Rear unibody bracing?

Damn shoukda got those instead of the factory nutstrip, solid design

I have some crazy bumper that has a like a hitch mahatma mounts to the bottom of the uni, and is connected with square tube with another mount in the middle. Has mounting points for the bumper.

THIS is overkill most likely... but also have a similar set up to the JKS shock thing acting as another rear brace.

I'll take some pics for ideas when I remember how to upload em.

Are you able to weld? That makes a difference in what options are viable

I've got a reasonable assortment of power tools but no welding capability or experience.

One difference I see between the eBay bumper reinforcement and the JCR nut strip is that the JCR nut strip skips one hole. Apparently that hole is not typically used for trailer hitches and gas tank skids?

Also, would that bumper reinforcement work with the stock bumper? It seems like it would push it back by at least 3/16" inch which would cause the body molding to no longer fit.

You can see the primer unit running along the bottom of the body. I like how snug it is, almost like it was meant to be there..
Basically it ties in both sides of the unibody bracing and reinforcing the end of it. Uses 6 bolts on each side on the bottom f the unibody sandwiching the gas tank skid uni and nut strip together (just added SFR SRBs as well) and 2 bolts that you can see in the middle. Bumper uses reinforced stock location for a total of 9 grade 8 bolts.

Id imagine the towing capacity would be higher than say a uhaul tow hitch receiver.

Also have a rear cross member similar to the JKS one shown earlier.





Now my recommendation is different than what's been said... and might not be the most blinged out purchase, but I highly recommend you buy a welder and learn to weld. It sounds like this will be an ongoing endeavor, (jeep bug bites don't just go away) and the ability to make and create things is as satisfying as it is useful. Any other unibody reinforcing you wish to do will likely require welding. This also opens doors to the DIY bumpers and many projects in the future.
With your budget id say start hitting the pawn shops and look for a decent unit. I dropped 90$ bucks on mine and have been able to do loads of projects. Welder types is kind of an individual thing, but for me FluxCore wire feed is the best value. Gas is prettier so a unit capable of both is a good idea. I could go on but it seems I'm already derailed a bit. Just my 2 cents

ShoeterMcgav said:

...
Now my recommendation is different than what's been said... and might not be the most blinged out purchase, but I highly recommend you buy a welder and learn to weld. It sounds like this will be an ongoing endeavor, (jeep bug bites don't just go away) and the ability to make and create things is as satisfying as it is useful. Any other unibody reinforcing you wish to do will likely require welding. This also opens doors to the DIY bumpers and many projects in the future.
With your budget id say start hitting the pawn shops and look for a decent unit. I dropped 90$ bucks on mine and have been able to do loads of projects. Welder types is kind of an individual thing, but for me FluxCore wire feed is the best value. Gas is prettier so a unit capable of both is a good idea. I could go on but it seems I'm already derailed a bit. Just my 2 cents

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Thanks for the suggestion. I wish I had that kind of time, but I got yelled at today for spending a good fraction of the day working on the XJ. Having a welder would make things worse.

All good... depends on if you get yelled at more for spending or working on it. My wife prefers I spend less so the ability to make what i need or at least opt for the cheaper DYI version is easier... no I get yelled at for garage time and grinding messes, but I pick my battles LOL


For a budget of 400 and no ability to weld the DIYer, I might still opt for one and lay a shop or a friend to weld it up for me.


https://www.ironrockoffroad.com/product/xj-diy-rear-bumper-97-01.html

Not boxed in the uni but a solid bumper and will reinforce until you add frame stiffeners

maxbraketorque said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I wish I had that kind of time, but I got yelled at today for spending a good fraction of the day working on the XJ. Having a welder would make things worse.

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You might need to remind someone that time spent working on the Jeep is time not spent watching stimulating performances by voluptuous harlots at Shotgun Willies.

