Installing OEM Tow Hooks

[Chase19]

I bought a 2019 Laramie and it didn’t come with front tow hooks, so I bought a set of OEM tow hooks.

I’m trying to install them, but the existing bolt that it says to reuse will not come out. It goes through the frame and when I loosen it, it only pulls out halfway.

It’s loose, but it’s like there’s something inside the frame that stops it from sliding out.

Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[Agitated]

Yes, I just this 2 days ago. Those 2 bolts have a retaining clip on them and they wont pull out without some persuasion. Heres how I did it:
Use a prybar, a block of wood, and an impact. While spinning the bolt with the impact, pry down on the bolt head with your prybar. Use the frame and wood as a fulcrum to pry on. Keep significant down force on that bolt head. The pry bar will probably slip off a few times. Now is the time to man up and commit. Eventually that retaining clip will fail, fold, or spin off and the bolt will drop out.
Alternately, a second pair of hands can make it easy and that person could hold a pair of channel locks around the bolt head, and pry down on the channel locks while the other spins the bolt out.

 

[SpeedyV]

Yes, I just this 2 days ago. Those 2 bolts have a retaining clip on them and they wont pull out without some persuasion. Heres how I did it:
Use a prybar, a block of wood, and an impact. While spinning the bolt with the impact, pry down on the bolt head with your prybar. Use the frame and wood as a fulcrum to pry on. Keep significant down force on that bolt head. The pry bar will probably slip off a few times. Now is the time to man up and commit. Eventually that retaining clip will fail, fold, or spin off and the bolt will drop out.
Alternately, a second pair of hands can make it easy and that person could hold a pair of channel locks around the bolt head, and pry down on the channel locks while the other spins the bolt out.

This process sounds very fitting for someone with the avatar "Agitated"

 

[Accountant]

Yup I used channel locks where the bolt could spin in the jaws but enough to pull the bolt down and held my impact wrench in the other hand. Worked like a charm.

 

[Chase19]

Thanks guys. I just tried it with channel locks and a impact. It worked perfectly.