to ask!!

 

Pull them and visually inspect the threads on the studs. If you were able to put them on, then the damage may not be that bad, as the threads may have only been slightly different. Long story short you may be able to repair them with a thread file. If not replace them. I have no experience with that item, but i would assume any hardware store would have the studs, good luck. And don't worry as previously stated we have all fine something similar. Live and learn.

 

Ok, thanks, guys. I've already e-mailed Rough Country to get a new mount. I should be able to get them off, since I got them on. It will be a pain, but oh well. The bigger pain will be waiting for the new one to be shipped. I hope they don't charge me too much for the replacement. I hate it. I guess I should be glad I only did it to the one on that side, right?

It is like Patton once said when asked to fall back. "I don't like to fight for the same territory twice!" I guess I have to in order to be safe and sure. $h*t!!

 

WD-40 might be a friend of yours or a cutting torch

 

good call! it never pays to use jacked up fasteners as tempting as it may be .once you overtightened the stud was already stretched to a dgree and strength was lost .it would have bitten you or spmeone else down the road . anytime you encounter any resistance with a threaded fastener stop and find out why . i replaceda cylinder head today because of a bolt that was cross threaded and the tapped hole for the exhaust was so badly damaged it could not be repaired . next time youll know !

 

I've got a giant socket wrench that should be able to back them out with massive leverage. That's how I got them on there in the first place. It will be a nice workout, though.

 

Ok, both nuts backed off a bit easier than they went on. One came right off. The other has stripped and won't come all the way off. It spins almost freely, then catches a little, then frees up, but it won't come off. It is close, but it is like it is stripped to one thread that won't let it back all the way off.

What should I do? I don't have any kind of cutting tool that can get in there. I was thinking of going ahead and buying an air powered impact wrench (I have a huge compressor) and just spinning it until it comes off. Will that even work?

I'm stumped. It is barely on there, but just won't quite make it. I tried to pry it, but again, I can't really get anything in there to put much pressure on it.

I'm wide open to suggestions. My new bracket arrives tomorrow, so if I can get the bolt off, the rest of this sucker is a piece of cake. Uggghhh!!