No friend's who weld. :-( I think that for the time being, I'm going to try a trailer hitch along with the JCR nut strips. I'm likely going to need a hitch anyhow to pull a small trailer. Gas tank skid would come after that. I really think the JCR gas tank skid will be very effective because its boxed and welded at the rear which will make for excellent twist stiffness. I think either the hitch or the JCR gas tank skid need an internal stiffening post inside the unibody rail to be most effective. I'd like to get that $100 ebay item and cut it down so it slides in the factory nut strip hole.

The gas tank skid does little to nothing for adding strength... for your purposes a hitch will be plenty.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Well, for the hitch cost at what a buckn 50?... for the cost, might be best served looking at a bumper with receiver. At least I'd want to.

https://www.ebay.com/i/124334693761...C0Mf26-Cxi8SwD3iMYZc83rpTm_SWKacaAuE7EALw_wcB

Something like this, maybe find something cheaper, add the rail mounts for ~$100 and then get a factory skid for dirt cheap at a junk yard? In that way, with the mounts in the rail the skid would actually sandwich the uni and give you the support like a hitch?
BOM winning!

SlowXj said:

The gas tank skid does little to nothing for adding strength... for your purposes a hitch will be plenty.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Have you physically handled the JCR unit? It offers substantially more than the factory option. I do believe it has structural benefits.

/\ especially coupled with the frame insert... even with the crown automotive strip you are sandwiching the unibody and tying the 2 sides together?

SlowXj said:

The gas tank skid does little to nothing for adding strength... for your purposes a hitch will be plenty.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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I'd say that's true for the other gas tank skids I've seen, but 3/16" walls along with the rear-facing vertical panel of the skid being welded to the side-facing panels makes for a very twist resistant structure. I wish that JCR would have done the same at the front of the skid and then tied it to the unibody rails at the front too.

But I'm going to order a hitch now...

Can anyone confirm that 2 inch wide bar will fit into the unibody rail? I'm going to reinforce the clamping force that the nut strip can provide by sticking 1/4" thick bar between the nut strip and the rail. I'd like to go with 2 inch wide bar, but want to be sure that it fits. I realize that I'll have to widen the opening into the rail slightly, but my concern is whether there is anything inside the rail that will prevent 2 inch wide strip from sitting flat on the bottom of the rail.

The gas tank filler novel cut out will limit the depth on the driver side. Pretty sure 2 × 4 will fit... but not with the nut strip. Have to put the nuts trip in the 2x4

Thanks. I'm definitely going to do something better than just a nut strip.

I decided to go with a Curt 13084 hitch.

Circle S Industries was able to make me a heavy duty nut strip that is essentially a reduced version of their bumper tie-in.

• I had to drill holes in the driver side nut strip to allow clearance for the fuel line shield attachment screws.
• I had to notch the bottom of both nut strips to allow clearance for the one hole in the bottom of the unibody rail that has a raised lip.
• I had to knock out the insert that's present in the passenger side unibody rail.

https://se30.dyndns.org:8080/XJ/custom_nut_strip_photo_1.jpg

https://se30.dyndns.org:8080/XJ/custom_nut_strip_photo_2.jpg

That seems like a total waste of time since you didn't accomplish anything more than what a factory nut-strips does, I even have a couple pairs that I would have sent you.

RCP Phx said:

That seems like a total waste of time since you didn't accomplish anything more than what a factory nut-strips does, I even have a couple pairs that I would have sent you.

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These are much more beefy than the factory nut strips (or the JCR nut strips), and there are more bolts. The net effect will be to more firmly grip the unibody than using a factory or JCR nut strips. The hope is to more strongly couple the hitch to the unibody to provide more unibody twist resistance, but perhaps a hitch doesn't really provide any benefit in this regard. If that's the case, I guess I can say that at least I have a hitch now which is something that I wanted.

The hitch will add strength but your sacrificing ground clearance. The factory nut-strips are 1/8" and utilize all 5 mountings bolts so you went to a lot of trouble without any gains.

BTW, your Curt hitch doesn't use all 5 bolts!