Save on Gas, Buy more Jeep parts!!! Get Cashback on Gas & save money! Earn an extra $0.20/gallon with coupon code AFF20 on your first receipt. www.tkqlhce.com/click-100565420-15018791
Hi Ben love your videos and awsome build I ha e a 2014 rubicon I'm slowly building up lift and tires soon but wanted to take a long shot and ask if you have a bla k grill that you might come off of or someone who does I have an angry grill from previous owner and I'd prefer stock thanks for awsome content looking forward to more
Not sure if you could see from your angle, but from the video, it looks like your crossmember mount bracket is pushed back close to a quarter of an inch. The proper way to fix you problem would be to either replace that bracket or fab a new one and make sure it's properly positioned. I think if you measure your wheel base from one side to the other, you'll find your passenger side comes up short. That will affect your tire wear. Although, you could adjust it out through the adjustable long arms and get back to spec. Hope this helps. God bless and stay well.
You are saying this in the beginning, but I will repeat it because like most people I dont have heavy axles, long arms nor a V8. My cross member got pushed into my transmission. There is literally a crease in my transmission where it hit. So even for less modified JKs, if you rock crawl, this needs to be strengthened. Thankfully I have a friend who welds, so he reinforced mine and made more room for the driveshaft when the drivers front is full droop. Thank for making this vid!
I recruited for the Army for 3 years in Muskogee. When we could we would go to Disney off road park in OK. They have a campground a shop with tools you can use and recovery vehicles if you get stuck or breakdown.
Good frisbee throw and good catch by Max!!! Thanks for the tip on the video. That's a safety issue that, if happenning to your rig, could lead to worse problems if not taken care of on time. Thumbs up!!!
Ditto SMORR in Seymour, MO. I’ve heard great things about Disney, OK & Hot Springs, AR. I’d also add Kansas Rocks in Mapleton, KS, about 25 mi NW of Fort Scott, KS north of Hwy 54.
The GenRight Elite system is one of the few that I've seen that avoids this, by intentionally using a separate crossmember for the front lower arms, and tieing the entire bottom of the Jeep frame together with their skid plate. Another option is with the Rusty's long arm kit. They provide gussets that reinforces the crossmember at the frame.
The Arkansas 4x4 orv park is a great place with some great trails. You can get three jeep badge of honors there and they have trails for all levels of bulld and skill.
Up in Crivitz, WI they just did Jeep Camp, there is another one coming up in fall and again in winter. I'm definitely going to go to one one of these years
Nice job on the jeep.. I know you have been to moab but have you been to sand hallow state park in utah🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 you might have i just can't remember lol...
Hello Ben, I like your fix, but in my opinion I think you are still going to have flexing happening on that bracket, because the rest of the bracket is so weak, the majority of the force will go through your new reinforcement bracket/gusset, and the new reinforcement bracket/gusset weld will fail or it will bend and warp. I think you need more rigidity. I think it is a good temporary fix, but with all your weight and how you wheel it you need to cut the stock bracket off and replace it with a 1/4in thick bracket with some good gussets on the front and back of the bracket. thank you
I only have a 98zj laredo limited upcountry, with the 5.2, auto, & 249 transfer case, 30front 44rear axles, 3:73gears, 4inch springs, and used a rough country longarm combined with a home made sliders frame stiffeners welded in, only running 31s but no rubbing anywhere and haven't needed to do any of the fender hacking see so many do,,, works really well as daily and for the off roading I do
You guys definitely need to check out Disney! It's right under the Pensacola dam at grand lake! There's a little bit of everything there also check out gruber ORV over by Muskogee, also great wheeling spot
Ben, I have to say I love your videos please keep them coming they are awesome and I love the way they are edited because they look very professional. I always use your videos as a guide to building my JK, However I’m going to keep mine street legal and do a little trails both since it is my daily driver and I can’t tell you how helpful you have been!
