Is this the beginning of the end? (frame rust / breakage)

Natethegreat202

Natethegreat202

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Joined
Nov 1, 2021
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44
Location
San Antonio Texas
Hey guys! First off y’all are the best and I can’t thank you enough. This is my first TJ and I don’t know where I’d be without y’all!

So as I was under my Jeep (1998) I’ll include pics, I noticed a part that was almost broken off. Not sure the name but it connects the frame to the back driver side wheel. Now the last owner or whoever clearly abused the Jeep a little more than they led on. When I initially purchased I noticed surface rust but not this.

My question is, is this super detrimental to the jeeps structural integrity? I feel yes , and also is this gonna be a pain in the ass to fix and/or super expensive? I can replace parts and wrench all day but frame work and welding are not up my alley so I would probably end up taking it somewhere.

So just what are y’all’s opinions and what do y’all think my options are realistically. Not gonna be doing anything with the Jeep for a while until I figure this

Thanks in advance

(Again this is behind the drivers side back tire) and some pics of near the same spot but underside view

A million thanks!

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Natethegreat202 said:
Hey guys! First off y’all are the best and I can’t thank you enough. This is my first TJ and I don’t know where I’d be without y’all!

So as I was under my Jeep (1998) I’ll include pics, I noticed a part that was almost broken off. Not sure the name but it connects the frame to the back driver side wheel. Now the last owner or whoever clearly abused the Jeep a little more than they led on. When I initially purchased I noticed surface rust but not this.

My question is, is this super detrimental to the jeeps structural integrity? I feel yes , and also is this gonna be a pain in the ass to fix and/or super expensive? I can replace parts and wrench all day but frame work and welding are not up my alley so I would probably end up taking it somewhere.

So just what are y’all’s opinions and what do y’all think my options are realistically. Not gonna be doing anything with the Jeep for a while until I figure this

Thanks in advance

(Again this is behind the drivers side back tire) and some pics of near the same spot but underside view

A million thanks!

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Those are control arm mounts. That’s what attaches your axle to the frame. You want those.
 
Looks like the rear upper control arm bracket is coming apart at the weld to the frame. The pics don’t show a lot of the rest of the actual frame but the pics look like it just has some small surface rust areas but generally looks good. You may be able to get a body shop or welding shop to actually reattach/re-weld that frame back on where it’s tight or have someone cut that off the rest of the way and put a replacement bracket on.
 
Frame side upper control arm mount. Not uncommon to break off. I wouldn't recommend driving it until you get it repaired.

Now the question arises-do you have adjustable lower control arms?
 
As a follow-up, depending on what the use of the TJ is and how you want to repair, you could also try going by an old school muffler shop if there’s one near by and see if they would be able to help you out with putting some new welds on the stress tear and patching the larger section that is pulling away from the frame some.
 
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Great stuff guys thanks!

Yeah also obviously my concern is how safe is it to drive?

Any idea on a ballpark estimate on how much it could be to have welded back or some replacements welded on ?

Thank y’all!
 
rebelles said:
As a follow-up, depending on what the use of the TJ is and how you want to repair, you could also try going by an old school muffler shop if there’s one near by and see if they would be able to help you out with putting some new welds on the stress tear and patching the larger section that is pulling away from the frame some.
Click to expand...
Definitely want the most solid repair possible. The Jeep is for fun. Town rides occasional off-roading (nothing crazy) beach and lake/ river trips etc. not my only vehicle and not a daily driver but only has 94k miles so definitely want it to last! Bulletproof 4.0!

How safe is it to drive you reckon? I have to at least drive it 8 miles home. It’s stuck at the river right now cause of my transfer case getting stuck in neutral, didn’t have internet service on my phone or I would have been able to get it home
 
By the looks of it, it's been that way for some time. I would think you're good to get home, and probably more than that, although you definitely want to get it addressed asap. You're probably good to drive it to a shop to have it looked at/fixed. I mean, you've been driving it and it didn't just happen.

obviously the safest thing to do would be to tow it, but I don't think that is absolutely necessary.
 
Its so hard to tell from pics but this doesn't look like a rot issue, it looks like a stress fracture. I would think there is a good chance that a decent welder would be able to weld it back on where it sits. If it's not rusted, this would be a pretty easy thing to do. That being said, I believe the larger line in the pics is the fuel line, so whoever does it will have to put some thought into that.

Edited to add:
As far as price, its very location and shop dependent, but if it can be welded in place, it shouldn't be more than few hundred bucks I would think. Remember, I'm giving this quote based on some pics on the internet. If it is a rust issue, or the damage is to the point where this bracket needs to be replaced, it can and will be much pricier.
 
In addition to the upper control arm mount fix/replacement, you may take a real good look at the brake line as it looks pretty rusted.
One other item is the differential breather hose is disconnected and is the hose that's hanging down unattached.
 
You call that rust ;) Your frame looks pretty darn good considering many others you'll see pics of here. As as mentioned it looks like stress cracking more than anything.
 
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