Beefing up lower control arm mounts

[bluescapegoat]

I just finished with the cutting/welding and put my front axle back under the Jeep. I cut the Artec LCA brackets off and welded on some IRO brackets.

I have the rear axle out now and have a couple options. The rear LCA mounts are in fine shape but I'm already cutting/welding/painting so I want to beef them up. I have a set of weld washers here and a pair of mini skids. Would you beef up the factory mount with those a la @mrblaine HERE or should I just cut the rear mounts off and get a new set of IRO mounts? Should I pull the front axle back off and use the mini skids there? Seems like the only purpose they would serve in the front is keeping the JJs pretty but if you're covering them up does it really matter?

I don't think there's a wrong answer here really but curious given what I have laying around what you folks would do/have done.

 

[JMT]

I’d definitely add the mini skids. They box in that very vulnerable mount increasing its rigidity significantly. If you wheel hard at all you’ll definitely be hitting that mount virtually every time you wheel, and they will be disfigured.

Definitely much easier to weld with the axle off, but it can be done with it on.

 

[bluescapegoat]

I’d definitely add the mini skids. They box in that very vulnerable mount increasing its rigidity significantly. If you wheel hard at all you’ll definitely be hitting that mount virtually every time you wheel, and they will be disfigured.

Definitely much easier to weld with the axle off, but it can be done with it on.

Are you suggesting adding them to the front IROs? Or the rear factory mounts? I was under the impression there was no real risk of disfiguring those 1/4" front IRO mounts.

 

[Blackjack]

Adding skids to the IRO fronts would just be to make them "slick". I would do the weld washer/trim on the rear and a gusset inside the bracket to make up for trimming the lip off to help with keeping them from flexing any.

 

[JMT]

Are you suggesting adding them to the front IROs? Or the rear factory mounts? I was under the impression there was no real risk of disfiguring those 1/4" front IRO mounts.

I missed they were IRO’s. Actually I just forgot as I kept reading! Sorry.