You guys would love Flat Nasty Offroad Park in Missouri has everything you could want in a offroad Park. Or HotSprings Offroad Park in Arkansas is also very nice place
I wonder if that happened on that ledge on Top of the World when I called your long arm bracket a "link" lol. You were sitting right on it & every bump was straight into it. Am I the bad spotter that destroyed Bens Jeep....?
I would go for a meet and greet at crossbar. You met me before I have the black jeep and towed the travel trailer with it. I was camping next to Shaffer he has the BFG Jeep. Anyway I would be willing to help out with details or go out as a guide.
good video . i think if you removed the skid plate and make it flat with a press and after that fix at the good angle your braket should be better, your weld on a frame is not the best idea. just bold it be better i think. hope it be ok
You should have measured the wheelbase on one side and compare it to the other, I'd bet you there is still a difference that will require more work to correct it.
If I was you I’d work with Barnes to come up with something together. Whether it be a bolt on or weld on bracket. Either way you can basically be their Guinea pig and work with them to come up with something together. I’ve got the Barnes crossmember with long arm mounts as well and I’ve thought about that spot being an issue when I installed it but figured Barnes has tested it for years and they must not have come across that. But for the amount of stuff it would damage if it broke I wouldn’t mind extra insurance on that area.
Awesome video Ben. I've spoken with many of the guys on the 1 ton pages about this especially as I was building my build. Many mentioned to really watch the crossmember to frame mount as many have done a lot worse than crack it. I heard stories of people literally tearing it off the frame. I have a similar set up to yours, have the guys at Barnes expressed any interest in creating a bolt on or weld in reinforcement bracket? I just spoke to tech at Artec and was told they have never had an issue or seen it happen....maybe I should send them the link to your video....LOL
Definitely a problem with long arm being solely attached to the cross member. I prefer a bracket in front of the cross member that attaches to the 2 bolts on the cross member along with bolting or attaching to the frame. Such as Metalcloak and others.
I have an 08 with never ending electrical problems What would a diesel replacement do for this problem? My goal was the 5.7 engine transmission swap but the worry would be a better engine but the same electrical issue
I noticed that you're still running your tie rod low on the Barnes knuckle kit. Did you ever try running it higher in the normal location, and if so, did you get interference issues?
Gday Ben videos a great Hemi swap was awesome. Any chance you saved the rear crossmember you cut off, I really need to replace mine and if you still have it can I grab it buy it off you thanks.
Should drop the bent skid plate down. That would make it a lot easier to straighten the cross member to a square position. The take your bracket off. Pull with the cable and find a way to put a Porta power cylinder on the back side. Pull and push. I would also take some detailed measurements to make sure frame isn't diamonded.
Lol.. I’m just trying to figure out why you never mention YJ… I know some people think yuppie jeep ! But can’t figure out how to add pictures on comments. Maybe it’s because Cassie broke it the first time I let her drive it ! Lol..
I think I heard u mention ripp coil packs in the one video and issues with them.... my jl should be here in a few weeks and that was one of the first changes I was gonna make, have u had alot of issues with them?
Disconnect the cross bar and replace the mount with a stronger bracket. It should have been done when the cross was installed. Its only as strong as what it is connected to.
Well, when you take that 7500+ pound Jeep and start hammering it into hard things, it’s no surprise your going to bend and break things. I am not sure that repair is going to hold up to the abuse and loads your going to hit it with. I expect at the end of the day, that whole cross member is going to have to be removed and replaced with a redesigned and beefier unit with additional gusseting and frame support added to that area to properly capture and spread that energy around. I am continually amazed at how much the weight and size Jeep Wranglers gain as people keep adding stuff to them to climb that next rock or wallow in the next mud pit. And go faster while doing it. Shoot, now I am seeing side x sides that are longer, taller, wider, heavier and more powerful than my old Ford F-150. Seems to me that serious modified Trail running wrangler and wrangler unlimiteds are now becoming the same beasts as the first gen H-1 military hummers, minus the guns and ballistic armor.
