Well it finally happened. The passenger side upper mount came off and took a considerable part of the frame with it. I welded it back on so it will make it to school again and last until summer. In the summer I would like to replace both brackets and fix everything the right way. Does anyone know where I can buy either stock or upgraded frame brackets for my upper control arms?
98zjteen
Your "best" option is to upgrade to a rear long arm suspension . No more worries 
RC is the cheapest route and compatible with your height . Approx $500 for the rear upgrade IIRC . Better can run up to over $1000
I doubt you'll find any fabbed brakets , they would have to be custom I would think .
RC is the cheapest route and compatible with your height . Approx $500 for the rear upgrade IIRC . Better can run up to over $1000
I doubt you'll find any fabbed brakets , they would have to be custom I would think .
I would love to be able to buy and install a long arm kit, but I am a poor college student who is going to law school next semester. I have neither the money nor time to upgrade. Unfortunately, I have to find a relatively cheap fix that will retain the reliability of the Jeep. What has everyone else done? I know this is not an uncommon problem.
Get up in there with cardboard.
Make templates of what the repair plates should look like
Trace them onto 1/8" thick steel plate
Cut out with a cheapie harbor freight 4" grinder with a cutoff wheel
Clean frame surface, cut out old mounts.
Weld new mounts in
Lot of labor, low cost. Be sure the mounts extend well into a solid part of the frame. Cut the ends in a C shape so there's more weld holding the end than just a straight cut/weld. Drill holes in the repair plates then plug weld the holes to the underlying frame.
Be sure to pull away any carpeting or sound deadener on the other side of the floor so you don't start a fire. Look for wire looms that may be damaged by heat.
Go to a local metal supply house and just buy a 2'X4' piece of steel, or ask to pick thru their "drops" laying under the shear and grab yourself a couple smaller pieces. There will probably be a $50 minimum charge
Done right it'll be stronger than originally.
Make templates of what the repair plates should look like
Trace them onto 1/8" thick steel plate
Cut out with a cheapie harbor freight 4" grinder with a cutoff wheel
Clean frame surface, cut out old mounts.
Weld new mounts in
Lot of labor, low cost. Be sure the mounts extend well into a solid part of the frame. Cut the ends in a C shape so there's more weld holding the end than just a straight cut/weld. Drill holes in the repair plates then plug weld the holes to the underlying frame.
Be sure to pull away any carpeting or sound deadener on the other side of the floor so you don't start a fire. Look for wire looms that may be damaged by heat.
Go to a local metal supply house and just buy a 2'X4' piece of steel, or ask to pick thru their "drops" laying under the shear and grab yourself a couple smaller pieces. There will probably be a $50 minimum charge
Done right it'll be stronger than originally.
You make the bracket as part of the frame repair plate. The repair plate will be a foot to 18 inches long, it'll mimic the curve of the frame, and the bracket will be a tab sticking off it.
If you want more strength, cut a small triangle and weld it onto the bracket and floor at a 90 degree angle to the repair plate.
If the bracket is too far to one side or the other, make a sissy plate (or two) that welds to the inside/outside of the bracket's tab and spaces the surface over.
Or hit it with a hammer and bend it over to where it needs to be. Then add the triangle plate to hold it there.
Your repair is not going to look exactly like the original bracket, it just needs the bolt hole to be in the same place.
Buy a couple norton cutoff wheels from lowes, and use a grinding wheel on the same 4" grinder to clean off your weld surfaces before welding. Harbor freight cutoff wheels are garbage but the grinders are darn good.
If you want more strength, cut a small triangle and weld it onto the bracket and floor at a 90 degree angle to the repair plate.
If the bracket is too far to one side or the other, make a sissy plate (or two) that welds to the inside/outside of the bracket's tab and spaces the surface over.
Or hit it with a hammer and bend it over to where it needs to be. Then add the triangle plate to hold it there.
Your repair is not going to look exactly like the original bracket, it just needs the bolt hole to be in the same place.
Buy a couple norton cutoff wheels from lowes, and use a grinding wheel on the same 4" grinder to clean off your weld surfaces before welding. Harbor freight cutoff wheels are garbage but the grinders are darn good.
