Skid Plate Maintenance Help

I was installing the Apex Overland recovery points and as I finished up, I over tightened the screw on the plastic covering from the bumper to the skid plate. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get this out? Is this plastic cover needed? Is there a skid plate on the market that someone can recommend that will allow access to the oil filter and drain plug?

I'm wondering if I need to get this plastic piece back on or what purpose it served. Thanks for any insight!

 

I know mine is missing a screw or plastic insert n is absolutely fine
Is there anyway you can just replace with new bolt/washers/nut? I’ve done this on a few areas that I noticed were missing hardware when I bought mine a few years back
Side note...do you have KDSS? I ask because I’m going to be installing my apex soon n was wondering how the frame drilling went
Also if you have KDSS or not, did you have to remove crash bar?(I do n wanna know the retorque specs)

 

@scottiezilla - thanks for the reply! I’m sure that’s the most likely path forward. I’ll see what I can pick up at ace. No KDSS on my truck. I used the apex overland instructions and paired with a YouTube video and went pretty smooth.

 

If you want to remove the broken bolt, you'll need to drill it and use an extractor.

 

Same happened with me on several of the skid plate bolts. I bought this cheap screw extractor set and it worked like a charm.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-Hans...Extractor-and-Drill-Bit-Combo-Pack/1003018224

and

https://www.amazon.com/Hanson-17660...ds=irwin+tap+socket+set&qid=1624138474&sr=8-7

and

https://www.amazon.com/Forney-20857...=1&keywords=cutting+oil&qid=1624138425&sr=8-3

Plenty of youtube videos on screw extraction. Use some cutting oil. Go slow.

 

If you're planning on going off road, you really should get a better skid plate on there.

 

I'd like to do some off-roading, but it would be light off roading nd probably fairly infrequent. I've been trying to find a skid plate that won't add on a ton of extra weight and allow access to the oil filter and plug. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

That plastic piece is more of a dirt and slop deflector. Rather than a skid plate. And it visually fills in a gap.
The 10mm bolt holding the plastic shield you snapped off only needs 6 inch pounds of torque. It’s good to use a torque wrench on the under-engine plates, and anti-seize on the threads. Too many stories out there of corroded and broken bolts.

 

I'd look into the aluminum TRD Pro skid or aluminum RCI skid.

 

As far as getting that bolt out… is it screwed into a spring nut? I would probably first try to see if I could slip the spring nut off if so.

second, vice grips if there is a nub,

Third, can you get a pick on part of the bolt where it broke off and turn it to take it out?

then last left handed drill bit and ex out. Sometimes the left handed bit will take the bolt out.

 

Anybody know how much weight the TRD skid plate would add?

 

I don't know the actual weight, you may be able to Google it. But I would think the weight difference between the aluminum TRD skid plate and the stock steel skid would be negligible.