Seems about the same all across the board. We can upgrade all these components, track bars, drag links, control arms, crossmembers, sway bars...etc. But they are all still supported by those thin factory brackets. Upgrade one you might as well reinforce the other or once again you’re wallet will pay 🤷♂️
Seems like we are asking too much of our street legal jeeps. Adding too much weight, power, lift, etc. There are ATVs and buggies that could be used for extreme riding. I'm at 35s and mild lift. Great for exploring and it limits me doing silly things. I know, to each his own. Have fun.
Well....commonsense tells you that thin flimsy mount was not going to work in the first place! If you're beefing up the cross member automatically you should have beefed up the mount that's a given! Sorry but that's all on you or whoever installed that "upgrade" that is very basic entry level 101! And no your "patch" is not going to hold, pull it all apart, start over, and DO IT RIGHT! Actually, would have been pissed if I had bought that cross member and it didnt come with the proper mounts!
Makers should understand viewer's BIGASSS.Uno time for this show under 6:00 to 8:00 ... There is no time of this show. They upload episode when they wantm and people wait all day 𓆟
Save on Gas, Buy more Jeep parts!!! Get Cashback on Gas & save money! Earn an extra $0.20/gallon with coupon code AFF20 on your first receipt. www.tkqlhce.com/click-100565420-15018791
Hi Ben love your videos and awsome build I ha e a 2014 rubicon I'm slowly building up lift and tires soon but wanted to take a long shot and ask if you have a bla k grill that you might come off of or someone who does I have an angry grill from previous owner and I'd prefer stock thanks for awsome content looking forward to more
Where's the link for the gloves
@@nevamind932 I just updated it in the video description
@@JKGearandGadgets mahalo!
Not sure if you could see from your angle, but from the video, it looks like your crossmember mount bracket is pushed back close to a quarter of an inch. The proper way to fix you problem would be to either replace that bracket or fab a new one and make sure it's properly positioned. I think if you measure your wheel base from one side to the other, you'll find your passenger side comes up short. That will affect your tire wear. Although, you could adjust it out through the adjustable long arms and get back to spec. Hope this helps. God bless and stay well.
You are saying this in the beginning, but I will repeat it because like most people I dont have heavy axles, long arms nor a V8. My cross member got pushed into my transmission. There is literally a crease in my transmission where it hit. So even for less modified JKs, if you rock crawl, this needs to be strengthened. Thankfully I have a friend who welds, so he reinforced mine and made more room for the driveshaft when the drivers front is full droop. Thank for making this vid!
Smorr in Seymore missouri one of the best offroad parks around
I recruited for the Army for 3 years in Muskogee.
When we could we would go to Disney off road park in OK. They have a campground a shop with tools you can use and recovery vehicles if you get stuck or breakdown.
You and autoedits are the only jeep expertise I listen too
Hot Springs Offroad Park is a must visit!
Badlands Offroad park in Attica IN
Not bad!
Hot Springs Off Road Park has great trails and one of the best mapped out parks around.
Good frisbee throw and good catch by Max!!! Thanks for the tip on the video. That's a safety issue that, if happenning to your rig, could lead to worse problems if not taken care of on time. Thumbs up!!!
Hot Springs Arkansas, Byrds Adventure in Ozark Arkansas, SMORR just by Branson MO. They are all great.
Big Bear Lake, CA 3 Jeep Badge of Honor Trails doable in one day. And Cougar Buttes (part of the King of the Hammers course) is only 30 minutes away.
Other than Cross Bar we have a couple amazing off-road options within reasonable distance. Disney, SMORR, and Palo Duro are the top 3.
Ditto SMORR in Seymour, MO. I’ve heard great things about Disney, OK & Hot Springs, AR. I’d also add Kansas Rocks in Mapleton, KS, about 25 mi NW of Fort Scott, KS north of Hwy 54.
If you're ever back close to the east coast, check out Stony Lonesome and Hawk Pride Mountain in Alabama.
I’ll have to check those out!
