I added a set of Rockhard 4x4 skid plates to my Jeep today, and while doing that I decided to remove my wheel spacers. I replaced my driveshafts a few weeks ago and no longer needed the spacers so I thought this was a good opportunity to remove them. While tedious, the job wasn't too difficult (or so I thought). After taking the spacers out, I buttoned it all up, and thought I'd take my Jeep out for a ride to see if I had any rattle from the skids. I didn't, but I have what sounds like leaks coming from where I removed my spacers and bolted everything back together. The bolts are (I think) tight as I felt they could be without risking stripping the bolts or the threads.

My question is, when you take out spacers do you have to do anything more than bolting the ends back together? Is it possible that when the spacers were in that they opened up the joining parts so that a seal cannot be made any more in the pipe ends? Do I just torque the heck out of the bolts and hope I don't create an even bigger problem. Any help would be appreciated.

 

You may want to take it apart again and clean the mating surfaces of the pipe with a wire brush. If the hardware looks bad then replace it. It shouldn’t take much torque to create the seal.

 

Thanks. I guess I gotta get back on it. I'm thinking it's best if I replace the bolts like you said. Any idea what the bolt size is?

 

Problem solved. Went and bought new bolts and was able to torque them down pretty good. I recommend to anyone who takes out or puts in spacers to replace the bolts. What took me a couple hours yesterday took me about 20 minutes total today. To anyone reading this it was hard to find the size, so bolt size M8-1.25 X 70 (for no spacer) was perfect.