White knuckle slider removal (driver front bolt) (1 Viewer)

[elcie200]

Hi. I'm looking to remove the White Knuckle sliders from my 2013 LC. Was able to remove the passenger side...

But cannot figure out how to access/remove the front driver side bolt. There's not enough space to get a socket or box wrench on it. I must be missing something here, cuz it got installed; so there should be a way to remove, right? (Also kinda apprehensive about messing with that hard line.)

I've read the WK install instructions, it talks about a shim for the hardline but I still can't visualize how to access/remove the slider mounting bolt.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[RET2]

Shim it out until you can get a box wrench preferably ratcheting on the bolt? Easy does it, not the time for a BFH.

 

[LBridges]

Had the same sort of issue with the Trail Tailor step sliders. You can remove the bolt holding the two lines to the frame (at very top of your photo), then pull the lines away enough to get the bolt out. I had to do it installing the sliders on my 2017, then again to remove them from the 2017, then install on the 2020 model. Was the biggest pain for the TT sliders. Looks like same issue for the WK. The following is what I wrote on the first install (also true for uninstall and reinstall):

4. On the driver’s side there is a bolt that holds two hydraulic lines to the frame at the front end of where the sliders go. You first need to bend the bracket out enough that the slider mounting plate can fit under it (~3/8”). Then you need to remove the bolt holding that bracket to the frame so you can pull the lines out enough to get the 6” long front mount bolt in without doing damage to the lines (it gives the lines enough flex to move around as you place the bolt in position). This is easily the most frustrating thing because the factory must have done this without the body in place. I used a 12mm ratcheting box end and after going half-crazy got the bolt out (getting it back in at the end will finish off the other half of the crazy part).

 

[afgman786]

You take off the bracket for the kdss lines there and then you get full access

 

[RET2]

Mudd to the rescue!!

 

[elcie200]

Thanks for all the tips folks. Appreciate it. I'll have another run at it tomorrow.

You take off the bracket for the kdss lines there and then you get full access

...and now I have a new problem before my original problem. Hahaha.

Gonna have to ponder about how to get at that bracket bolt. I cannot get to it: box wrench fits, but no way to get any leverage on it. Socket is too tall to get on it. Maybe drill a hole thru the floor

 

[LBridges]

Thanks for all the tips folks. Appreciate it. I'll have another run at it tomorrow.
...and now I have a new problem before my original problem. Hahaha.
Gonna have to ponder about how to get at that bracket bolt. I cannot get to it: box wrench fits, but no way to get any leverage on it. Socket is too tall to get on it. Maybe drill a hole thru the floor

Now you know what I meant about going half crazy. I think you will need a good ratcheting box end and some practice in contortion. It was difficult breaking the bolt loose. I went at it every way I could, open end up in the gap seemed to work best for my hands and truck. Then EXTREMELY tedious getting backed out as on mine it never got loose enough to undo it with finger pressure until maybe the very last thread.

It's been a while, but I want to say on the uninstall I spent 30 or 40 minutes getting the hydraulic line mounting bolt out. And keep in mind this was an uninstall of a slider that I installed. Maybe a curved ratcheting wrench might work, but I didn't have one to test and I just out-stubborned it.

 

[elcie200]

Maybe a curved ratcheting wrench might work

Nice! I've been googling wrenches for the last hour trying to visualize how each one would fit/not fit.

 

[afgman786]

Nice! I've been googling wrenches for the last hour trying to visualize how each one would fit/not fit.

Which part are you stuck at exactly? So I can look at mine tomorrow. I've got white knuckle sliders and installing the front bolts was easy work. I'd assume taking em out can't be too bad

 

[elcie200]

Which part are you stuck at exactly? So I can look at mine tomorrow. I've got white knuckle sliders and installing the front bolts was easy work. I'd assume taking em out can't be too bad

Thanks! I need to remove or loosen the kdss bracket bolt (hardline), so I can access the driver front horizontal bolt -- the (slider) bolt that goes through the frame.

 

[afgman786]

Thanks! I need to remove or loosen the kdss bracket bolt (hardline), so I can access the driver front horizontal bolt -- the (slider) bolt that goes through the frame.

Gotcha. Hopefully I'll remember what the trick was for me.

 

[afgman786]

What's got you wanting to remove them? Just curious

 

[elcie200]

Gotcha. Hopefully I'll remember what the trick was for me.

I'm thinking I need a wrench that'll reach the bracket bolt "between the body and hardline" or "between the hardline and frame". Either way, it'll need to be access more vertically than parallel to the frame.

Currently, I only have a basic/ straight flat box wrench. That may be my problem.

 

[elcie200]

What's got you wanting to remove them? Just curious

Treat some rust (frame and slider) and paint

 

[afgman786]

Treat some rust (frame and slider) and paint

Just got home from work and it was going to bug me to wait till the morning.
Just got under there and I used these, try sliding in behind the lines and getting it on there. Also cussing like a sailor helped.

 

[elcie200]

Just got home from work and it was going to bug me to wait till the morning.
Just got under there and I used these, try sliding in behind the lines and getting it on there. Also cussing like a sailor helped.

View attachment 2192556

[Edited...]

Staring at the picture I posted, I'm wondering if I can just remove the nut on the back side of the frame, then slide the whole bolt over and jiggle it out.

 

[afgman786]

[Edited...]

Staring at the picture I posted, I'm wondering if I can just remove the nut on the back side of the frame, then slide the whole bolt over and jiggle it out.

If I remember correctly the plate that on the back side had a welded nut on it for the bolt to go thru

 

[elcie200]

If I remember correctly the plate that on the back side had a welded nut on it for the bolt to go thru

Interesting... mine has a regular nut, plus flat and lock washer holding the backing plate to the frame. (Same on the passenger front. The passenger rear has the backing plate w/ the welded nut.)

Alas, wrenching on the nut just spins the whole assembly/bolt, so back to square one. I'm thinking I just need an offset box wrench to go 'over the hardline' or one of those curvy jobs that @LBridges posted.

 

[RET2]

Google 'crows foot' socket. It's an open end wrench that attaches to a regular ratchet head.

 

[elcie200]

Success! FINALLY. Thanks all for the tips and problem solving. I tried a variety of socket flex extensions, and universal joint adapters to no avail.

This little wrench did the trick. I was able to reach the driver side kdss bracket bolt with the wrench on the left side of the bolt. There was not enough space to access the bolt from the right side, top or bottom.

Amazon product ASIN B000HBDX8I