Installing lift - come across issue w/Lower control arm mount & body mounts - help!

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randomhero199

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Installing lift - come across issue w/Lower control arm mount & body mounts - help!

I just picked up this jeep last week, 2014 jk w/19k miles, driven by soccer mom - never been offroad, setup on 20's mall crawler. The jeep had Rough Country basic lift, seems like springs, shocks and drop pitman arm. Let me preface this by saying the steering and handling was very nervous, the ride was horribly stiff... As I removed the passenger front shock the shaft was noticeable bent which I found odd but now it's all making sense.

I'm installing Synergy Stage 3, 3" kit... Upon installation I stumble upon a big issue. WTF is this passenger side LCA mount? The drivers side slid in w/o issue, I get to passenger side and immediately red flag as I can't get the bolt out of the lower mount, once I do I have beat on the stock LCA to come out, then notice this hack job mount. It's my best guess they cut off the stock mount to accommodate rough country track bar bracket, I can't understand why else they would have done this. The welding on this new mount is terrible, and it's noticeably "off" compared to the drivers side, which I'm not coming to conclusion is why the shock shaft was bent, and why this thing has rode like nervous dog shit!

My question - what are my options here with the bracket??

Last - As I'm crawling out from under the jeep I notice middle & rear body mounts looking very odd, and mounted at a severe angle.... is this normal? I've got evo boatside bombers to put on and am now very nervous these won't fit up w/o some serious work. :doh::doh::doh::doh:

First photo is just reference from drivers side - Also failed to mention I can't get the bolt back into the LCA mount with the new Synergy arm
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My first thought is that it's been in an accident and the frame is bent based on those body mounts. Is that cam bolt on the lower control arm on both sides of the axle? Maybe it was used to shimmy the axle back to straight to compensate for the potentially bent frame? Strange for sure.
 
randomhero199 said:
I just picked up this jeep last week, 2014 jk w/19k miles, driven by soccer mom - never been offroad, setup on 20's mall crawler. The jeep had Rough Country basic lift, seems like springs, shocks and drop pitman arm. Let me preface this by saying the steering and handling was very nervous, the ride was horribly stiff... As I removed the passenger front shock the shaft was noticeable bent which I found odd but now it's all making sense.

I'm installing Synergy Stage 3, 3" kit... Upon installation I stumble upon a big issue. WTF is this passenger side LCA mount? The drivers side slid in w/o issue, I get to passenger side and immediately red flag as I can't get the bolt out of the lower mount, once I do I have beat on the stock LCA to come out, then notice this hack job mount. It's my best guess they cut off the stock mount to accommodate rough country track bar bracket, I can't understand why else they would have done this. The welding on this new mount is terrible, and it's noticeably "off" compared to the drivers side, which I'm not coming to conclusion is why the shock shaft was bent, and why this thing has rode like nervous dog shit!

My question - what are my options here with the bracket??

Last - As I'm crawling out from under the jeep I notice middle & rear body mounts looking very odd, and mounted at a severe angle.... is this normal? I've got evo boatside bombers to put on and am now very nervous these won't fit up w/o some serious work. :doh::doh::doh::doh:

First photo is just reference from drivers side - Also failed to mention I can't get the bolt back into the LCA mount with the new Synergy arm
View attachment 189856View attachment 189857View attachment 189858View attachment 189859View attachment 189860
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that's an aftermarket bracket, look at those welds. the cam bolt was likely used to try and get the caster angle correct. who ever installed that lift did one hell of a hack job.

Hate to tell you, but you may be better off cutting off that bracket and getting a proper bracket welded back in.

What's the line on the axle tube? has It been repaired?
 
I bet the original bracket broke off or bent enough to where they replaced it. As far as the body mounts, I would measure the frame in various spots to see if it's bent or not. Also look at the body mount bolts for signs of wrench marks if they've ever been taken off before. If you are set on using those rails you have, I would recommend building your own mounts somehow. If you remove those body mount bolts, I think you'll have a hell of a time ever getting them back in.
 
Spoke with previous owner, two completely separate issues here. he had no idea on the body mount bolts, I loosened them and they're straight, so who knows. I'll get it to a body shop when it's back on the ground and have them put it on a frame machine.

The front axle mount mount was bent, and he took it to a local 4 wheel parts ( I think, he was calling it 4 wheel warehouse) and had the front axle bracket repaired as Jeep/Chrysler won't sell a stock bracket - he said it was a 4wd shop, HORRIBLE fab work whoever it was.

As far as the body mounts, I'm still unsure, if I barely losen them they go back to being perfectly vertical, but when I tighten them up they go back crooked, just the two, no other mounts are off. I've got a buddy at work who's got a good body shop connection, once it's back on the ground I'll run it over and have it put on a frame machine, go from there. The vehicle was rear ended, but I was shown photos before, it looked fairly minor, spare tire/tail gate took brunt, he just replaced them, and bumper - who knows though. I buy the one type of sliders that mount via body mounts though, I guess if there wasn't issues it wouldn't be as fun....... :sigh:
 
I wonder if when it was rear-ended that it pushed the tub a little. That is strange, but at least if you can loosen the bolts, take them out and re-start the threading, you should be fine. Glad you got some info from the previous owner.
 
randomhero199 said:
when it's lose, it's vertical, looks like hole lines up - but when it's tightened down it becomes offset
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Pull it out and see if the nut up top is bent. If you pull thast bolt all the way out the body is still attached by the 2 smaller bolts on the sides. If you pull the smaller bolts off and leave the center one tight, the body will come off the frame. The only way to access the bm's is from under it. I just set my body back on the frame so I was all up in it last night and tonight. Make sure the center nut is tight and the smaller holes are lined up or the small studs will spin.
 
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