When summer comes and the hard top comes off, I have
hardware to put away so it doesn't get lost. The six bolts and six nuts are special
so paying Jeep dealer prices to replace them when they go missing is not on my list of
things to do.
In the past, I have simply removed the six bolts, saved
the rectangular nuts that are used near the doors, and leave the other four to roam free
under the lip of the tub. But I discovered that they can come loose and fall down
into the Jeep. Rather than lose them, I needed to do something.
In the past, I have simply threaded the bolts back in.
But the problem is that I like to use those holes to tie down my luggage net with
shock cords. With a bolt in the hole, there's nothing left to tie to.
I decided to solve these problems - secure the roaming
nuts on the edge of the tub, and provide a place to tie things. The solution was
very simple and a few minutes trying different things at Home Depot led to this: A
simple shackle with screw pin. Look familiar?
I simply installed one through each of the nuts in the
tub edge, simultaneously securing the nut for later and providing a plate to tie my cargo
net. I think these are rounded enough that they won't cause injury. Heaven
forbid I actually need that working load limit of 700 pounds!
