Rear Upper Control Arm Brackets Sheared Off Frame

[ac_]

Here is a weird one, I think. I was just changing the oil in my TJ, and I was greasing all of the fittings. I have the Currie Lift so if you are familiar you know there are a million and a half zerk fittings. When I got to the back I thought something looked weird and on the drivers side the upper control arm bracket on the frame was sheared completely off. I mean it is just hanging there by the brake line. Then I looked at the passenger side and it is held on by a hair. Completely sheared off too except for a little piece of the corner. Anybody have any ideas on what could have happened? Has anybody had this situation before. I wonder if it is a symptom of the Ford 8.8 rear end? Maybe just old?

So I guess I will tow it to the local fab shop unless someone has a better idea for a fix? Long arms perhaps?

Cheers

 

[Chris]

I think the most important thing is to determine how and why they failed.

I don't pretend to know why this might be, but I'll bet someone like @mrblaine could chime in with useful knowledge.

It might be telling if you posted some photos as well.

As for long arms being a fix, I'll simply say that any "bolt-on" long arm kit is going to be a lesson in compromises and will not be any better than your current short arm lift unless it's trading one thing for another.

Now if you want to go Savvy mid-arm then you're talking. Of course I would invite you to come wheel with @starkey480 and myself before you think about going down that rabbit hole. I have the Savvy mid-arm on mine while Garrett has the short arm (Savvy arms) on his.

 

[bobthetj03]

I've heard of those upper mounts cracking. Think it happened to @Indy .

 

[jjvw]

What was on there before the JJs?

 

[ac_]

What was on there before the JJs?

Was completely stock when I got it.

 

[ac_]

Here is a picture sheared completely off of the frame. Other side is held on by a prayer.

 

[jjvw]

Here is a picture sheared completely off of the frame. Other side is held on by a prayer.



View attachment 269775

I've seen a few examples on the forums over the years of that falling off. Even on a stock Jeep or two.

 

[ac_]

Lucky the brake line was there to catch it lol

 

[mrblaine]

Here is a weird one, I think. I was just changing the oil in my TJ, and I was greasing all of the fittings. I have the Currie Lift so if you are familiar you know there are a million and a half zerk fittings. When I got to the back I thought something looked weird and on the drivers side the upper control arm bracket on the frame was sheared completely off. I mean it is just hanging there by the brake line. Then I looked at the passenger side and it is held on by a hair. Completely sheared off too except for a little piece of the corner. Anybody have any ideas on what could have happened? Has anybody had this situation before. I wonder if it is a symptom of the Ford 8.8 rear end? Maybe just old?

So I guess I will tow it to the local fab shop unless someone has a better idea for a fix? Long arms perhaps?

Cheers

Pretty common when running something like the old Tera arms. Also common with other arms when they are set to length instead of to load.

 

[cjindna]

set to length instead of to load

This is new to me, would you expand on this concept?

 

[jjvw]

This is new to me, would you expand on this concept?

It's the difference between fixating on a measurement vs making something the length it needs to be.

 

[cjindna]

Maybe “load” is the piece of that which peaked my interest and question.

Rear uppers, on the 4 links I have touched have always been set to length to obtain correct pinion/ds relationship and call it a day.

 

[jjvw]

Maybe “load” is the piece of that which peaked my interest and question.

Rear uppers, on the 4 links I have touched have always been set to length to obtain correct pinion/ds relationship and call it a day.

Are the pairs (upper or lower) made to be the same exact measurement, or are they the length they need to be where one might be a bit shorter so that it fits into the mount and the bolt slides in easily?

 

[cjindna]

Single adjustable uppers, find length needed for pinion angle and set the other to the same length. Struggling to think of a time where the second arm bolts didn’t drop in or take more than a quick alignment with an awl.

I suppose the phrasing was something I hadn’t heard before, the idea makes sense to me but hard to imagine thinking folks are out there standing on pry bars, using ratchet straps, or a port-a-power to get that last control arm bolt in

 

[mrblaine]

Single adjustable uppers, find length needed for pinion angle and set the other to the same length. Struggling to think of a time where the second arm bolts didn’t drop in or take more than a quick alignment with an awl.

Not the norm for sure.

I suppose the phrasing was something I hadn’t heard before, the idea makes sense to me but hard to imagine thinking folks are out there standing on pry bars, using ratchet straps, or a port-a-power to get that last control arm bolt in

Spend more time on the Jeep boards. There is almost always some consternation over how to get the last bolt in. Ratchet straps, jack one side up, all manner of tom foolery.

But even with your way above, they are not at the same load. The only way to do that is get the first arm in and the with the pinion angle set where you want it, take the load off off the first arm until you can turn the bolt with your fingers. Then install the last arm. Both see the same loads that way.

 

[cjindna]

Thank you both for helping me wrap my head around that. I suspect double adjustable links would be the only fool proof way to eliminate ANY loading of that last bolt due to the finer adjustment. Hard to see it with typical 1.25x12 single.

There is certainly some crazy workaround stuff out there, not sure I want to know about all of it

 

[ac_]

Not the norm for sure.

Spend more time on the Jeep boards. There is almost always some consternation over how to get the last bolt in. Ratchet straps, jack one side up, all manner of tom foolery.

But even with your way above, they are not at the same load. The only way to do that is get the first arm in and the with the pinion angle set where you want it, take the load off off the first arm until you can turn the bolt with your fingers. Then install the last arm. Both see the same loads that way.

 

[ac_]

So these are double adjustable. I don't remember using a ratchet strap although I don't want to argue it either as I did this a couple of years ago, and honestly don't remember, but I don't remember fighting it much either. In fact. I pretty much installed the rear diff and set it and forget it. I am wondering if I even changed it from stock. I mean I am pretty sure I just took the stock rear end out and bolted in the Ford 8.8 with no adjustments at all. I do remember checking the length to the skid play bolts as @bobthetj03 suggested at the time. I am betting that is making your point, but if that is true then the pinion was where it was supposed to be, so I wouldn't have thought that it was necessary to make adjustments, and now I am thinking I might be too stupid to own a coil sprung Jeep.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The same thing happened to my upper rear passenger side control arm bracket last year. That was with Currie arms for at least a dozen years. It was a PITA to weld it back on, I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be.

 

[ac_]

The same thing happened to my upper rear passenger side control arm bracket last year. That was with Currie arms for at least a dozen years. It was a PITA to weld it back on, I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be.

Thanks for making me not feel all alone! haha