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Inner-frame-mount-40one-bracket41_p_1174.html
Check this site out and if they are not listed see if he can make you something. Also look for the mopar parts online site. Go into suspension or body and frame parts. You might find singe OEM brackets there
Check this site out and if they are not listed see if he can make you something. Also look for the mopar parts online site. Go into suspension or body and frame parts. You might find singe OEM brackets there
http://www.rocky-road.com/zjcad.html
Check this out also, I know it is a drop bracket and I think gets attached to the original but the way it looks you have a way of adding strength to the bracket area. Then you can drill a hole where the original one is to move it back into position. Then grind the lower part off. Just a wild thought and most likely a PITA. The biggest problem is weakness in the area around. Even with Foundrydude's idea which makes allot of sense. You need to worry about fatigue around the area your going to weld. You can actually fab the brackets it would not be that hard from what I am looking at on the pictures. Just got to make sure you drill the holes in the proper location.
You do have a Mig or Tig welding or are you using gas or stick?
Edited
Im on my sons computer instead of phone Look at part #9 in this diagram and you might be able to figure something out. Im sure you realize the biggest problem is the unibody and how this is set up.
http://www.factorymopar.com/index.php?i=2&model=830&make=131&year=1998§ion=128&catid=30189&type=parts&subcatid=30856&item_collision=1&items=none&image=WA95510&catid=30189
Check this out also, I know it is a drop bracket and I think gets attached to the original but the way it looks you have a way of adding strength to the bracket area. Then you can drill a hole where the original one is to move it back into position. Then grind the lower part off. Just a wild thought and most likely a PITA. The biggest problem is weakness in the area around. Even with Foundrydude's idea which makes allot of sense. You need to worry about fatigue around the area your going to weld. You can actually fab the brackets it would not be that hard from what I am looking at on the pictures. Just got to make sure you drill the holes in the proper location.
You do have a Mig or Tig welding or are you using gas or stick?
Edited
Im on my sons computer instead of phone Look at part #9 in this diagram and you might be able to figure something out. Im sure you realize the biggest problem is the unibody and how this is set up.
http://www.factorymopar.com/index.php?i=2&model=830&make=131&year=1998§ion=128&catid=30189&type=parts&subcatid=30856&item_collision=1&items=none&image=WA95510&catid=30189
I wouldn't worry about fatigue if you both maximize the amount of weld (in inches) and make the bracket out of 1/8" plate. The stock brackets are much thinner than 1/8. If in doubt, triangulate and just keep adding reinforcing plates
I've repaired a bunch of rust belt vehicles this way as daily drivers and never had a problem. For a while my own mother even drove a toyota pickup with the central frame and leaf spring mounts repaired in this fashion. If you're wondering I don't think she's got much life insurance
Frames look really beefy, but if you've ever cut one up for modification, they're suprisingly flimsy & flexible. And if you've ever looked close at the weld quality of a 1970s GM product, even something as beefy as a 1975 impala, it looks like a blind man waved a stick welder toward the seams more than a skilled welder performing welding. Don't be afraid of home frame repair if you've got basic welding skills and a good supply of metal. You'll do just fine.
Good luck with the repair.
I've repaired a bunch of rust belt vehicles this way as daily drivers and never had a problem. For a while my own mother even drove a toyota pickup with the central frame and leaf spring mounts repaired in this fashion. If you're wondering I don't think she's got much life insurance
Frames look really beefy, but if you've ever cut one up for modification, they're suprisingly flimsy & flexible. And if you've ever looked close at the weld quality of a 1970s GM product, even something as beefy as a 1975 impala, it looks like a blind man waved a stick welder toward the seams more than a skilled welder performing welding. Don't be afraid of home frame repair if you've got basic welding skills and a good supply of metal. You'll do just fine.
Good luck with the repair.
you can have this one i just freshly ripped off bracket seems well intact just ripped clear from the frame passenger side
![Image]()
![Image]()
FWIW a guy on another forum who does a lot of frame modification and repair for heavy trucks and towing says that they never weld the corners of the patch piece. They fish mouth the ends to get more weld on the patch but the claim is that welding the corners causes stress risers that eventually lead to cracks. Will that matter on a ZJ frame rail? Maybe not, especially when the factory part is held in with a few spot welds. OTOH it sounds and looks like the factory bracket fails because the spot welds form stress risers and cracks and eventually the bracket rips out.
And here is the text from his post (long) about welding frames. Yes I know the ZJ is unibody but the principles still apply:
There's nothing wrong with welding a frame, so long as its done correctly. Never do a transverse weld on a patch! The repair procedure is:
0. Most Important: Disconnect the battery and unplug any computers and electronics (ECM, etc), or pull the fuses. Don't forget the radio, airbag module, alternator and other electronics.