Big Bear, CA. Such a wide variety of trails, but especially iconic trails like Gold Mountain, John Bull, Holcomb Creek. All amazing trails
The GenRight Elite system is one of the few that I've seen that avoids this, by intentionally using a separate crossmember for the front lower arms, and tieing the entire bottom of the Jeep frame together with their skid plate. Another option is with the Rusty's long arm kit. They provide gussets that reinforces the crossmember at the frame.
The Arkansas 4x4 orv park is a great place with some great trails.
You can get three jeep badge of honors there and they have trails for all levels of bulld and skill.
Up in Crivitz, WI they just did Jeep Camp, there is another one coming up in fall and again in winter. I'm definitely going to go to one one of these years
when welding that stuff you gotta get the area clean first. makes huge difference
THANKS Ben!! Great Tip and Improvement!
Going to do something similar for our LS CJ to beef up the cross member and skid plate.
Tuttle Creek ORV / Randolph, KS
Kansas Rocks Recreation Park (KRRP) / Mapleton, KS
Merus Adventure park at the Palo Duro canyon is a must for sure.
Nice job on the jeep.. I know you have been to moab but have you been to sand hallow state park in utah🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 you might have i just can't remember lol...
Hello Ben, I like your fix, but in my opinion I think you are still going to have flexing happening on that bracket, because the rest of the bracket is so weak, the majority of the force will go through your new reinforcement bracket/gusset, and the new reinforcement bracket/gusset weld will fail or it will bend and warp. I think you need more rigidity. I think it is a good temporary fix, but with all your weight and how you wheel it you need to cut the stock bracket off and replace it with a 1/4in thick bracket with some good gussets on the front and back of the bracket. thank you
Jeep TJ had problems of the long arm brackets on the flatt belly skid plates. Rubicon express were notorious for breaking
Great tip !!! Would love to go to the meet and greet if u do it in June in OKC since I will be there visiting my parents before I head back to Guam!!
Merus offroad park looks dope! But A guided tour of crossbar would be pretty great too!
Love to do a meet up at crossbar it’s fantastic. I hear Hot Springs in AR or SMORR in MO are fantastic.
Well its not your typical park for rock crawling but it's super fun I would recommend going to the Silver Lake sand dunes in Michigan.
I only have a 98zj laredo limited upcountry, with the 5.2, auto, & 249 transfer case, 30front 44rear axles, 3:73gears, 4inch springs, and used a rough country longarm combined with a home made sliders frame stiffeners welded in, only running 31s but no rubbing anywhere and haven't needed to do any of the fender hacking see so many do,,, works really well as daily and for the off roading I do
Biggest weak spot on my Jeep is my wallet!
did you try welding it?
weld some gussets onto it
@MUCKFOOT399 good call, I was thinking that, and maybe fish-plating it if that doesn't help.
You guys definitely need to check out Disney! It's right under the Pensacola dam at grand lake! There's a little bit of everything there also check out gruber ORV over by Muskogee, also great wheeling spot
You guys should check out Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. They have some awesome wheeling there, both in the OHV park and the surrounding trails
Love to see you guys hit up the iron range offroad park in northern MN.
wow!!!! u must have gotten lucky last night, u are much more cheerful than usual. as always another great vid
More cheerful now that I’m not active duty anymore 🤘
Green Acres and Rugged Mountain Ranch(RMR), both in/near Clayton, OK, you’re truly missing out if you’ve never been to either of these hidden gems.
3 Good places in KS and MO to go are SMORR, KS Rocks and Tuttle creek.
Ben, you should head to Minnesota to the Iron range ohv area in Gilbert ,MN
Byrds adventure center near Ozark Arkansas is a great place also Disney Oklahoma
Ben, I have to say I love your videos please keep them coming they are awesome and I love the way they are edited because they look very professional.
I always use your videos as a guide to building my JK, However I’m going to keep mine street legal and do a little trails both since it is my daily driver and I can’t tell you how helpful you have been!
You guys would love Flat Nasty Offroad Park in Missouri has everything you could want in a offroad Park. Or HotSprings Offroad Park in Arkansas is also very nice place
I wonder if that happened on that ledge on Top of the World when I called your long arm bracket a "link" lol. You were sitting right on it & every bump was straight into it.
