TJ rear shock removal

RudyG

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Joined
Apr 18, 2022
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NY
I just started working to restore my "new to me" 2001 TJ. Just removed the shocks. The rear are a real PIA! Could not get the bolts out, Had to cut the bow tie with a Sawzall. I am going to drill the Frame per "
". I am expanding on this idea anyway. Something similar to the YJ rear shock mount. I will post pictures when done. Curious who have done this and what they think?
 
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Don't drill thru the frame to mount shocks unless you are able to sleeve it.
 
I just ran into this problem last week. All I did was drill new holes beneath the existing shock mount holes and threaded them. Then for added security I threw a nut on top of them. Worked for me and took 20 minutes. I wouldn't drill into my frame for a shock mount personally.
 
I just ran into this problem last week. All I did was drill new holes beneath the existing shock mount holes and threaded them. Then for added security I threw a nut on top of them. Worked for me and took 20 minutes. I wouldn't drill into my frame for a shock mount personally.
Didn't have to remove the tank? Drilling holes in the frame should not cause any issue. There are holes drilled and not used in every pickup and large truck frame. Also, in The TJ frame if you look around.
 
Didn't have to remove the tank? Drilling holes in the frame should not cause any issue. There are holes drilled and not used in every pickup and large truck frame. Also, in The TJ frame if you look around.
Stopping the bolt from squeezing the frame rail is only part of the problem with this stupid plan.
 
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1653492707278.jpeg
 
I just started working to restore my "new to me" 2001 TJ. Just removed the shocks. The rear are a real PIA! Could not get the bolts out, Had to cut the bow tie with a Sawzall. I am going to drill the Frame per "
". I am expanding on this idea anyway. Something similar to the YJ rear shock mount. I will post pictures when done. Curious who have done this and what they think?
Seized upper rear shock bolts are very common and are actually being talked about in another thread right now. With the same amount of energy it would take to do the janky bolt through the frame thing the guy in the video does, you can remove the seized nuts from the frame and continue using the factory mounting location.
 
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Seized upper rear shock bolts are very common and are actually being talked about in another thread right now. With the same amount of energy it would take to do the janky bolt through the frame thing the guy in the video does, you can remove the seized nuts from the frame and continue using the factory mounting location.
Yes! The only time a shock mount should ever be moved is to improve the shock, never to make it worse.
 
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Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend less effort and repair the factory location and not lose travel?
Issue is I think it would be a lot more effort to remove the tank and repair the stock mounting location. I think this was a horrible design to start with. Not a Jeep expert, but I am a mechanical engineer, and have rebuilt and worked on cars for 40 years. This mounting location was obviously to save on costs...

This is a 2001 that lived life on the beaches of Maine and I got very cheap. 200K miles, frame rot, not got much life left. Really just got this to teach my teen sons how to wrench, and trying to get them off their phones for a few hours a week... ;)
 
This is a 2001 that lived life on the beaches of Maine and I got very cheap. 200K miles, frame rot, not got much life left. Really just got this to teach my teen sons how to wrench, and trying to get them off their phones for a few hours a week... ;)
Doesn't seem like drilling a hole through the frame is a smart idea then. It isn't smart on a non-rusty jeep - but even less so on one rotting out.
 
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Issue is I think it would be a lot more effort to remove the tank and repair the stock mounting location. I think this was a horrible design to start with. Not a Jeep expert, but I am a mechanical engineer, and have rebuilt and worked on cars for 40 years. This mounting location was obviously to save on costs...

This is a 2001 that lived life on the beaches of Maine and I got very cheap. 200K miles, frame rot, not got much life left. Really just got this to teach my teen sons how to wrench, and trying to get them off their phones for a few hours a week... ;)
No need to remove the tank. I have done this job a few times and it isn’t bad. You need to cut the tiny welds on the nuts down a little with a dremel (no need to completely cut them down) and then take a 3/8ish punch and from the bottom going up give them some strong whacks. They will come right off and then you can just use normal bolts after that.
 
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Issue is I think it would be a lot more effort to remove the tank and repair the stock mounting location. I think this was a horrible design to start with. Not a Jeep expert, but I am a mechanical engineer, and have rebuilt and worked on cars for 40 years. This mounting location was obviously to save on costs...

The tank can be dropped easily. Daunting for the first timer? Maybe. I can have my tank out of the way on the other side of the garage in under 10 minutes.

Jeep engineers were smart enough to know that mounting shocks thru the frame rails was not a good idea.
 
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