I was changing the fluid in the t-case, and there was a cross member blocking access to the drain plug. Nothing I had could fit in the gap, so the crossmember had to be removed. One bolt on the drives side and three on the passenger side were totally stuck. I tried deep creep for two days, an impact gun, three different get stuck bolts out products and all those as seen on tv devices. Then I tried heat. None of it worked and I ended up with four totally rounded bolts. Only option was to cut off the head and then drill out the holes. Wait a monster PIA. Took me half a day to get the damn thing off.

So, what is this purpose of this crossmember?Is the crossmember necessary? I don't want to reinstall it just yet, as I need to cut off the mounting brackets from the frame, grind down the edges and weld on new brackets and get a new crossmember. I am worried that the cross member is there to stiffen the frame or provide lateral support or something similar. The position makes it look like it is there to protect the differential. There is a matching crossmember right under the transmission.

Does anyone know FOR SURE. Educated guess is probably not a good idea when it comes to issues of the frame. Thanks all.

Hey Mike, you know anyone at LR or a dealer that could provide a definitive answer on this?

 

just want to say that snap on makes a great tool for getting even a perfect circle bolt off... you hammer it onto the bolt and it grips as it goes... the simply put ratchet on and turn as normal (then before bolt is all the way out remove the tool, as if the bolt is out you need a vice)

it's expensive, but I find all the other cheaper brands will not grip well, as the hammering will damage them (I tried every kind)

 

You shouldn't have needed to remove the cross member just to add gear oil to the t/case, no one else has.
Why would you want to remove some of your strutural strength, you have any idea the cost to straighten or replace your frame when it starts to tweak?
Go talk to anyone at a body shop that works on 4wheelers.
I can't for the likes of me see why you want to do this???????????????

 

If I remember right... I just put the end of my socket right into the drain plug, tight fit but it worked

 

I was thinking the same thing

 

I did not need to remove it to add fluid, I needed to remove it to drain the fluid. I tried four different ratchets and none of them would squeeze into the drain plug, as the crossmember was in the way. When I read the shop manual, it indicated that it needed to be removed as well. Trust me, I did not want to remove it, especially after rounding the first bolt. But there was simply no other way to get to the drain plug.

I fully understand not removing a crossmember that is for structural or frame stiffening purposes. But, this one was such a lightweight material, it did not appear to be for that purpose. It looked an awful lot like a skid bar to protect the t-case from rocks, and not a frame crossmember.

Without knowing for certain, I guess I will put it back on before I drive it. But I would still like to find out what the purpose is. If you actually take a look at it, it is very thin, lightweight and the fasteners were small bolts with simple welded on nuts. The mounting brackets welds are not that great, so I still think it serves no purpose other than a t-case protector, but better safe than sorry.

 

the frame rails will start to curve inward slightly if the two cross rails are removed and the truck driven off-road severly.
you can knock off the captured nut in the frame and just nut and bolt it back in place.

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