Am I the bad spotter that destroyed Bens Jeep....?
I would go for a meet and greet at crossbar. You met me before I have the black jeep and towed the travel trailer with it. I was camping next to Shaffer he has the BFG Jeep. Anyway I would be willing to help out with details or go out as a guide.
Im struggling with the way youre fixing this bro but I still love ya lol 🍻
Lol trust me, it’s not my proudest work.. but it’s fixed the issue for now and already have a bunch of moving parts going around here haha.
good video . i think if you removed the skid plate and make it flat with a press and after that fix at the good angle your braket should be better, your weld on a frame is not the best idea. just bold it be better i think. hope it be ok
You should have measured the wheelbase on one side and compare it to the other, I'd bet you there is still a difference that will require more work to correct it.
Yep! I need to get a 4 wheel alignment at the shop down the road. I’m sure it’s all out of spec
If I was you I’d work with Barnes to come up with something together. Whether it be a bolt on or weld on bracket. Either way you can basically be their Guinea pig and work with them to come up with something together.
I’ve got the Barnes crossmember with long arm mounts as well and I’ve thought about that spot being an issue when I installed it but figured Barnes has tested it for years and they must not have come across that. But for the amount of stuff it would damage if it broke I wouldn’t mind extra insurance on that area.
Great Video. You should check out Chock Cherry Canyon in Farmington NM
I see that rear drive line is quite expanded.
Love your channel and definitely looking for more offroad content from you and Cassie.
And another possible repair added to the list. 😂 thanks Ben!
It’s easier to fix in the garage opposed to on the trail 🤣
@@JKGearandGadgets very true. And that’s something I know I would have over looked.
Awesome video Ben. I've spoken with many of the guys on the 1 ton pages about this especially as I was building my build. Many mentioned to really watch the crossmember to frame mount as many have done a lot worse than crack it. I heard stories of people literally tearing it off the frame. I have a similar set up to yours, have the guys at Barnes expressed any interest in creating a bolt on or weld in reinforcement bracket? I just spoke to tech at Artec and was told they have never had an issue or seen it happen....maybe I should send them the link to your video....LOL
I’m going to talk with them and see if they can come up with something bolt on!
Definitely a problem with long arm being solely attached to the cross member. I prefer a bracket in front of the cross member that attaches to the 2 bolts on the cross member along with bolting or attaching to the frame. Such as Metalcloak and others.
Those are stronger for sure! However, triangulating the lowers in helps a ton with strength and performance
Thank you for the video😊 nice jeep!!
Washington state has a whole bunch of great ORV parks!
Disney Oklahoma is alot of fun!
The weakest spot I found on my lifted jku was the jealous people talking smack. 🤣
Sheeeesh 🧊
No one's jealous, the JKU is junk.
I have an 08 with never ending electrical problems
What would a diesel replacement do for this problem?
My goal was the 5.7 engine transmission swap but the worry would be a better engine but the same electrical issue
I noticed that you're still running your tie rod low on the Barnes knuckle kit. Did you ever try running it higher in the normal location, and if so, did you get interference issues?
Gday Ben videos a great Hemi swap was awesome. Any chance you saved the rear crossmember you cut off, I really need to replace mine and if you still have it can I grab it buy it off you thanks.
Yes I have mine. Email me jkgearandgadgets@gmail.com
Should drop the bent skid plate down. That would make it a lot easier to straighten the cross member to a square position. The take your bracket off. Pull with the cable and find a way to put a Porta power cylinder on the back side. Pull and push. I would also take some detailed measurements to make sure frame isn't diamonded.
Loosened the bolts and it seemed to be enough. Luckily it kicks like no damage was transferred into the frame
Lol.. I’m just trying to figure out why you never mention YJ… I know some people think yuppie jeep ! But can’t figure out how to add pictures on comments. Maybe it’s because Cassie broke it the first time I let her drive it ! Lol..
