Front cross member nut broke. Help?

[AlabamaWill]

I have Shrockworks skid plates form the radiator to the gas tank. The problem I have is that the front cross member nut has broken, its the one that the bolt goes through in the front left oilpan skid. And is the nut that is was welded inside the cross member form the factory. My truck is an 06 Frontier, the truck has been offroaded only on gravel roads. Im slowly building my overlander; there has been no impack on the skid plate itself ever. Ive thought about cutting a port hole in the back of the cross member, reweld the nut, then weld up the port hole. What do you guys think??? would it under mind the cross member if its welded or how would you guys fix it?

 

[fishy_frontier]

I've sheered off one of those bolts on a rock but the nut remained intact. I wouldn't think drilling a port hole in the cross member would weaken it, somebody might have a different opinion though. If it were me I wouldn't weld it back in. Make sure the port is big enough for a flat wrench and replace the stock nut and bolt with grade 8 or metric 8.8. That way it wont happen again. Or if it does you can easily replace it.

 

[Albin]

I've sheered off one of those bolts on a rock but the nut remained intact. I wouldn't think drilling a port hole in the cross member would weaken it, somebody might have a different opinion though. If it were me I wouldn't weld it back in. Make sure the port is big enough for a flat wrench and replace the stock nut and bolt with grade 8 or metric 10.9 8.8. That way it wont happen again. Or if it does you can easily replace it.

Metric 10.9 is equivalent, strength-wise, to SAE Grade 8.

 

[davidshourd]

this happend to a couple of mine before I made my skids. I ended up drilling the hole out to a little bigger then the outside diameter of a nut and welded it into the cross member flush, then grinded it down and good as new! I upsized the bolts to, I think they were 8mmx1.25? then used counter sunk heads into the skids, no way I am going to shear those off, maybe scrape the head up to the point I cant fit the allen wrench into it, but the skid plate wont fall off! should be easier then trying to cut a port hole to weld a nut above then weld the port hole back together. let us know what you end up doing.

 

[fishy_frontier]

Metric 10.9 is equivalent, strength-wise, to SAE Grade 8.

Oooops, Thanks

 

[AlabamaWill]

Ok so Im thinkin about welding it; so I would disconnect the batterie and what would I do with the ECU just disconnect it or just pull it out?

 

[davidshourd]

I use to disconnect my battery, but after talking with several fab shops, as long as you have a good clean ground for your welder there will not be an issue. if you dont have a clean ground you will notice because your welds will be garbage, if it even arcs. attached is an old picture before I got the countersunk heads on. but all the bolts shown on that skid I upsized and welded in.

 

[Desert Dan]

Have you tried using an EZ out and just replacing the bolt?

Then you can updgrade later.

 

[RonapRhys]

I've actually got about 5 of the sheared bolts and 3 broken heads. This will end up being a large problem for me down the road. What I'm hoping is that when Skid Row comes out with their skids they don't need to use their bolts or that I can figure a way around the problem.

BTW, they may start using carriage bolts to hold the plates on, which if you can thread in from the back side is great as they're highly unlikely to shear off.