jadmt

don't take this the wrong way but if you beat your wrangler up so bad on the rubicon trail that you bent the frame you were doing some poor driving. I have done the rubicon trail and no way should you have abused your rig that bad unless you were driving way too fast and not paying attention.

resharp001

I chalk the height up to completely blown shocks compared to new gas-charged units, the need to adjust TB and DL simply due to netted lift, the ABS to steering wheel being off due to new height. Before going down some rabbit hole with this frame idea, have you gotten an alignment to see if current specs can explain the pull to a side?

As Karl noted, those cross members take a beating without affecting structural integrity. Mine looked l a lot like his picture before replacing. Though all beat up, really the only issue was the thread bungs for the skid plate bolts started to get out of alignment. I really don't think those caused your frame to bow in the middle. If you removed that cross member, I'd bet the top of it is not bent and that it is only the bottom form.

TheDirtman

Those cross members are pretty light and the mounts are even lighter, if you hit it hard enough to bend a frame you would have ripped the cross member off. I would suspect a bent control arm or axle (camber) causing the pull. If you are running the factory drag link and track bar, they will bend on the trail and explain why they need adjustment.

No Name

I take no offence... Guilty as charged! Had a lot of fun and less concerned in the moment.

only tears of joy!

No Name

First frame measurements 8mm off. Going to look into square and otheR measurements next weekend.

wife taking it Thursday to check alignment numbers.

BoraBora

Your frame is fine. I have violently slipped off and landed on rocks with the full weight of the Jeep many times. Lift height never changed.

I got into an accident where my frame was slightly tweaked. Still same lift height.

I put the Falcon 3.3's on their stiffest setting. Still no change in lift height.

Are you sure your coils are fully seated in the perch?

Lance Davis

Look at you coming in with the KISS method.

Dropping axles to fit new shocks on is a great way to accidentally unseat you springs

No Name

So... saw a new post here - figured that I would provide an up date.

Yes - I bent the frame!

After taking it to an alignment the first time - swapped the lower front control arms for adjustable. Went back - got some additional caster making it much easy/safer to drive. But the guys there spent 3 hours on it and suggested an auto body shop near my house to check the frame because the thrust angle was way off and should be pulling left instead of right.

Got it there, they did what they could and ran a chain from passenger rear to the driver front to get the axles closer to parallel. And tried pulling the bend out of where my driver front control arm bracket is... (the offending hits not from the Rubicon - Moab 2 years ago...)

Also now have a Rustys cross member and an engine skid I needed years ago... That turned out to be REQUIRED for some of the other work above... Pulling it released a lot of pressure. As I thought it would. FYI Rustys is ok for what it is and the price- but I’m spoiled by better hardware in other kit type items - like that kit really needed two flag nuts... Or two nut-serts...

Anyway- The driver LCA bracket had to get re-shaped. And there is still a slight bend - at the frame where it is bent up - Opening the factory bend of the frame - pushing the driver front down- if that makes any sense... Only way to fully correct it is to pull the body and stitch weld the top of the frame / an expense I will forego...

Still pulls right a bit... Tracks better. You have to keep at least one hand on the wheel.... It will drift, but not take an exit by itself like before.

Next steps are adjustable rear arms - if I get around to it - which will get the thrust angle Fully adjustable. Because the wheel base from one side to the other is still off a little. But not nearly as much as it was. But that will be correcting to the front axle - not to the frame.

This Jeep is at 85k and 5+ years of various trails - it owes me nothing... I suspect the clock it ticking on all kinds of stuff... Like the front axle oil seals are gone now.

Bottom line is that I am hard on my toys... And I have some new friends at a body shop. And it was after the new shocks it all came more apparent - but several years of accumulated trail hits was the cause. Or causes...

T&ERun

If the frame is bent, can't an alignment shop still dial in the alignment if you have all adjustable arms and trackbars?

BoraBora

Yeah, your frame could be shaped like a u-bolt and you could still align the axles under them and get your thrust angle back to within spec.