Wind Rock Tennessee
Been there a few times! Can’t wait to go back
I think I heard u mention ripp coil packs in the one video and issues with them.... my jl should be here in a few weeks and that was one of the first changes I was gonna make, have u had alot of issues with them?
Ben you coming to cross bar this weekend
I think so!
Disconnect the cross bar and replace the mount with a stronger bracket. It should have been done when the cross was installed. Its only as strong as what it is connected to.
No one makes a stronger bracket.
@@JKGearandGadgets make one.
Ben are you going to think about spray foaming your shop before winter to help keep in some heat? Great video’s by the way. I always learn something
Yes for sure! And to keep this summer heat out! It’s in the plans, but everything is so expensive right now 😅
Well, when you take that 7500+ pound Jeep and start hammering it into hard things, it’s no surprise your going to bend and break things. I am not sure that repair is going to hold up to the abuse and loads your going to hit it with. I expect at the end of the day, that whole cross member is going to have to be removed and replaced with a redesigned and beefier unit with additional gusseting and frame support added to that area to properly capture and spread that energy around.
I am continually amazed at how much the weight and size Jeep Wranglers gain as people keep adding stuff to them to climb that next rock or wallow in the next mud pit. And go faster while doing it.
Shoot, now I am seeing side x sides that are longer, taller, wider, heavier and more powerful than my old Ford F-150. Seems to me that serious modified Trail running wrangler and wrangler unlimiteds are now becoming the same beasts as the first gen H-1 military hummers, minus the guns and ballistic armor.
3k lbs
Super random, what turn signal/lights are those?
They are jw speaker trail 6. The headlights have turn signals built in, so the “turn signals” are now lights
@@JKGearandGadgets you're awesome! Thank you!!
West side steps do you have !!
They are from Barnes4wd! You can use the code jkgear for 10% off on your first order
Does your driveshaft hit the fuel tank?
The pinion yoke barely hit, I just beat in the gas tank corner a tiny bit to clear
Where do you get those gloves?
i completely forgot to add that! amzn.to/3w3mLte
Seems about the same all across the board. We can upgrade all these components, track bars, drag links, control arms, crossmembers, sway bars...etc. But they are all still supported by those thin factory brackets. Upgrade one you might as well reinforce the other or once again you’re wallet will pay 🤷♂️
You should consider Ohio Jeep Fest July 1st - 3d
K Rocks in Ft Scott Kansas
I love Jeep’s
Maybe you should do the other side before its too late
Great info!
That's terrifying!
Go to clayton ok!
One of the many. ;)
Hot Springs Arkansas off road park
Thx Bro! Good stuff
I’d just weld that crossmember to the frame. IMO
Then I’d never be able to drop the trans without cutting
Yay Macks 🐶
Seems like we are asking too much of our street legal jeeps. Adding too much weight, power, lift, etc. There are ATVs and buggies that could be used for extreme riding. I'm at 35s and mild lift. Great for exploring and it limits me doing silly things. I know, to each his own. Have fun.
6. .... 4... hemi..... ?????
Oh yeah!
Crossbar is awesome
Disney is fun
Grouber also fun
Check out Clayton
😎👍
There's too many to list.
Lol true!
Well....commonsense tells you that thin flimsy mount was not going to work in the first place! If you're beefing up the cross member automatically you should have beefed up the mount that's a given! Sorry but that's all on you or whoever installed that "upgrade" that is very basic entry level 101! And no your "patch" is not going to hold, pull it all apart, start over, and DO IT RIGHT!
Actually, would have been pissed if I had bought that cross member and it didnt come with the proper mounts!
Smorr
Swwweeeeetttt!!
The entire thing is weak… just keep the body
Hi Ben, please kindly check the email, thanks !
but how does this help the 99% at the mall?
40s and speed bumps can be brutal to brackets I guess
You didn’t fix the right way brother. You just half assed that job. I’m sure your axle is out of alignment.
Makers should understand viewer's BIGASSS.Uno time for this show under 6:00 to 8:00 ... There is no time of this show. They upload episode when they wantm and people wait all day 𓆟