Spring hanger idea for the MJ

what do you guys think? It would be mounted just forward of where the stock front hanger was, near were the frame curves up. I'm thinking of cutting a hole into the frame to mount the front eye of a leaf spring into. Basically this would sleeve the whole area. Probably be made out of 3/16 box of the appropriate size with the top sliced off. What do you think?
What would be the best method to attach it?

1. drill, sleeve, bolt through frame
2. plug welds and weld around the edge
3. combo of 1 and 2.

I'm going to do a simular thing to my MJ when I shorten the wheel base some more. I plan on reinforcing the area on the outside of the frame area. The inside will be sized to fit the spring width with some extra supports above the spring eye to box the area in.

Take some pics when you get it done.

mark
orgs mfg

The "frame" is just sheetmetal, so I would do everything I could to it to reinforce the area. I'd imagine that removing the stock mount takes a lot of structural support away.
Jeep on!
--Pete

Ya its a good plan but as it was said above renforce it. Also if your looking to shorten up you can use xj leaves as well witch will shorten you up about 2 inches.

Do you understand that in any box beam configuration (or 'C' channel configuration) it is the top and bottom flat surfaces that do virtually all the work, and the "sides" only keep the top and bottom surfaces separated? Now you want to cut out the bottom.

Bad idea, IMHO. Yes, plating the sides can compensate -- but you need a LOT of plating. A lot more than just a spring hanger box, and the plating has to extand far enough along the frame in both directions from the void to be sure the load which should have been carried by that missing material is properly transferred into the side plating.

Bad idea...?

Great idea...

Shorten the wheel base.

Have no hanging down spring hanger. Nothing to get caught on!

You haven't seen the welding job that holds the all steel flat bed on. When done the only thing that frame will be doing is holding the spring in. Not that I don't plan on doing a great job re-boxing it back together.

This is also why I own a welder, when/if it cracks I'll weld it up.

BTW, Pete, the current spring hanger has NO added structual value to the frame beyond holding the spring in place.

mark
orgs mfg

Mark aside from the fact that I was responding to the original post and not your reply, I think you're discussing the rear spring hanger, and it appeared to me that the question was about the front spring mount, which is not at the tail end of the frame rail but midway along it. There's no way you can ignore the structural implications of cutting into the frame there.

Can it be done? Sure, with appropriate engineering to ensure that you replace at least as much strength as you remove. I'm not convinced that just shoving a box in there -- even a heavy box -- will adequately compensate for the loss of bending moment resistance.

Eagle,

I am talking about the front of the rear spring hanger,

There is enough frame area there that with proper reinforcement to the frame area there is no doubt that it can be done without a problem.

I've already done the rear hanger and have cut off some of the frame back there. I even have XJ springs on it which brings the axle forward 3".

I would never *shove* anything, anywhere when it came to fabbing something. I don't think that was even implied by my posts. Almost anything can be done with the right kind of inforcement and reengineering, french cutting frames for springs is not some kind of new idea, it's been done for years. Yes I understand this is sheetmetal.

mark
orgs mfg

I appreicate your concern Eagle. This is going on a trail only rig. I'm not going to be running down the highway. Like mark says, if something breaks I'll just weld it back up. I'm not just planning on cutting a hole in the frame and shoving a spring in there. I do realize that the 'frame' is very important on a unibody.

As far as the front spring hanger. It only held on with 4-5 rosette welds on each side of the frame rail. It's not structural in the least.