Welded Track Bar Mount Issues.

So I installed frame stiffeners to my XJ which meant the stock track bar mounting bolts would no longer line up so I welded the mount to the new frame plates and called it a day. Well after some heavy wheeling the mount has bent and pulled apart the frame in the process. I'm thinking with a BFH I can beat it all back to where its supposed to be and re-weld the frame closed but I was wondering have I done anything wrong with the way I originally welded it? How can I prevent this in the future?

Paint, rust, oil or coolant will contaminate your welds. Incorrect weld wire or excessive heat will likely result in failure of the base metal next to the welds. Welding all those layers of metal together will just make a bigger booger out of your welds.

I would make the necessary holes to get the two lower track bar bracket bolts back where they belong through the bottom of the frame rail, and consider installing some kind of track bar brace across to the opposite side frame rail.


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I would say the origin of your problem is in the fact that you did not go to the effort to get those two bolts in. Those bolts would have provided the strength you needed to keep things from bending.

I have done a couple of front stiffener installations. Yes, when you add the extra 3/16" or more of frame plating the holes no longer line up. You solve that by elongating holes as necessary so that bolts can be installed. The holes can be elongated with a rat tail file or a rotary file.

At this point you are probably going to need to remove that track bar bracket (yes, cut the welds, and yes, you will probably need a new track bar bracket), bend the layers of sheet metal back into line with each other (they probably won't bend all the way back--you will need to clamp them), weld the layers of sheet metal back together, and then try again with the track bar bracket installation. This time get those inside bolts installed. I would recommend that you file the track bar bracket itself. It is thicker and will suffer less strength loss from the material removal. You want to retain as much strength as you possibly can with the factory sheet metal.

Tim's suggestion of a track bar brace is a good one. That should help make up for the damage you need to fix now.

It wasn't that your welds were weak. I don't see that you had any problems with your own welds breaking. The only weld that broke was the factory spot weld holding those layers of sheet metal together. But your real problem was the loss of the strength afforded by that top piece of sheet metal that wraps up over the top of the "frame". You need the bolts in order to get that strength.

ounce had an olde time welder guy tell me when in doubt weld it more, I was 12 at the time.
If over the years turned (more) into more strength. Gussets, bolts, thicker, bigger, more, leave little to chance.

You did by leaving out the free bolts. Now you have to do it right and weld it more.

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So I removed the mount, bent the frame back and welded it up. Ordered a new track bar mount, this time I will elongate the mounting holes so I can get all 4 bolts in along with a track bar brace I should be good this time. I had a feeling not putting in those bolts would come back and bite me and it only took 2 trips to the trails to become apparent. Oh well live and learn, hopefully this time it will be bullet proof.

box that frame rail all the way in. like make a box of steel around it that extends down the frame rail on each side of your track bar mount.

steering gear mount still holding up? may consider doing something there as well as if you're running bigger tires especially locked. just went through reworking my steering gear mount. used SFR inner brace and tied it all into the front stiffeners.

X3 on the cross brace. Easy to make your own since you can weld.

I agree that the bolts through would have helped with the problem. Also, for an inner brace, T&M makes a set too. I do have Stinky Fab's track bar brace on my 2000 XJ. I also have Ironman's and RE's not installed. All of them take their own trackbar bracket. I think Tim's is Northridge.
Also, on the passenger side, I tried to use a RHD trackbar bracket to beef it up. Fitment issues. So, I had bracket fabbed up. I think Ironman (used too??) and IRO make a RHD trackbar bracket. Also, the RHD motor mount bracket has an additional tab bracket to the bolt that goes through to connect the two brackets together. I want to find one.
https://www.t-mfab.com/store-3/xj-unibody-stiffiners/

USAF_XJ said:

So I removed the mount, bent the frame back and welded it up. Ordered a new track bar mount, this time I will elongate the mounting holes so I can get all 4 bolts in along with a track bar brace I should be good this time. I had a feeling not putting in those bolts would come back and bite me and it only took 2 trips to the trails to become apparent. Oh well live and learn, hopefully this time it will be bullet proof.

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I did the same as you, except put the bolts back in and welded some plate to the bottom of the "frame rail" there past the steering box. Has held up for a couple of hard years now, no cracks. Though it appears I have to touch up my rattle can job looking at it just now.