1. V-grind the breaks on both the long (web) and short (flange) axis, on both inside and outside (can't do inside on a box frame)
2. pull the crack together using appropriate application of force. Be creative in the use of jacks, stands, bars, clamps, hydraulic pull/push, etc. Make the frame as straight as possible.
3. Tack weld the open end of the crack(s) Insert some back-up pieces against the inside of the cracks if its a box frame (1/8" or 3/16" thick is OK; form a single insert to make it easier to hold in place)
4. Run a full penetration set of beads to fill the "V". A contact electrode like E7012 would probably make the nicest bead with good penetration. Whatever electrode you use, make sure it is rated for all-position use. I'd avoid using MIG as it can look pretty while having little penetration.
5. Grind the beads flush with the adjacent surfaces
6. Fabricate web patches that resemble an hourglass to bridge the crack. ~4" at the widest and 2" at the narrowest is OK, with the patch htall enough to span the width of the frame at the crack; it should *just* reach the curve where the web meets the flange. The top and bottom of the patch should be straight, like an hourglass. Thickness should be about the same as the frame if sandwiching the frame; if one-sided, use thicker than the frame. If sandwiching the frame, make one patch wider than the other. Check the FSM for the material spec on the frame. For most patches A36 (36 KSI) structural steel is OK. If the frame is stronger, cut the patches from A50 (50 KSI) structural steel square/rectangular tube of appropriate wall thickness. btw 50 KSI steel has nicely radiused corners and is perfect for fabricating hitch mounts (I'm making mounts for a 5th wheel at the moment). Flange patches are made from flat stock.
7. Grind the perimeter of the patches on one side to provide an undercut for better weld penetration.
8. Weld the web patches into place, completely around the perimeter *EXCEPT* for ~3/4" of the transverse area at the upper and lower corners, again with E7012. Use the skip welding pattern to reduce distortion.
9. Flat stock is used for the flange patches. Cut them ~2" longer than the width of the wisest web patch, and centered over the crack. Weld the flange patches into place uning ONLY longitudinal welds. Use the skip pattern to reduce distortion. *DO NOT* make a transverse weld at the ends of the patch!
10. Remove any slag and spatter, brush with a wire wheel, then coat with appripriate primer and finish paint.
11. Reconnect all fuses and connectors that were unplugged before the repair work.
If the lower flange ripped away from the web, a web-to-web stiffener can be used as a reinforcement next to the hitch mounting bolt, on the outboard side of the bolt. Cut the stiffener to snugly fit into the frame section, with diagonal cuts so the corners don't touch. Weld to the web on alternating sides of the stiffener (2 on one side, 1 on the other, with gaps separating the ends of the welds from the adjacent one; each weld should be 15-20% of the section height of the frame). On a box frame you can only work from one side, so just use 2 welds to each web, each ~20% of the section height, equally spaced. Use a single weld to each web, ~1/2 the section width, centered on the web, on the side nearest the bolt. DO NOT weld near the corners of the stiffener or frame.
The hourglass-shape web patch eliminates the localized stress created by a straight patch. The frame *will* crack again next to the weld if a straight transverse patch is used.
If you don't have access to a welder, you can bolt the patch. The shape of the patch doesn't matter unless you will weld it at a later date, then use an "8" shape on the web. The bolts cannot be placed in a transverse line; they must be staggered with the rows and columns at least one bolt diameter apart. Use 2 or 3 rows on each side of the crack. Grade-5 hardware will suffice in most cases. For a pickup truck frame 7/16" or 1/2" diameter hardware is plenty. Try to pick the length so that the unthreaded shank acts as a pin through the shear plane between the patch and the frame. Try to alternate the bolts from side to side to distribute the pin action. On the flanges, stay at least one bolt diameter away from the edge of the flange. Try to drill the holes as cleanly as possible so the bolts have a snug fit. Borrow or rent a magnetic base drill (used for field-drilling structural steel) and use a split-point twist drill for best results. Use Loctite on the threads and properly torque the fasteners. Lockwashers should not be used. If you need flat washers, use only Grade-8 washers.
The hourglass shape need not be perfect. You can drill a patch plate with a 3/4" or larger drill to form the inside radius of the neck, then saw cut the rest in a straight line and cut/grind a radius at the four corners. NEVER use a patch that has sharp inside or outside corners. Any sharp corner is a stress concentration, and can initiate a crack.
If you don't remember anything else:
- *NEVER* use a straight transverse patch on a frame structure. A straight transverse patch *WILL* crack again immediately adjacent to the weld.
