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97XJ Weird metal channel on frame?

shift_cory

NAXJA Forum User
I recently purchased a different 1997 cherokee with an upcounty package. On the back end of the frame there are these weird channels thay are bolted up to the frame and they are the worst rusting parts on the car. They are on both sides directly above center of leaf springs. II didnt have these parts on my last xj that was also a 97. I dont really think they were added on. Id like to remove them but im affraid ill mess something up i dont know about. does anyone have any idea what theyre for? Tryin to figure out how to load a picture.
 
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I think I know what you are trying to show. Maybe a piece of steel welded on to patch the Uni-body. I had a '96 where the uni-body was rotting out on the passenger side about where I think what you are trying to show is. Best to maybe circle stuff if you can to let us know what you want to show.
 
Looks like what's left of the bumpstops to me to, although those appear to be beyond shot. That rotted away bump in the middle goes into the middle of the rubber stop and I learned the hard way is deeper than the non Up Country trucks where it goes into the rubber part of the bumpstop since the whole assembly is taller. Not sure if they're still available via Mopar, but I made the mistake of buying the correct ones for your truck since they were much cheaper and still feel the reprocussions of doing so since it took away a decent amount of uptravel on my stock height, non Up Country XJ and it hammers those with a bit too much ease.
 
O cool so its actually one piece. And its a factory part? I was hopeing i could remove that metal and put a new bump stop on it. Should i try to find the original one or will a non upcountry xj part work? Does that metal add strength? Seems to just be a rust magnet to me.
 
I have a 2001 Up-Country and I concur that the metal mounting part of the bump stop is what you have in your picture.

O cool so its actually one piece. And its a factory part? I was hopeing i could remove that metal and put a new bump stop on it. Should i try to find the original one or will a non upcountry xj part work? Does that metal add strength? Seems to just be a rust magnet to me.

When you guys posted something clicked.
The plate itself is this in my '00 parts catalog:
52002386 REINFORCEMENT, Jounce Bumper

https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/parts/jeep-reinforcement~52002386.html

The bump stops appears to have two choices.
52004297 BUMPER, Suspension Jounce Height = 74mm

https://www.moparpartsoverstock.com/p/__/BUMPER-Jounce/6766257/52004297.html

52002393 BUMPER, Jounce Height = 104mm

https://www.moparpartsoverstock.com/p/__/BUMPER-Jounce/6736990/52002393.html

Now the 52004297 says at the link Up Country suspension package. So the Up Country one is the shorter one? Does that sound right?

Also the Reinforcement does not say for Up Country suspension. Just lists the part in the catalog. I don't ever recall noticing this on my '00. I would go out and look but it is nasty out there. When I do I am going to measure my bump stops. Forgive my ignorance but I thought the bump stops would be longer with a suspension lift.
 
The Reinforcement, Jounce Bumper is installed with the UpCountry suspension package. UpCountry suspension uses the longer 104mm rear bumpstops.

I would wire brush the reinforcement, give it coat of paint, and install fresh bumpstops. Your rocker panels and rear lower quarter panels will be rusted thru long before that little bit of metal under the bumpstop causes any problems.
 
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The Up Country is the taller of two, or 104mm. The 74mm is the short one and what I should have bought for my XJ years ago, and is a whole lot cheaper on here than I paid a local dealer for the 104mm mine now, which at the time was cheaper than the 74mm (not sure how) and that 30mm makes A HUGE difference in general use of a non Up Country XJ......and not for the better. In all honesty, unless I was lifting mine more and putting larger tires on mine than the 235/75r15's it has now, I'd just go back to the 74mm stops. Only way I had tire rubbing in the back of my XJ with the 235's was to hit a big bump at speed with dead shocks and the bumpstop rubbers torn off.
 
O cool so its actually one piece. And its a factory part? I was hopeing i could remove that metal and put a new bump stop on it. Should i try to find the original one or will a non upcountry xj part work? Does that metal add strength? Seems to just be a rust magnet to me.

I also have a 97XJ, and the bump stops on it are shorter than the ones on my 2001 Up-Country.
 
Mine rusted and fell off too. Made new ones from the front after installing ACOS. All four mounting bolts broke off in the frame. Drilled and tapped mine. Not an easy way to do it. I just had everything I needed around the garage.
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Going to revive this.



I took mine off years ago during my restoration. Now, with about 4.5 inches of lift on the back, I should install some bumpers underneath. But, with not reference, I have no idea what the distance should be between the bottom of the bumper to the top of whatever it is gong to contact. That is, in its original height from the factory, they made contact with the axle tube. I will have to make something protruding from the leaf spring clamping plate, or just make a new plates.



Any ideas or opinions on what distance in between the bumper and plate should be?
 
To determine the correct bumpstop length for a specific lift and tire combination you should remove the shocks, and cycle one side/one tire of the suspension to full compression for both front and rear axles. Add as much bumpstop as is required.

My 5.5 inch lift has about 3 additional inches of bumpstop spacers installed. Hockey pucks for the front axle, and UpCountry 104mm rear bumpstops with square tube spacers.
 
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extend the rubber bumper with spacers between it and the frame, then allow the bumper to hit the axle tube.

using the spring mount plate as a bump stop is not the best idea. they can be bent, and the offset load on the spring plate can mess up the U bolt tightness as the inner U bolt gets put in compression and outer U bolt into tension when the body hits the spring plate mounted bump stop. The axle tube is a far better location for the bumper to hit than the spring plate.

thats my opinion anyway.
 
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