tnt stiffners with RK 3 link..not sure how to make it work

hey everybody

well ive got an Rk 3 link up front now which you probably know has brackets that bolt to the frame. well i want to start adressing my frame as im on 38s now, and the wheelings getting harder. also for future plans of going to 1 tons ill need some extra support

but if anybody has installed the frame stiffeners with the brackets got any pics of how you did it. the bracket wont be big enough to go on the outside of the frame rails once the stiffeners are installed

It is a true disaster...

just cut the frame stiffeners around the brackets... none of the shit fits together... i havent been able to post up on my build but the fronts done.. a lot of cutting and welding...

Weld the brackets as is onto the frame... stitch and what not... then cut the stiffener to fit.. we cut the brackets up.. wrong way to do it.. haha

yea..im definately leaving the brackets alone...i got the gen 3 long arm kit which bolts on instead of welding...which works, but id like to keep the frame stiffener tight enough to the bracket to where i could weld the bracket to the frame stiffener to extra strength

this is what i did - brackets were on (bolted and welded on) but i used brianho's stiffeners so it was easy to trim and then fit since the material was thin - tied the brackets back into stiffeners with some more stitch welds - beefy

Trim the seam on the inside of the frame to allow room for the rk bracket.

Mtb Jak said:

It is a true disaster...

just cut the frame stiffeners around the brackets... none of the shit fits together... i havent been able to post up on my build but the fronts done.. a lot of cutting and welding...

Click to expand...

are you kidding me?
just cut the pinch seam on the inside of the frame rail. only trim out right where you're going to put the bracket.
it's super easy.
I started installing my brackets today and I already have the tnt stiffeners on.

I have stiffners with the 3 link.

You have to trim the pinch seam on the inside of the frame rails. Just don't cut past the spot welds, which leaves you ample room to trim for the bracket to fit

Also, you'll have to trim the spacers on the inside of the framrail by 3/16". Additionally, you will have to cut 3/16" off the bottoms of them because the bracket is not only pushed outboard by the stiffners thickness, but it is also pushed down. Since you have already installed your brackets, the old holes in your framerail with the crush sleeves aren't going to fit with you move the brackets around. Thus, you're only option is to weld them to the sleeves, unless you cut the stiffners around the brackets. This is exactly why I put the stiffners on first, then bolted and welded the brackets on. By grinding a few welds, I can still remove them, but you'll have to burn yours own really good.

thanks for all the advice

im probably going to go with the original method of cutting around the stiffeners. modifying the brackets sounds like a lot of extra work. i could leave them unwelded around the bracket if i wanted, as they were designed to just be bolted, but im still going to try to get it tight enough

also looked into the new ruffstuffspecialties frame stiffeners. might go with them since they cover a little more of the "frame" between that and the TMR front stiffeners i think itll hold for now.