- *NEVER* use a straight transverse weld on any patch. There's generally no limit on longitudinal welds. Use the skip welding pattern to reduce distortion.
- The hourglass-shape patch spreads the tensile stress in the web so that there's no stress concentration adjacent to the weld. Do not weld the transverse area at the outside corners of the patch.
- On a C-section frame, NEVER reduce the width of the flange without adding thickness.
- *NEVER* weld the ends of a flange patch or the transverse area at the corners of the web patch.
- The web patch must have radiused inside and outside corners. Any sharp corner is a stress concentration that can initiate a future crack.
- Weld quality is important. Use the appropriate electrode and current to get good penetration without undercut of the base metal.
Ken
And here is the text from his post (long) about welding frames. Yes I know the ZJ is unibody but the principles still apply:
There's nothing wrong with welding a frame, so long as its done correctly. Never do a transverse weld on a patch! The repair procedure is:
0. Most Important: Disconnect the battery and unplug any computers and electronics (ECM, etc), or pull the fuses. Don't forget the radio, airbag module, alternator and other electronics.
1. V-grind the breaks on both the long (web) and short (flange) axis, on both inside and outside (can't do inside on a box frame)
2. pull the crack together using appropriate application of force. Be creative in the use of jacks, stands, bars, clamps, hydraulic pull/push, etc. Make the frame as straight as possible.
3. Tack weld the open end of the crack(s) Insert some back-up pieces against the inside of the cracks if its a box frame (1/8" or 3/16" thick is OK; form a single insert to make it easier to hold in place)
4. Run a full penetration set of beads to fill the "V". A contact electrode like E7012 would probably make the nicest bead with good penetration. Whatever electrode you use, make sure it is rated for all-position use. I'd avoid using MIG as it can look pretty while having little penetration.
5. Grind the beads flush with the adjacent surfaces
6. Fabricate web patches that resemble an hourglass to bridge the crack. ~4" at the widest and 2" at the narrowest is OK, with the patch htall enough to span the width of the frame at the crack; it should *just* reach the curve where the web meets the flange. The top and bottom of the patch should be straight, like an hourglass. Thickness should be about the same as the frame if sandwiching the frame; if one-sided, use thicker than the frame. If sandwiching the frame, make one patch wider than the other. Check the FSM for the material spec on the frame. For most patches A36 (36 KSI) structural steel is OK. If the frame is stronger, cut the patches from A50 (50 KSI) structural steel square/rectangular tube of appropriate wall thickness. btw 50 KSI steel has nicely radiused corners and is perfect for fabricating hitch mounts (I'm making mounts for a 5th wheel at the moment). Flange patches are made from flat stock.
7. Grind the perimeter of the patches on one side to provide an undercut for better weld penetration.
8. Weld the web patches into place, completely around the perimeter *EXCEPT* for ~3/4" of the transverse area at the upper and lower corners, again with E7012. Use the skip welding pattern to reduce distortion.
9. Flat stock is used for the flange patches. Cut them ~2" longer than the width of the wisest web patch, and centered over the crack. Weld the flange patches into place uning ONLY longitudinal welds. Use the skip pattern to reduce distortion. *DO NOT* make a transverse weld at the ends of the patch!
10. Remove any slag and spatter, brush with a wire wheel, then coat with appripriate primer and finish paint.
11. Reconnect all fuses and connectors that were unplugged before the repair work.
If the lower flange ripped away from the web, a web-to-web stiffener can be used as a reinforcement next to the hitch mounting bolt, on the outboard side of the bolt. Cut the stiffener to snugly fit into the frame section, with diagonal cuts so the corners don't touch. Weld to the web on alternating sides of the stiffener (2 on one side, 1 on the other, with gaps separating the ends of the welds from the adjacent one; each weld should be 15-20% of the section height of the frame). On a box frame you can only work from one side, so just use 2 welds to each web, each ~20% of the section height, equally spaced. Use a single weld to each web, ~1/2 the section width, centered on the web, on the side nearest the bolt. DO NOT weld near the corners of the stiffener or frame.
The hourglass-shape web patch eliminates the localized stress created by a straight patch. The frame *will* crack again next to the weld if a straight transverse patch is used.
