'79 CJ5 Rear Body Mount - Please Help!

Hello, it's been a while since I last visited these forums. My dad and I are doing a complete frame-off restoration of my '79 CJ5. While taking the body off of the frame, we had problems with the two bolts that go from a hollow place in the very rear of the body down through the frame. These bolts would not budge, even with large amounts of WD-40 and heavy-duty air wrenches. In the process, some sort of welded mounting plate within this hollow area that the bolt threads through snapped and the whole assembly just spun around inside the body. We finally had to saw through the bolts just to finally lift the body from the frame. Now we are ready to reassemble, and I was hoping someone knew what these misterious mounting plates where, and how to get at them without cutting a hole through the body and re-welding a new plate. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

The only way to get at them is to cut a hole. If you measure very carefully you can drill a hole (3/4"?) through the bed and get access to it. I cut 1.5"X1.5" hole in mine, welded a new nut in place, and welded a patch back over the hole.
Or you could do the same thing from the bottom, through the hat channel, if you have the body off.

 

Thanks, I was afraid of that. I would like to avoid cutting from the bed. The body is off so hopefully I can go in from underneath or from the side. Thanks again for the info.

 

It shouldn't be a problem doing it from underneath, particularly with the tub off. In fact you can cut that section out, weld a new nut on it, and weld the same piece back in place. I use a 4 1/2" angle grinder with a 1/8" thick metal cutting disc to cut stuff like that. Works well.