Update on frame crack repair at rear shackle hangers (long)

Friday night converted my Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 over to gas sheilding. Have yet to try it/practice with it.

Saturday morning I started the CJ for the first time since mid Oct. I was pleased that it fired up on the 3rd set of cranking

I pulled it out into the driveway, left her warm up a bit, then backed it into the center of the garage... thereby evicting my wife's ZJ from the garage until the project is completed... That's why we got our first snow of the season last night, and two more to come within the next week

I jacked the rear up high, then put jackstand under the frame in front of the rear spring fixed mount. Jacked up the axle, took off the tires, and supported the axle with the least amount of tension on the springs. When I did that, the passenger side shackle just fell forward, with the shackle hanger attached. It had broken off the frame completely, with about 8" of frame, bottom lip of the channel, with it. It was broken just along the weld of a 6" gusset that tied the bumper to the frame.
I dropped the fuel tank skid plate and the fuel tank. Took the fuel tank outside to store (to the shed) since I was soon going to make lots of sparks.

Back around 1995 when I installed the glass tub, I had replaced the rusted-paper-thin rear cross with this 4x4x1/4" square tube, to serve as the rear cross and bumper. It was welded to the frame horns (which were somewhat rusty), and then gusseted to the outside of each frame rail with a 1/4" steel plate, 6 to 8" of weld, top and bottom of the gusset. The welds held good, the frame cracked adjacent to it.

So I had to cut out the gusset/welds to get the bumper off. No torch, started with a die grinder. A few hours of slow progress. I got out the 4.5" angle grinder with an .045 cutting disc, and made SERIOUS sparks and dirt!!
I got the pass side gusset out, went to the drivers side. It had cracked in nearly the same place, but the crack wasn't broken through. The frame had been rusty enough to soften the metal so instead of cracking and breaking off, it just deformed and crushed up into the channel. There was no saving it, so I cut off the lower lip of the channel just like the other side. I got the gusset out, dropped the bumper.
That's where I stopped Saturday night, with the whole a$$ out of the Jeep I need to get some pics of it.

Yesterday I bought a new creeper (busted the wheel off of my homemade one) and a new 4.5" angle grinder (old one has a bad switch) at Sears, and some 1.5" x1/8 steel at TSC.

Next step is to grind off all old welds, grind out all cracks in the frame. Stop-drill the cracks, and cut a new bottom lip for the frame channel. I'll weld that in, then weld the cracks. After the frame is reconstructed, then I'll start on adding the reinforcing 3/16 "U" plate over the rear of the frame.

 

A buddy said he will stop by later tonight, bringing his digital camera.
Maybe I'll have pics tomorrow.

A blue tip is on my list of tools to acquire...

 

Did some more grinding last night. The last 8" of the drivers side is pretty bad. The top of the rail is OK, the bottom is gone, and the side is thin, mostly gone out nearest the back. Looks like I'll need to reconstruct it with some angle before I add the reinforcement.

My buddy BroncoJohnny stopped by last night. Loaned me his digital camera while he's out of town. I'll take some pics this week; then over the weekend then he'll burn a CD for me, so I'll post pics next week.

My new 4 1/2" Craftsman Angle grinder is way better than my old grinder. I was throwing a BIG spark shower last night!! R)

 

Sounds like i will have to do next month. gonna slap te waggie axles in and will expect to have to work on the mounting surfaces. fortunately i am outboarding so i can fix it and not worry too much bout the force being on teh same areas.

You guys actually let your wife park in the garage?? I evicted her before we moved in the house, it was the jep lab 200, not a parking garage.