bracket fab

this is on a wj, but i was thinking i would get more feed back in this subforum then the grand cherokee one. i have a rear 4 link setup and this bracket is for the upper control arm.

I have bent the bracket so my axle is no longer centered. hammered the tab back straight and no surprise that didnt last long. my current plan is to make a new one as a temporary fix to get me threw the winter fun before tearing the whole thing down in the spring and plating the unibody.


option 1: simply box the back of the two tabs together




option 2: place a piece that goes from the outside control arm bracket and run it back to the frame rail. this is what i currently have and it is cracked where the plate meets the bracket. I originally put this there to take stress off the rest of the bracket where it mounts to the frame rail as that was cracking. so instead of doing the same thing again i could add this in addition to option 1




or i was thinking of fully boxing the mount, and placing a piece on top. i have no idea what would be stronger hopefully you guys will. other options are welcomed

It's hard to tell exactly what you mean, but I think with option number 2, if instead of welding it to the edge of the bracket, you could run a longer piece that came all the way along side if the bracket and the bolt would sandwich them all together?? Without seeing exactly what's going on, it's just a guess. I would just do as much overkill as possible!


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

i like your idea, only problem is its a diagonal from the bracket to the frame rail, so i would have to bend the plate to get it lined up with the bold hole and i dont have a bender. or cut and weld so it bends but then that would be weakening it and would probably crack again. here is the full bracket for a little more clarity

back side view of the opposite mount

BlackDiamondBound said:

i like your idea, only problem is its a diagonal from the bracket to the frame rail, so i would have to bend the plate to get it lined up with the bold hole and i dont have a bender. or cut and weld so it bends but then that would be weakening it and would probably crack again. here is the full bracket for a little more clarity

Click to expand...

You should be able to bend 1/4 " with a hammer ...it's not gonna be easy, and It's not gonna be Evo quality, but it should work... If you can heat it up with a torch that would help, and if you still can't, try drilling like 1/8" holes every 1/2" along the desired bend. You can weld up those holes without really weakening it If done correctly. You also could run a bead along the desired bend and then while it's still got try to get it bent....

Also, you may want to check the settings on your welder, because if it's cracking you may not have enough penetration or???

Let me know if that works


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

I think it cracked from stress plus it was sort of a crappy weld cause the muffler is in the way of the tip. I like your idea of bending the plate and extending it, but im just going to save some time and box the whole thing. i'll have a shop properly bend the plate when I redo it all. this is just a temporary fix to get me playing in the snow in the winter. after that ill need to rip everything out and plate the unibody where call the control arm brackets mount too.

Sounds good.. And if it's not welded in, you could always pull your muffler down so you have a clear path for your welder... Next season that is.. Have fun in the snow!!


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

Also, if you have any friends that have an arc welder, you can bend the rod to get into tight places. Sometimes you can only weld about an inch at a time, but it's better than just throwing a whole bunch of wire in the general direction!


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks