frame stiffening

[Freeman Jeep]

so i want to weld my track bar bracket to my frame because it keeps flexing out and hitting my coil. i was thinking about just plating the front frame rails and welding it to that. What do ya'll on here think?

 

[N-Smooth]

It would be a lot better than welding it to the thin unibody for sure. In the very least you should plate around the steering box and tracbar area.

 

[Herzog]

There are some kits designed exactly for this which also integrate the steering box for better support too. Search around the net for them, it will give you an idea if you want to make something similar on your own or just pick up a pre-cut unit and weld it on.

What trackbar bracket are you running? In the past, I used the beefy RE bracket that I also just ended up welding on. Worked great after that, no real issues that I was aware of.

 

[Freeman Jeep]

Ive got the iron rock offroad trac bar and bracket i love it except the fact that the stock bolts dont like to hold it on very tight i havent put locktite on because i figure thats just a band aid and i wanna have that ready and plated for when i do coil overs

 

[Badger]

Box in the back side of the track bar mount and weld on a brace. A piece of dom that goes across to the other passenger side frame rail.

Sorry only pictures I seem to have showing it

 

[skippy]

when i built my Dads Cherokee I had to build a pretty large drop bracket for his track bar since we did the teraflex high steer kit at the same time. I also added a DOM brace from the passenger frame rail to the track bar bracket to add some rigidity to the mount. I used a piece of solid stock on one end and a heim on the other to keep it removable and remove any play a bushing would allow for.

Here is the bracket when I get home i will take pics of the whole setup....

 

[Freeman Jeep]

I like the idea of bracing from the inside but i was looking at a guy named eric who has this awesome site about his xj and i saw that he welded it to the frame because he had stiffeners but i could brace from the inside and the frame.

 

[N-Smooth]

I think it at least needs a couple stitch welds to the frame. They find a way of loosening otherwise

 

[Gravy]

read my old thread here

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=921469

and here is my fix it thread

http://www.utah4x4club.com/index.php?&showtopic=3693

 

[STAG]

If I had another XJ, I would brace it exactly like this one.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-cherokee/764951-project-stage-one-build-thread.html

 

[XJEEPER]

Here's some ideas from the build on my current XJ, which I started in 07. http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=913774&page=2

I used JKS SBS plates to reinforce the inner and outer steering box area, plus I did the passenger side as well. It comes with weld-in sleeves for the steering box bolts and I've never had the box bolts loosen on me. (highly recommend) The trackbar area is plated with TMR plates and then mate up with TNT Customs unirail stiffeners that run back to the front leaf hanger. I've since added plating over the rear axle area to the rear leaf hanger. I also run a trackbar cross brace and the bolts have never loosed up on me in 6 years.

If you want to get a plating kit from a single source, try HD Offroad, they now make a full front to rear kit. http://hdoffroadengineering.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/xj-frame-stiffener-set

 

[RockMonkey]

As long as everyone is sharing... Here's mine.

 

[thenag]

There is a picture of mine in post #62
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?83436-Nathan-and-Tanja-s-99-XJ-Build-up/page5

Mine is the $Clayton$ kit. my track bar drop bracket is bolted with factory bolts and welded on. Clayton kits weld on with no frame stiffeners (I tied their whole kit into a pair of ruff stuff stiffeners except the track bar bracket when I installed the lift kit)

The only part of my frame that is not re-enforced is from where the factory lowers were up to where the factory tow hooks were.

I need to make my plates for the front "frame" I keep saying that it will get done in the next month or two...

The front part of the "frame" is the strongest and actually seems to be thicker metal, welding my rear coil buckets on it was impossible not to burn through the metal!

Carl, (ILean) makes a steering box plate, maybe he could make it really long so you could tie in the track bar bracket?

Post #109 (I only used his plate on the inside since I have RidgidCo's bumper with an outer plate
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?83436-Nathan-and-Tanja-s-99-XJ-Build-up/page8

Nathan