If you don't have access to a welder, you can bolt the patch. The shape of the patch doesn't matter unless you will weld it at a later date, then use an "8" shape on the web. The bolts cannot be placed in a transverse line; they must be staggered with the rows and columns at least one bolt diameter apart. Use 2 or 3 rows on each side of the crack. Grade-5 hardware will suffice in most cases. For a pickup truck frame 7/16" or 1/2" diameter hardware is plenty. Try to pick the length so that the unthreaded shank acts as a pin through the shear plane between the patch and the frame. Try to alternate the bolts from side to side to distribute the pin action. On the flanges, stay at least one bolt diameter away from the edge of the flange. Try to drill the holes as cleanly as possible so the bolts have a snug fit. Borrow or rent a magnetic base drill (used for field-drilling structural steel) and use a split-point twist drill for best results. Use Loctite on the threads and properly torque the fasteners. Lockwashers should not be used. If you need flat washers, use only Grade-8 washers.
The hourglass shape need not be perfect. You can drill a patch plate with a 3/4" or larger drill to form the inside radius of the neck, then saw cut the rest in a straight line and cut/grind a radius at the four corners. NEVER use a patch that has sharp inside or outside corners. Any sharp corner is a stress concentration, and can initiate a crack.
If you don't remember anything else:
- *NEVER* use a straight transverse patch on a frame structure. A straight transverse patch *WILL* crack again immediately adjacent to the weld.
- *NEVER* use a straight transverse weld on any patch. There's generally no limit on longitudinal welds. Use the skip welding pattern to reduce distortion.
- The hourglass-shape patch spreads the tensile stress in the web so that there's no stress concentration adjacent to the weld. Do not weld the transverse area at the outside corners of the patch.
- On a C-section frame, NEVER reduce the width of the flange without adding thickness.
- *NEVER* weld the ends of a flange patch or the transverse area at the corners of the web patch.
- The web patch must have radiused inside and outside corners. Any sharp corner is a stress concentration that can initiate a future crack.
- Weld quality is important. Use the appropriate electrode and current to get good penetration without undercut of the base metal.
Ken
Just an interesting data point to think about......
Look under a straight truck sometime, flatbed, box truck, etc. A significant percentage (over half I'd guess) started life with a different wheelbase. The conversion company butt-welds in a length of framerail, and puts a diamond shaped plate over the butt joints. It's all fully welded. These are trucks that live their life hauling heavy loads.
The person quoted above may use an hourglass shape but the majority of what I've seen are just a diamond shaped plate.
If somebody posted that kind of repair on this forum people would freak out about it being unsafe. Yet it's an accepted method for a heavy truck.
More food for thought.........
58-64 general motors fullsize used a 3 link with a panhard that's essentially a ZJ with one upper link removed. Only the super sports got a 2nd upper control arm. I'd certainly be nice to a ZJ with one control arm ripped off but wouldn't lose too much sleep about driving it a small amount. My main concern would be if one upper ripped off the other probably ain't attached that well.
Look under a straight truck sometime, flatbed, box truck, etc. A significant percentage (over half I'd guess) started life with a different wheelbase. The conversion company butt-welds in a length of framerail, and puts a diamond shaped plate over the butt joints. It's all fully welded. These are trucks that live their life hauling heavy loads.
The person quoted above may use an hourglass shape but the majority of what I've seen are just a diamond shaped plate.
If somebody posted that kind of repair on this forum people would freak out about it being unsafe. Yet it's an accepted method for a heavy truck.
More food for thought.........
58-64 general motors fullsize used a 3 link with a panhard that's essentially a ZJ with one upper link removed. Only the super sports got a 2nd upper control arm. I'd certainly be nice to a ZJ with one control arm ripped off but wouldn't lose too much sleep about driving it a small amount. My main concern would be if one upper ripped off the other probably ain't attached that well.
Interesting.
I don't work on or around the big trucks but I have noticed that a lot of them have a big sticker on the frame that warns not to cut, weld, drill, or tap the frame without first consulting the manufacturer.
I would guess that a frame extension has to only deal with the weight of whatever cargo is sitting above the extension. If the suspension doesn't change the forces transmitted to the frame won't affect the extension. If the extension fails you might lose a couple pallets of something, if a suspension bracket fails it's usually worse.
I don't work on or around the big trucks but I have noticed that a lot of them have a big sticker on the frame that warns not to cut, weld, drill, or tap the frame without first consulting the manufacturer.
I would guess that a frame extension has to only deal with the weight of whatever cargo is sitting above the extension. If the suspension doesn't change the forces transmitted to the frame won't affect the extension. If the extension fails you might lose a couple pallets of something, if a suspension bracket fails it's usually worse.
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