Oilfieldtrash1289
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Burlington, NJ
Any one who has been out wheeling an XJ long enough will eventually hang up on the factory rear lower shock mount. I hangs down about three inches below the axle and worked like a rock magnet for me one day. I decided to weld on a pair of Zone Offroad high clearance shock mounts that end up flush with the axle. I got the idea from Pabst Boys Roadhouse on youtube.
https://youtu.be/D75T0hIv1mw
http://zoneoffroad.com/zone-offroad-products-suspension-shock-mount-weld-on-jeep-cherokee/j5859
I lost three inches in shock travel and the remote reservoirs were still exposed under the jeep. I decided to regain some of the shock travel and keep the reservoirs safe inside the trunk by building a subframe for those badboys. Also, no more barpins....
After cutting off the old lower mounts and welding in the new ones the first step I took was to drill out the old upper mounts. I used a cut off wheel to cut away the floor and expose the topside of the factory mounts. A 4" hole saw did the trick. It was really easy considering there is already a dimple in the middle of the factory mount on the trunk side.
Next I cleaned up the wheel wells and floor where the subframe would mount. I had taken a few measurements and decided 4x2-3/16th box tubing with some 2x3/16 flat bar would make up my frame. Wheel well to wheel well was 44 1/4" on my XJ and I cut the tie in plates to 9". I also cut and drilled 2 9" plates for thru-bolting in the wheel well. I cut 4" long plates from the flat bar for thru-bolting to the floor. I ended up cutting off the factory cargo tie downs and drilling them out for this. They are on the pinch seam next to the bumpstops.
I centered the subframe after I had tacked the plates on the ends and marked the holes for the floor thru-bolts. I press fit some grade 8 bolts I had sitting around and welded them in, ground them flush and then test fit the subframe again. This time I marked the holes on the wheel wells where the tie ins went and drilled out the wheel wells.
For the upper shock mounts I used some 5/8" grade 8 bolts (3" long I think). The box tube wasn't quite wide enough so I welded in 1/4" flat bar to the box tubing to move the 5/8" bolts out. Then the bolts were welded on the 1/4" plates and the rest of the welds were 100%ed. I let the metal cool, grind, prep, paint blah blah blah.
The subframe was installed and all the tie ins were thru-bolted. The shocks were bolted in and the reservoirs were attached with metal banding because the hose clamps included were too short (the rubber bushings were trimmed flat on one side so they mounted flush to the tubing). I used some 3/16th neoprene I ordered on amazon to make dust boots for the shocks.
I'm happy with the finished product and hopefully it serves as a starting point for anyone who wants a similar result. I'll let everyone know how it holds up in a few months when I get back from bootcamp and can really test it out. Everything is 3/16" steel and all the hardware is grade 8 so I think its gonna do mighty fine. Keep in mind I'm a decent welder and weekend mechanic and all of this is my humble opinion/work.
https://youtu.be/D75T0hIv1mw
http://zoneoffroad.com/zone-offroad-products-suspension-shock-mount-weld-on-jeep-cherokee/j5859
I lost three inches in shock travel and the remote reservoirs were still exposed under the jeep. I decided to regain some of the shock travel and keep the reservoirs safe inside the trunk by building a subframe for those badboys. Also, no more barpins....
After cutting off the old lower mounts and welding in the new ones the first step I took was to drill out the old upper mounts. I used a cut off wheel to cut away the floor and expose the topside of the factory mounts. A 4" hole saw did the trick. It was really easy considering there is already a dimple in the middle of the factory mount on the trunk side.
Next I cleaned up the wheel wells and floor where the subframe would mount. I had taken a few measurements and decided 4x2-3/16th box tubing with some 2x3/16 flat bar would make up my frame. Wheel well to wheel well was 44 1/4" on my XJ and I cut the tie in plates to 9". I also cut and drilled 2 9" plates for thru-bolting in the wheel well. I cut 4" long plates from the flat bar for thru-bolting to the floor. I ended up cutting off the factory cargo tie downs and drilling them out for this. They are on the pinch seam next to the bumpstops.
I centered the subframe after I had tacked the plates on the ends and marked the holes for the floor thru-bolts. I press fit some grade 8 bolts I had sitting around and welded them in, ground them flush and then test fit the subframe again. This time I marked the holes on the wheel wells where the tie ins went and drilled out the wheel wells.
For the upper shock mounts I used some 5/8" grade 8 bolts (3" long I think). The box tube wasn't quite wide enough so I welded in 1/4" flat bar to the box tubing to move the 5/8" bolts out. Then the bolts were welded on the 1/4" plates and the rest of the welds were 100%ed. I let the metal cool, grind, prep, paint blah blah blah.
The subframe was installed and all the tie ins were thru-bolted. The shocks were bolted in and the reservoirs were attached with metal banding because the hose clamps included were too short (the rubber bushings were trimmed flat on one side so they mounted flush to the tubing). I used some 3/16th neoprene I ordered on amazon to make dust boots for the shocks.
I'm happy with the finished product and hopefully it serves as a starting point for anyone who wants a similar result. I'll let everyone know how it holds up in a few months when I get back from bootcamp and can really test it out. Everything is 3/16" steel and all the hardware is grade 8 so I think its gonna do mighty fine. Keep in mind I'm a decent welder and weekend mechanic and all of this is my humble opinion/work.
