Just wondering if anyone has a good way of fixing the upper shock mounts on an XJ. The guy that had this before me must have broken the bolts of and then drilled them out. It is a pain in the **** trying to get bolts in place with the way they are boxed in and I know i'm not the only one with fat hands. Anyone made a new bracket or anything that worked well? Thanks!

 

i have heard of people cutting a hole from inside the cab. then fabbing a bracket. do a search and all the info you need should be there.
good luck

 

Get yourself a really long wrench, I think the bolts are factory, I believe the come impossible to tighten. My blazers bolts were a pain to tighten to, takes time, patience, blood, and frustration. Make the girlfriend get dirty!

 

Haha! She does like to get dirty! She wanted to learn how to change her oil and filters for her birthday and this weekend it's the simple task of rotating tires on her Liberty. As for the shock mounts...I'm thinking about fabing up a new bracket that I can weld in place. I have sen something similar but now I cant seem to find it again. Ill just have to get good measurements for shock length once the lift goes on.

 

I stumbled into a decent solution somewhere. Basically get some new grade 8 bolts and nuts, punch out the welded in nuts once you break off the bolts, use a fishing wire to fish in a new bolt from the top, and use a box wrench to hold that bolt in place while you tighten the nut from the bottom. No cutting or welding required. Worked great for me.

 

Get yourself some pin bar eliminators it will solve this problem

 

Just found my solution and thought I would share the link for anyone who hasnt seen these.

http://www.detoursusa.com/xjstm.php

 

Those are nice but also check these out

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xtr...liminator.html

 

Those look good as well and a little cheaper! Thanks! I was reading your write up today and I must say... Nice Work! Nice Jeep!

 

my new method!! works great all you need to do is tape the bolt to a box end wrench. Install a nut on it, snug it down and pull the wrench free. Do the furthest away from the triangle shaped hole (where you insert the wrench) first. Took me longer to get the air chisel and turn the compressor on than it took to do this. I think there's a writeup on NAXJA somewhere.

 

mine come through the floor onto a bar i built.

 

I used a JKS adj.rear crossmember. Not only is it adjustable (shock angle) but will fix your problem. Fairly priced at around $150.00. I did have to cut your floor and make some plating to mount to but I have no worries of it comming lose or breaking. Dosent look too bad form inside after though. Sorry no pics of the plates I made.

 

Whenever I have broken upper shock bolts (concerning customers) .... I take a long tapered punch and literally knock them out from the bottom (into the crossmember/channel).


Then I tape a nut onto a box end and snake it to where the bolts are. Another alternative is to weld a thin piece of rod to the wire and use that to position the nut. Once it's on ... break the rod off.



No need, IMO, to cut the body to access that stuff.


Either way ... I do not advise drilling & tapping those nuts.



Joe

 

if u got a mig welder then air hammer the weld ins out. then get u some of those nuts with the locking flange in the bottom. get out ur welder and just tack the side of each nut enough to make the mig wire stick.then run out about a foot of wire and u can fish them in with that. wont even need a wrench cause the flang on the nut will hold her in place. thats what i did and it went real well.

 

Thanks A lot keep us updated with your decitions and I did break one of my upper shock bolts. I drilled and tapped it no problems just takes a while amd is a pain.