What should I do with my rear crossmember?

[Evan77]

This happened around a month or 2 ago.. I was pulling a tree out the backyard and full sent it in 4 Lo. I got the tree out the yard but for a price. Also on New Year’s of this year, a woman hit me in the Taco Bell line and damaged the rear bumper (someone really couldn’t wait for their Taco Bell ) should I just buy a new crossmember online and weld it? Or should I try and bend the thing back together. The bolt holes are also stretched as through the cross member as you will see in the pics, which I don’t know if those could even be fixed. Thanks!

 

[dbbd1]

Hammer it back flat, weld in a reinforcement plate and go.

 

[Evan77]

Obviously I won’t know until I try, but do you think hammering it back flat would allow the bolts to sit back flat agianst the cross member instead of being recessed in it? That’s the only thing I’m even worried about. The bolts and the holes them selves are warped

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

Just hammering it back into position won't help the holes get smaller. Some heavy washers will help but not the best idea.

If you can weld or know somebody that can weld, adding some metal with new holes after the hammering would be the best way to fix those holes.

What brand bumper is that? I don't think it should be used for anything. With only 2 bolts holding each end, pulling anything will repeat the problem you have right now. The bumper also looks slightly bowed. That may just be how the picture shows it, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it is.

 

[Steel City 06]

The bumper is probably fine, but the crossmember is bent slightly like a banana. However, the failure here is the failure to install frame brace brackets.

I would personally plan on cutting the crossmember and welding in a new one. Safe-T-Cap, Genright, and a few other companies make them. I think the Genright is thicker.

If welding is not an option, I would hammer it into net near shape and bolt a Genright crossmember to it.

Above all else, that bumper MUST be used with frame brace brackets. This is the exact failure that makes them necessary. Any reputable brand is fine. Rock Hard 4x4, Poison Spyder, Genright, Dirtworx, or just about any TJ bumper company makes them.

 

[dbbd1]

^ Yes, frame tie-ins are needed.

 

[Evan77]

Just hammering it back into position won't help the holes get smaller. Some heavy washers will help but not the best idea.

If you can weld or know somebody that can weld, adding some metal with new holes after the hammering would be the best way to fix those holes.

What brand bumper is that? I don't think it should be used for anything. With only 2 bolts holding each end, pulling anything will repeat the problem you have right now. The bumper also looks slightly bowed. That may just be how the picture shows it, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it is.

The bumper brand is fishbone there is another bolt on the bottom holding the bumper in addition to those 2 bolts on each side. And yea it is slightly bowed mostly because it isn’t sitting even with the crossmember because of the 2 events that happened

 

[LONGJP2]

IMO, I think you should remove some (or all) of the extra weight from the bumper before it has a catastrophic failure.

 

[pagrey]

Personally I'd remove the bumper and get frame tie-ins. Hammer the rear crossmember back flat, it does very little structurally. Then bolt the bumper to the frame tie-ins and you are good to go. The crossmember will bend at the will of the tie-ins so you don't even have to get it perfect.

 

[Gunnersmate]

These are what you need 2nd one goes behind the cross member gotta pull the gas tank to install but it makes everything really solid sorry No. 2 is the outer there is also an inner that is the one you pull the tank for

https://genright.com/products/rear-frame-to-bumper-tie-in-bracket-kit.html
Outer

https://genright.com/products/rear-cross-member-plate-tj-lj-yj.html
the inner

https://genright.com/products/inner-reinforcement-plates-tj-yj.html
The Inner and the Frame Tie in Brackets are what I used, I have been happy so far

 

[Evan77]

Personally I'd remove the bumper and get frame tie-ins. Hammer the rear crossmember back flat, it does very little structurally. Then bolt the bumper to the frame tie-ins and you are good to go. The crossmember will bend at the will of the tie-ins so you don't even have to get it perfect.

With the frame tie ins, you don’t even bolt the rear bumper to the crossmember but to the frame tie ins?

 

[pagrey]

With the frame tie ins, you don’t even bolt the rear bumper to the crossmember but to the frame tie ins?

The crossmember is sandwiched between the bumper and the tie-ins so it is there but not a big part of the strength.

 

[Vtx531]

Before you start hammering- you might try the frame tie ins and tightening the bolts should line up and straighten the crossmember. If that doesn’t work then hammer away.

 

[CharlesHS]

The bumper brand is fishbone there is another bolt on the bottom holding the bumper in addition to those 2 bolts on each side. And yea it is slightly bowed mostly because it isn’t sitting even with the crossmember because of the 2 events that happened

Fishbone bumpers generally have two more bolts per side inward about 5" from the two bolts shown on each side in the picture along with a reinforcement brace that bolts to the frame rail.
In picture #4 there is supposed to be a plate installed between the bolt head and the crossmember to support the two end bolts which is why the bolts were torn thru the rear crossmember.
The most important part of the installation is often forgotten which is to torque all the mounting bolts.

 

[mrblaine]

sitting even with the crossmember because of the 2 events that happened

Not quite sure you understand how this works unless you left out something. If you pulled it back and then got smacked in the back by the Taco Bell lady, it should be back forward, not back back.

 

[Evan77]

The crossmember is sandwiched between the bumper and the tie-ins so it is there but not a big part of the strength.

Ah thanks, I wish I would have known about these before I tried to pull the tree out lol

 

[Evan77]

Not quite sure you understand how this works unless you left out something. If you pulled it back and then got smacked in the back by the Taco Bell lady, it should be back forward, not back back.

I understand what you’re saying, but those are the only 2 events that even support what I was saying, even if they don’t make sense. Sorry for the confusion

 

[Evan77]

Fishbone bumpers generally have two more bolts per side inward about 5" from the two bolts shown on each side in the picture along with a reinforcement brace that bolts to the frame rail.
In picture #4 there is supposed to be a plate installed between the bolt head and the crossmember to support the two end bolts which is why the bolts were torn thru the rear crossmember.
The most important part of the installation is often forgotten which is to torque all the mounting bolts.

Yea, I’ve had this bumper on for a pretty decent amount of time for a couple years and never really used it as a pulling point, and after I installed it I just honestly forgotten about the bolt torque, and to be fair I SENT it in 4 lo, so that didn’t help much either. Surprised it is still even holding up.

 

[Evan77]

I understand what you’re saying, but those are the only 2 events that even support what I was saying, even if they don’t make sense. Sorry for the confusion

The Taco Bell lady event happened first which was more of just a bump which I don’t think really caused any damage and then the tree incident happened a couple months later, sorry for making good confusion

 

[Evan77]

Before you start hammering- you might try the frame tie ins and tightening the bolts should line up and straighten the crossmember. If that doesn’t work then hammer away.

I’m going to have to grind them off between the bumper and crossmember, you can’t fit anything on them