3 link or fix the bracket?

[Longrange_Tj]

Hey everyone, my buddy and I were about to finish mounting some sliders on my tj when he noticed my axle side front lower control arm bolt was completely cockeyed. I looked at it from the rear and as you can see from the pictures, the bracket is starting to tear from the axle.

I am a college student so I don’t have a ton of money on hand, but could save up to do a 3 link and fix this problem with stronger brackets and better control arms, or I could bend the current bracket back, gusset it and weld it all together. Do y’all have any pros and cons to each? Are there other options you would suggest?

I’m kind of leaning towards the 3 link because I was planning on doing it eventually when I have a more stable income and shop to work in. I was planning on using the Barnes 4WD 3 link kit with their enduro joints. Any help or thoughts are appreciated

 

[Blackjack]

You need to fix the mount for most three front three links anyway so fix it and upgrade later.

 

[Farmergreg]

Those mounts are pretty flimsy and a fair amount of us have replaced them with beefier aftermarket replacements. I used Arctic brand.

 

[Apparition]

Those mounts are pretty flimsy and a fair amount of us have replaced them with beefier aftermarket replacements. I used Arctic brand.

Arctic or artec?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Rather than heavier-duty brackets at first, take a look at your control arms. Do they have just rubber or (worse) polyurethane bushings at both ends? Control arms with bushings at both ends are so inflexible that they can and will tear control arm mounts out of their welds, it happened to me in 1999 or 2000 after I stupidly installed a set of Teraflex's 1st generation control arms that had bushings at both ends. For a TJ that goes offroad aftermarket control arms should have a flex joint at least at one end of the control arm with both ends being better. The factory control arms don't have this problem, they flex better than many of the poorer designs of aftermarket control arms.

This is the kind of terrible arm design with inflexible bushings at both ends that ripped out something like 3 of my control arm mounting brackets before I was able to replace them...

 

[jjvw]

Arctic or artec?

Iron Rock Off-road, in the event he wants a nice bracket.

 

[mrblaine]

Iron Rock Off-road, in the event he wants a nice bracket.

A nice mount which is tough, fits perfectly every single time, and puts the control arm right back in the stock location without adding or taking away clearance. Everything you need, nothing you don't.

 

[mrblaine]

Arctic or artec?

You're better than that, much better.

 

[mrblaine]

Rather than heavier-duty brackets at first, take a look at your control arms. Do they have just rubber or (worse) polyurethane bushings at both ends? Control arms with bushings at both ends are so inflexible that they can and will tear control arm mounts out of their welds, it happened to me in 1999 or 2000 after I stupidly installed a set of Teraflex's 1st generation control arms that had bushings at both ends. For a TJ that goes offroad aftermarket control arms should have a flex joint at least at one end of the control arm with both ends being better. The factory control arms don't have this problem, they flex better than many of the poorer designs of aftermarket control arms.

This is the kind of terrible arm design with inflexible bushings at both ends that ripped out something like 3 of my control arm mounting brackets before I was able to replace them...

View attachment 443141

They are RE arms sir.

 

[Apparition]

You're better than that, much better.

It's not me using them

You might not have seen that I was quoting someone.

 

[mrblaine]

It's not me using them

You might not have seen that I was quoting someone.

I did not, but now I know someone from the double dumbass club was involved. Double because they can't spell and then can't figure out why those parts suck.

 

[Longrange_Tj]

Rather than heavier-duty brackets at first, take a look at your control arms. Do they have just rubber or (worse) polyurethane bushings at both ends? Control arms with bushings at both ends are so inflexible that they can and will tear control arm mounts out of their welds, it happened to me in 1999 or 2000 after I stupidly installed a set of Teraflex's 1st generation control arms that had bushings at both ends. For a TJ that goes offroad aftermarket control arms should have a flex joint at least at one end of the control arm with both ends being better. The factory control arms don't have this problem, they flex better than many of the poorer designs of aftermarket control arms.

This is the kind of terrible arm design with inflexible bushings at both ends that ripped out something like 3 of my control arm mounting brackets before I was able to replace them...

View attachment 443141

My control arms are do have a little bit of adjustment in them. Two in the front and two in the rear are adjustable while the other 2 control arms are not. I believe there is some kind of flex joint on the adjustment end, but nothing to write home about. The rest of the control arms are some kind of rubber/poly style bushing.

My thought with 3 linking everything now is to ditch the factory brackets for a stronger style, then ditch the control arms to get better rod ends and correct the geometry of being a 4 inch lift on 35s

 

[RHanna]

Do you plan on replacing the rear arms also? Others could chime in here but I would think that would put a lot of stress on the rear arms if the front is super flexible.

 

[mrblaine]

Do you plan on replacing the rear arms also? Others could chime in here but I would think that would put a lot of stress on the rear arms if the front is super flexible.

Doesn't matter.

 

[jjvw]

Do you plan on replacing the rear arms also? Others could chime in here but I would think that would put a lot of stress on the rear arms if the front is super flexible.

The rear doesn't care what happens in the front.

 

[P man]

It's not me using them

You might not have seen that I was quoting someone.

I guess @mrblaine doesn't like farmers

 

[P man]

If it were mine the bracket would get replaced and I would move forward. You will have more time and materials bending and gusseting. I would remove the 3 link from the equation

 

[mrblaine]

I guess @mrblaine doesn't like farmers

I love farmers, I'd starve without them. I just tend to avoid the DD versions if I can help it.

 

[psrivats]

It's not me using them

You might not have seen that I was quoting someone.

I am on their ignore list too! I *think* that's a first, but I think I know who it is.

I feel accomplished.

 

[Farmergreg]

Remember it’s just a heavier bracket
but:

Quoting @Rooscooter “Progressive group think and hive mind” will always come into these threads because someone thinks there’s ALWAYS something better as the self proclaimed messiahs here will inform you.