TOTM FOR SEPTEMBER 2011 UNIBODY REINFORCING!

TOTM (Topic Of The Month) is a group effort posting helpful info. Post what pics you have on the topic, as well as helpful info for people looking into these topics for their first time. The Idea is to have a less hardcore verison of pirates TOTM here on CF.

Let's see what you've done to stiffen up those unibody rails (not including sliders...)? What gage steel, what did you do for preprep., how is it attached, so on?

Any Chit chat on this subject is welcome!

 

I know SOMEBODY on this forum has done SOME sort of bracing on the XJ unibody. I think a TOTM for this forum is a great idea, without some of the "every single $ of my paycheck is spent on my rig" or "cage, tub, link or coil-over EVERYTHING!!" attitudes that sometimes surface on Pirate.

I just got my XJ road-worthy today, and see some type of unibody reinforcement in the near future.

Come on, lets see those ideas!

 

Got a few pics of mine here:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthrea...ghlight=Winter

 

ill have to get under and take some pictures.

but my rear coil mounts function as rear shock mounts and a rear crossmember.

 

My frame capping came as a result of floors being required, since they went missing from the firewall to the rear bumper,lololol, talk about flexy.
Anyway I used 16ga HRS (1/16 thk) for the floors and to cap the rails (I have lots of tags strips of that left over at work), you could go heavier but becomes increasingly more difficult to fit up when working at home with limited resources. I prebent a number of strips in 80 to 90 deg bends and varying flange widths, zip cut saw as required. Over lapped up to 3 to 4 layers in places. Welded to base metal, welded all lapped seams, welded both sides when exposed. L shape on inside and outside of rail and flipped and welded to floors and rail caps all along. Second, third layers or more where required. Not all your originall metal may be welding friendly, rust just does not weld, cut and grind it out, it is not your friend. End result is the Frankenpeep has a new lease on jeep life. Throw a couple HSS tubes into your rockers while your at it, full weld the length and cap the ends, I can lift the whole side with the Hilift just off the rocker tubes. End result works. There are 100 photos on album in my profile. I have seen full prefomed heavy rail caps on the internet when googlin around, I think also available from National 4WD catalogue. Obviously I used sections (not a full preform) to follow the flow and width of the rails.

 

How long did you spend on that approach? With the overlaps, that had to be a LOT of welding...

 

Frank, are those your design?

 

Yes they are.

 

I know it is built... How come you didnt raise the X-memeber to be even with rails. That is ow I did it, and it defenately makes a difference being flat skidded.

 

Me?

 

3x3 1/4' angle, have only done this section for the crossmember and 3 link mounts.

 

Nice! Keep em coming! Any details on the inner rails? i.e. what u guys did with the pinch weld, & brake/gas hard lines along the inside?

 

man Frank that cross member looks epic.

 

Order a set of LA's from me and you can have one too.



[/HIJACK]

 

i was curious why you gave up 2" of ground clearance.