Fuel tank bash plate! - AUSJEEPOFFROAD.COM Jeep News Australia and New Zealand

damxr · #1 13-02-2011

Hey guys. Ive got a massive dent in my fuel tank bash plate. I want to drop the bash plate off so i can take in dent out of it. Only want to do this cause its rubbing on the tank and making this not good squeaking noise. Just wondering if i drop the bash plate off, will the fuel tank come off with it or is it attached to the car seperatly?? Help as soon as would be good! Thanks guys!

wranglertj · #2 13-02-2011

mate i have never taken mine off but i would be fairly safe to say it is attached seperately.

Try lowering down slowly with a trolley jack and you will soon see if it is attached sperately or not but my guess is it will be mounted seperately

rolli · #3 13-02-2011

When I inadvertently fill my crd up with petrol, I tried to remove the bash plate, and the tank started to come out with it, as there was 50l of fuel in it, I stopped as I didn't have a trolly jack available.

I'm not certain of it, but I seemed to me that the tank sits on the bash plate.

Darksider · #4 13-02-2011

The service manual states the skid plate and tank assembly share the same fasteners.

damxr · #5 13-02-2011

Thanks guys. Yeh lowered it slowly and noticed that it all comes down as one! Going to have to find a way to seperate them n get the bash plate off. Thanks again!

Jeeptheone · #6 13-02-2011

Lets us know how you do it as I have to remove some dents from mine as well.

JTO

Yom · #7 13-02-2011

piece of cake mate.

make sure it is as empty as you dare let it go (i mean drive on the fuel light for as long as possible).

You can drop the tank without lifting the vehicle at all.

Just make sure you disconnect the filler lines and cover them up. They have funky plastic clip things which need manipulation and are fragile. So do not break them.

Once you have the main filler and vent disconnected you can proceed to lower to the tank on the bolts. the rear has to come down before the front end as the front sticks in a bit over the crossmember, meaning the rear falls down, slides backwards and then the front comes out.

Once the tank is half way out you can disconnect the electricals to the fuel pump.

I did not need to disconnect the fuel lines from the pump to the vehicle. They were long enough for me.

I was able to do a 2dr tank by myself. Even bashing the dents out was a piece of cake, is very easy to manipulate steel.

BTW the squeaking is actually your tank hitting a plastic clip holding the reflective heat insulation to the body of the vehicle. Remove this clip and rip the stuff out of the body (can be done by hand) and give it a bit of paint to stop the rust. This will prevent it from squeaking again.