Stage 4 Repair
NOTE:^ If the vehicle requires a STAGE 4 repair or had a prior repair resulting in a modification to the lower trailing link front bracket area, an additional inspection of the entire underside of the vehicle must be completed and any damage and/or modifications to the frame must be noted to determine if the campaign service remedy can or should be completed.
^ Type B reinforcement brackets used in a STAGE 4 REPAIR require holes to be drilled in specific areas of the frame (inboard and outboard sides). Prior to receiving the brackets for a repair, match the locations of these holes to the frame in the illustrations below; this will help you to determine if the brackets can be installed.
^ This repair includes removing and reinstalling the fuel tank assembly, fuel lines, and vent lines. Take normal precautions during removal, storage, and reinstallation of these parts. Make sure to do this repair in a well vented area, away from any ignition sources.
^ This repair involves raising the body off the frame and cutting the original rear trailing link front mounting brackets off the frame rails. To avoid permanent frame damage that would make the vehicle unrepairable, carefully follow all of the steps. If you are unfamiliar with this type of repair, sublet it to a qualified body/frame repair shop.
^ If needed, refer to the appropriate Passport Service Manual for any steps not fully detailed.
^ Do this repair on both sides of the vehicle.
1. Remove the radiator grille.
2. Remove the linear EGR valve.
3. Remove the rear bumper assembly.
4. Remove the exhaust silencer (muffler).
5. Remove the fuel tank assembly:
^ Disconnect the fuel line at the fuel filter and the fuel return hoses.
^ Disconnect the fuel tank at locations 2, 3, and 4. shown.
6. Loosen the parking brake cable mounting brackets on both sides of the frame (four places).
7. On the driver's side of the frame, loosen the six wire harness clips.
8. On the passenger's side of the frame, loosen the four brake line clips.
9. Loosen the ABS speed sensor harness bracket bolts and clip from both front fenderwells.
10. Loosen the EVAP canister line from the bulkhead (three clips).
11. Remove the body mount mounting nuts (mounts No. 1, 2, 3, and 5) and bolt (mount No. 4).
12. Using two ratcheting straps, lash up both sides of the rear axle to support it during the following steps:
^ Attach one end of the strap above the axle at the driver's side inside frame rail.
^ Route the other end of the strap down, underneath the rear axle, and then back up above the outside of the driver's side frame rail.
^ Connect both ends of the strap together and remove any slack.
^ Attach the other ratcheting strap to the passenger's side the same way as the driver's side.
13. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
14. Carefully raise the rear of the body about 10 inches off the frame, and temporarily support it. The equipment/method used to raise the body off the frame include, but are not limited to, one of these options:
^ Raise the body at the rear wheelwells using a vehicle hoist with padded swing arms.
^ Raise the body at the bottom of the rear swing out door using a 4x4 in. piece of wood (running the width of the body) and a forklift.
To prevent injury or vehicle damage, be sure to chose the safest possible method for your particular situation.
15. Remove the mounting bolts for the left and right side No. 5 body mounts, then remove the mounts. Refer to step 11.
16. Remove the top of body mount No. 4 from the left and right sides. Refer to step 11.
17. Insert wood blocks at the No.4 and 5 body mounts to support the body off of the frame, and provide access for the following steps. The No.4 body mount should be about 7 inches (175 mm) above the frame, and the No.5 body mounts should be about 10.25 inches (260 mm) above the frame.
18. Remove both lower trailing link front mounting nuts and bolts. Discard the nuts and the bolts; new ones are included in the bracket kit.
19. Raise the vehicle on a lift.
20. Cut off the driver's side and the passenger's side lower trailing link front brackets from the frame:
^ Using a cutting wheel, cut just below or through the bracket weld to remove the bracket.
^ Once the bracket is removed, use a disk grinder to remove any excess material and smooth out the frame.
21. Remove and discard the frame rail side hole plug from both frame rails.
22. Using a hammer, knock on the outside of both frame rails to loosen any rust on the inside of the frame.
23. Using a wire brush and a scraper, remove any loose frame coating and rust from the outside frame rail. Clean 10 inches (250 mm) forward and rearward of the bracket area.
24. Use a dry rag to remove any remaining dust or debris.
25. Temporarily install both type B reinforcement brackets using new body mount studs and nuts, and C-clamps:
^ Secure the bracket to the frame using the new body mount stud and nut at the upper link bracket.
^ Firmly push the bracket up against the frame, and clamp it into place with a C-clamp. Make sure the C-clamp compresses the bracket against the frame so there is no possibility of bracket movement when drilling pilot holes into the frame.
26. Using a 3/8 in. drill motor, a 1/4 in. drill guide, and a
1/4 in. bit, drill 16 pilot holes into the frame rail, through each hole in the type B reinforcement bracket.
27. Using a 1/4 in. bit, drill a pilot hole into the passenger's side frame rail, through the type B reinforcement bracket brake clip mounting hole.
28. Remove both type B reinforcement brackets. Save the body mount studs and nuts for the final installation.
29. Using a 1/2 in. drill motor and a 33/64 in. bit, final drill the pilot hole you made in step 27, then mark the hole with tape or chalk. This hole creates the clearance needed for the passenger's side brake line clip.
