TJ Shock out boarding
- Thread starter Feileod
- Start date
The cutting and welding seems like the easy part with the only real science being the shock length. I plan on reusing the PureJeep lower shock mounts which allow for about six inches of shock adjustment depending on the mounting holes and shock tab orientation, sooooo I have some fudge factor on shock length. I only need about two inches more of up travel to eliminate bottoming out. My calibrated eyeball seems to think installing the bracket (just like Brook's did) with the mounting tabs just above the top of the frame should be the ticket.
my only advice is to keep the section of your frame that you notch out in case you want to go another route later on. Also remeber to use the T square to make sure that your mounts are at the correct angle in relation to the axle side mounts. Remember that the frame isn't that thick, so don't have your welder cranked up too much and start burning holes through the frame.
I have been doing my home work this evening and I see some folks are angling the ford mount outward a little and some aren't. I am assuming this has to do with shock body diameter? When I looked a Brooks setup and if I remeber correctly, the ford shock mount was perpendicular to the frame, no angle and he is running the big ol metal stone shield OME shocks.
I will be honest, I don't know. They are off the front end of an early model leaf sprung F250. There was one at the pick n pull in Columbia and they only cost me $4.00 ea. The truck frame was packed with mud and they took some work to unbolt. In hind sight I shoulkd have just run back to the car and grabbed the cordless sawzall have just cut them off right above the mounting bolts and saved a lot of dirt in the face and knuckle busting.
Soooooo...I sat down and started measuring everything and ran into slight problem. When all the numbers came back my rear shock were not going to be long enough 
So as I sat there disgusted thinking through my options and staring at the jeep two options came to mind. One replace my new Bilstiens...not so much. Two find some way to eak another inch or so out of the existing mounting location. Looking at the upper mount I noticed there is a about two-three inches of clearance between the body and cross member. I took the shock off and found the angle of the dangle to get the bar pin above the the cross member and wouldn't you know it, I could get an inch and half of up travel in this configuration. The shock mounting location would now be even with the top of the frame. Now how to mount it, I went digging through my bin of brackets and found my old JKS bar pin eliminators that I had used two sets of shocks ago. I ran up to Autozone and picked up a set of urethane shock bushings and set work installing them. Once I had the bar pin in place the issue of securing them came up. I decided a nut and bolt would be too much of a PITA and would also make removing them later even more of a PITA. I dug out a 7/16 tap and threaded the mounting holes in the BPEs this way they could be bolted from the bottom up through the cross member.
So now the issue of removing the welded nuts on top of the cross member, body bolts come out and up goes the body, and yes it was a PITA getting them out. I used a hole saw to cut the clearance required to get the installed BPE in place, the angle in through the cut hole and then clock over to the mounting holes, again to make removal possible without lifting body again.
The end result is up travel increased from 2.25 to 3.75...and should give me just enough to prevent bottoming out.
Now shock outboarding is in my future but, I couldn't justify buying new longer shocks. I will try this out and if it doesn't work.....well...then time to go shopping.
So as I sat there disgusted thinking through my options and staring at the jeep two options came to mind. One replace my new Bilstiens...not so much. Two find some way to eak another inch or so out of the existing mounting location. Looking at the upper mount I noticed there is a about two-three inches of clearance between the body and cross member. I took the shock off and found the angle of the dangle to get the bar pin above the the cross member and wouldn't you know it, I could get an inch and half of up travel in this configuration. The shock mounting location would now be even with the top of the frame. Now how to mount it, I went digging through my bin of brackets and found my old JKS bar pin eliminators that I had used two sets of shocks ago. I ran up to Autozone and picked up a set of urethane shock bushings and set work installing them. Once I had the bar pin in place the issue of securing them came up. I decided a nut and bolt would be too much of a PITA and would also make removing them later even more of a PITA. I dug out a 7/16 tap and threaded the mounting holes in the BPEs this way they could be bolted from the bottom up through the cross member.
So now the issue of removing the welded nuts on top of the cross member, body bolts come out and up goes the body, and yes it was a PITA getting them out. I used a hole saw to cut the clearance required to get the installed BPE in place, the angle in through the cut hole and then clock over to the mounting holes, again to make removal possible without lifting body again.
The end result is up travel increased from 2.25 to 3.75...and should give me just enough to prevent bottoming out.
Now shock outboarding is in my future but, I couldn't justify buying new longer shocks. I will try this out and if it doesn't work.....well...then time to go shopping.
Damn...I thought you knew you would have to have longer shocks....I just bought a set of BDS. That have just a hair under 11 I believe....im hoping they will work....I am also recreating my lower axle mounts with tabs bought from balistic. I will try to take lots of pics when Brooks and I do mine this Friday...