New Mounts for TJ

[Mike]

I have torn several mounts on the frame in the last year. I typically have just welded them back together and moved on. But the latest tear deformed the mount so badly that there wasn't an option to just put it back on.

The driver's side rear upper control arm mount tore and deformed badly. We were able to weld it on long enough to get off the trail and back home:


Since the driver's side was so badly mis-shaped, I cut off the passenger side to use for a guide for building a new mount:




I bought some 3" wide, 3/16" thick flat stock and used the original shape for fabbing the new mount:




Once I got the pattern worked out, I created the matching mount:


Here are pics of the attached mounts:




They have held up very well so far. I ran Swamp Lake and Coyote Lake as the shakedown run and then Sunbonnet the week after. I am going to do some work to the front axle in the next few months, so I am considering replacing the front upper control mounts while I'm at it.

[xjkevin]

looks really good Mike, definetly gona hold up better than stock, no probs with the axle mounts?

[RAT]

Mike,
Sweet! Nice fab job. Looks better than factory.

[Schmo]

Nice work Mike . . . did you weld them yourself?

[4xfiend]

Very nice job, Mike! That's the big problem with the poly bushings- they don't flex very much so they take out the mounts instead. Those new mounts definitely look like they'll take more abuse than the stock ones, though.

[Mike]

Nice work Mike . . . did you weld them yourself?

Ha! Yeah, can't you tell?

looks really good Mike, definetly gona hold up better than stock, no probs with the axle mounts?

The arms connect to the axle as a four link. The joints at the axle are heim joints so they were not a problem at all. I had to use a come-a-long to move the axle around to get the arms into the right place.

After looking at these pics again, I went back and checked the positioning and it looks like I either let the clamp slip or I didn't triple check my positioning before welding them in place. One side is slightly higher than the other. I will have to cut one of them off and reweld it.

[Dezertdog]

Nice job Mike,
Bummer you have to cut one off and do it again..
"Measure twice weld once."
EIther way, it's way better than stock.

Scott

[Schmo]

When did you start welding? I knew you had skills with metal, but I didn't know you welded too. I always pictured a fire, anvil, and hammers, like in the Robin Hood movies! Great job making those brackets. Josh hooked me up with a welder. Any body want to teach me how to weld???

[aw12345]

Mike nice job on the brackets, looks good.
However you did not fix your original problem, those upper control arms do notmuve just straight up and down but at an arch when you flex the rear axle which is why it tore of the brackets to begin with. The urethane bushings do not deflect enough when the control arm moves through its arch.
So to fix it, heim joints on the upper end, or Johniejoints or change it to a trilink, or buy some upper control arms from currie for a 4 link they make them with johnniejoints on both ends.

[RAT]

When did you start welding? I knew you had skills with metal, but I didn't know you welded too. I always pictured a fire, anvil, and hammers, like in the Robin Hood movies! Great job making those brackets. Josh hooked me up with a welder. Any body want to teach me how to weld???

No, actually he did forge those out of one solid peice of steel. He has the God-like skills that allows him to make a forging LOOK like a welded piece because he IS so humble he wants us lesser beings to think he's one of us...
I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...

Who loves ya Mike?

Joe, doesn't Josh weld? Get his ass over there to show you how!

[Schmo]

Joe, doesn't Josh weld? Get his ass over there to show you how!

Based on my current situation with my neighbor, welding at my pad is a bit out of the question! Josh was kind enough to kick down the welder . . . but let me know I'm on my own as far as figuring out what the hell to do with it! I might have to find a Welding for Dummies book or something!

[aw12345]

Local college welding class or something simular