NOTE:
Do not install a pop nut into this hole.
30. Using the 1/2 in. drill motor and the 33/64 in. bit, drill 32 final holes (16 per bracket) where you made the pilot holes.
31. Test fit a pop nut into each of the 32 holes to be sure drilling is complete.
NOTE: If a pop nut doesn't fit, don't try to try to enlarge the hole by pivoting the drill bit. Doing this creates an uneven seating surface for the pop nut. If the pop nut doesn't fit, your drill bit is worn out; sharpen or replace the drill bit, then redrill the affected final hole(s).
32. Insert an air gun into the frame rail hole, and blow up and down the inside of the frame rails to move any rust or metal debris away from the area.
33. Attach the pop nut installer to shop air, and adjust the tool's air pressure regulator to between 72 and 87 psi.
NOTE:
^ The tool's air pressure is critical: if it's too low, the pop nuts cannot be correctly installed; if it's too high, the tool will be damaged.
^ If this is your first time using the pop nut installer, or if you haven't used it in a while, practice installing one or two pop nuts onto the pop nut test plate:
- Place a pop nut at the tip of installer's threaded mandrel. Make sure to keep your fingers away from the gap between the pop nut and the base of the mandrel. Squeeze the installer's trigger; the pop nut threads onto the mandrel.
- Insert the pop nut into a hole on the pop nut test plate. Make sure the pop nut is seated against the plate.
- Squeeze and hold the installer's trigger until the mandrel reverses and unthreads the pop nut.
- Measure the diameter of the expanded (crush) section of the installed pop nut; it should be at least 15 mm. If you need more practice, install another pop nut on the test plate.
34. Install a pop nut in each of the 32 holes you drilled on the frame rails (16 per bracket). Make sure each pop nut is seated against the frame before you pull the trigger. Continue holding the trigger until the mandrel reverses direction. Once reversed, pull back slightly, and the mandrel unthreads the pop nut.
35. Temporarily install both type B reinforcement brackets again, then make sure all of the bolts can be started in each pop nut.
36. Remove both type B reinforcement brackets.
37. Cover all 32 holes with the 3/4 in. round labels from the kit. This will prevent the Noxudol from contaminating the pop nut threads.
38. Use masking tape to cover the upper trailing link brackets. This will prevent the Noxudol from contaminating the bracket mounting surfaces.
39. Apply Noxudol 700 and Noxudol 300 anti-corrosion waxes (see steps 5 thru 19 of STAGE 2 REPAIR).
40. Remove the round labels and the masking tape.
41. Install the left and right type B reinforcement brackets using all of the hardware in the kit. Torque the bolts and nuts, in the order shown on the illustrations below:
^ Torque the bracket bolts to 35 N.m (25 lb-ft).
^ Torque the body mount studs and nuts to 30 N.m (22 lb-ft).
42. Reinstall both lower trailing links with new front mounting nuts and bolts. Hand-tighten the nuts.
43. Remove the ratcheting straps.
44. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
45. Carefully raise the rear of the body off the frame using the method you chose earlier in the repair, then remove the wood blocks.
46. With the body still raised off the frame, reinstall the No.5 body mounts, and torque the bolts to 50 N.m (37 lb-ft).
47. Spray some Noxudol 300 around the No. 4 body mount locations.
48. Carefully lower the body onto the frame, then torque the body mount nuts and bolts to 50 N.m (37 lb-ft).
49. Torque the lower trailing link front mounting bolts to 165-180 N.m (122-133 lb-ft).
50. Raise the vehicle, then reattach the EVAP canister line to the bulkhead (three clips).
51. Loosen the bracket bolts and clip from both front fenderwells. Reattach the ABS speed sensor harness clips in the front fenderwells, then torque the ABS speed sensor harness bracket bolts to 11 N.m (8 lb-ft). Reconnect the ABS speed sensor harnesses.
52. Reattach the brake lines to the passenger's side of the frame using the four new clips from the kit.
53. Reattach the wire harness along the driver's side of the frame using the six new clips from the kit.
54. Reinstall the parking brake cable mounting brackets on both sides of the frame using the four new bolts from the kit. Torque the bolts to 7 N.m (5 lb-ft).
55. Reinstall the fuel tank assembly using the new mounting bolts, the nut, and the clips from the kit. Torque the mounting bolts and the nut to 68 N.m (50 lb-ft).
56. Reinstall the exhaust silencer (muffler) with a new gasket and new nuts. Torque the silencer nuts to 43 N.m (32 lb-ft). Torque the silencer bracket mounting nuts to 15 N.m (11 lb-ft).
57. Reinstall the rear bumper assembly. Torque the bumper mounting bolts to 147 N.m (108 lb-ft)
58. Reinstall the linear EGR valve with a new gasket. Torque the bolts to 25 N.m (18 lb-ft).
59. Reinstall the radiator grille.
60. If the side steps or the running boards were removed, reinstall them.
61. Fill out the information on a campaign completion label. Stick this label to the back edge of the driver's door, just below the door latch.
NOTE:
If you need more labels, order them from Helm using reorder number Y0895.