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View Full Version : Bent LCA mount and 'frame' where it connects

xj92
July 18th, 2003, 23:51
Anybody ever done this to an LCA mount?
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/jason/images/Bad_LCA_Mount_1.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/jason/images/Bad_LCA_Mount_2.jpg
Here is a shot of a good mount for comparison purposes:
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/jason/images/Good_LCA_Mount.jpg

It shoved it up into the frame when I got a run at an obstacle and ended up hitting the axle hard against a rock. It bent the LCA axle mount, which I've since replaced. I didn't notice at the time that it transferred the force through the LCA and bent the body mount and frame too, until recently. How serious is this? How do you fix this? Time for a long-arm kit?
vintagespeed
July 19th, 2003, 00:09
Ouch, that must've been a pretty good run. I dont know that there is a way to properly repair that kind of damage. Long arms are your best bet or fab up some new LCA mounts that cover more frame area.

Maybe lower gears are in order to avoid having to jump over obstacles?
xj92
July 19th, 2003, 11:04
Lower gears wouldn't have helped on this obstacle, but more flex or a locker certainly would have. How much impact on the structural integrity of the subframe and unibody does something like this have, or will have in the future? It doesn't seem too big of a deal other than the fact that it threw my alignment off a little and it's eating my tire up faster than the others.
thompson97
July 19th, 2003, 12:21
that doesn't look that bad, but it wouldn't hurt to reinforce the area to prevent any flexing that may have been exxagerated. i did the same thing to my jeep last year, except i damn near tore the whole frame mount off. after taking it to the frame rack and making sure it was straight, i just hacked the frame mounts off, and went to long arms. after i get my ford 8.8 in and buy my welder, my frame is getting my full attention. i don't like hearing those creeking noises getting louder.
vintagespeed
July 20th, 2003, 22:11
In that area the frame is probably about 3/16" thick and you've bent upward a pretty good amount on the driver's side. I think it'll work for now with an alignment until you decide which way to go but another good hit might lead to the driver's side mount ejecting itself from the frame like thompson's. That's why I recommended making some major changes before wheeling it hard again.