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Frame stiffener opinions?? Really needed

Z

zuk_freak

NAXJA Forum User
Location
morden,MB
Ive seen many threads of guys building or buying frame stiffeners. But honestly,are the really needed?? I love to wheel my rig and i can hear the jeep body flexin no doubt.i've heard guys say there totally needed and some say its not a huge deal the unibody was made to flex. So whats your opinions?
 
Search the forums and read the many threads regarding frame stiffeners and you'll see an overall consensus. Most here will agree that they are needed on any rig that is to be wheeled.
 
I think alot of it depense on how big of a tire/lift you run but they are without a doubt infact a good idea!
 
I run them on 2 of the 5 XJ's. I have the Currie JeepSpeed stiffeners on one and the Detours stiffeners/sliders on the other. Both do a great job but the JeepSpeed ones were a bear to mount sliders to.
 
if you care, and wheel hard (or worse, fast) your gonna need them. talk to grimmjeeper, he just scrapped a body that went beyond it's expiration date.

it's like a paperclip, you can only bend it soooo many times before it rips in half, mine is allready cracking, and i dont even 4wheel it.
 
xWhatever
If you are going to go fast or wheel it hard, add beef.
Dirt roads and camping trips won't hurt the XJ... "flex" and "whoops" will.
 
Detours USA has quit selling there setup :(:( is anyone else making one similar?
 
I run the HD Offroad stiffy's that Brian makes. I had an XJ that I wheeled hard and didn't run them and on the one I drive now I have them and all I can say is, I wished I had put them on my other XJ. Well worth it IMHO.
 
Mine a mall crawler for the moment and I installed the HD Offroad stiffeners just so the front bumper and steering have something better to grab onto. IMHO springs are built to flex, frames are not.
 
Im a huge fan.

When I got my hd offroad set installed, everything got more solid.

I actually felt a legit increase in overall steering response too, it was if the whole body was truly unitized.
 
After installing my TNT's I realized 3/16" is way overkill. You can't get a decent weld on them going to our thin unibody, so the thinner lighter HD stiffeners would be fine. I would almost prefer to have the HD Offroad stiffeners. Whoever you go with, use them as a base. Don't srop there. Mine started creaking again after about a week. Pair them with some T&J / Currie tube stiffeners and a set of TMR front frame plates, then eventually a cage.
 
crazyjim said:
After installing my TNT's I realized 3/16" is way overkill. You can't get a decent weld on them going to our thin unibody, so the thinner lighter HD stiffeners would be fine. I would almost prefer to have the HD Offroad stiffeners. Whoever you go with, use them as a base. Don't srop there. Mine started creaking again after about a week. Pair them with some T&J / Currie tube stiffeners and a set of TMR front frame plates, then eventually a cage.
Click to expand...


x2 on all counts.

sure, the thicker you use the more cool points you get. but it really is overkill. i would have been happy with some 10 guage.


so far only people offer outside plates for the front end which is kinda dissapointing. if you can, fab up some plates that go along the bottom of the front rail. that extra plane of beef makes a big difference, especially around the steering box/trackbar area.
 
Detours is actually still making them. Chatted with Mark today and he took them off the site while he's re-tweaking the front mounts. You can still get them made....just shoot him an email or give him a call.
 
^^ I actually did this, Mark was very quick to reply!! I see some of these in my future very soon!!!
 
Heres the old link: http://detoursusa.com/xjrokslyders.php

I'm actually shipping out a set today, the rework/redesign for the front lower control arm connection is for shipping reasons, they're a bear to package in their current form. The system will be back on the site in a week or so, until then they can still be ordered as 'custom'.........Thanks!
 
I had some 4x3x.25 angle laying around so I made a set out of that, they weren't hard to make but I wish I would have bought a set instead. Drilling all the holes for the rosetta welds was kind of a pita 100 half inch holes total, and they dont sit flush in a few spots. Also as mentioned above welding them on was interesting, due to the thickness, but they are important if you wheel. On the next jeep Im just going to order the HD stiffeners
 
MJ stiffeners would be interesting to see become available, but I doubt they would sell well.

The frame rails are totally different. from the crossmember back.
 
The only thing I with about with frame stiffeners is that if you stiffen one area it would only transfer the force to the next area, putting even more strain on the areas you can't stiffen... If that makes sense...
 
anyone running the H.D. offroad frame stiffener SET????? make a pretty big difference? think i might look into buying the whole set instead of making my own.thanks for the help.
 
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