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JKU, prorock XD60, double throwdown, 42s basketcase???

NDCjeepsmith

NDCjeepsmith

Red Skull Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2021
Member Number
4600
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505
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SW Mo
Omfg! So I'm helping out a buddy with 2013 JKU that has had over 100k dumped into it and 4 or 5 POS shady shops half-assed it all along the way.

Just picked it up from a fab shop where it sat for the past 19 months. Only thing he was supposed to do was a full hydro setup cause the half-assed hydro assist and steersmarts yeti setup fell off.

I got it off trailer and went around for a quick look. Instantly noticed the rear-end is 4" offset to passenger side, there's no track bars, no brackets were painted so everything has rusted, some welds broken, and half the bolts missing...

Luckily it's only been driven 50 miles in the last 6 yrs but I still can't believe this thing was let out of a shops doors like this.


Now to my first question... does anyone recognize these long arms or brackets?

I'm not really cool with these arms, they look a bit shady. Axle ends are threaded welded into the link with the stock style "U" ends on a clamp and pinch bolt.

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And yeah... there's no panhards! I'm assuming the front was needing to come off and redone to fit the double ended ram.

Rear???? No clue... also noticed the rear has drivers brackets on inside of frame and passengers brackets on outside of frame. I see the reason.... the gas tank... this is my first messing with a JK btw so I assume this is common. But what throws me is the axle brackets are centered but the frame brackets are both on right side of frame so I'm thinking that's the cause of offset rearend and not just that it's missing the panhard.

Thoughts? Encouragement, pointers and any info to help my research is greatly appreciated.
 
If you havent messed with a Jeep/Crawler, then why are you commisioned to do this one?

It sounds like it was in mid tear down and forgotten to me.

Im sure there were/are drag links but they were not picked up and floating around the last shop somewhere.
 
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Those look like one-off links to me. I have not seen any with that style connectors (?) before.

They usually have the joints with jam nuts. Those look like the same kinda idea as a factory tie rod adjustment setup. Weird.

Not sure what you are describing below.

But what throws me is the axle brackets are centered but the frame brackets are both on right side of frame so I'm thinking that's the cause of offset rearend and not just that it's missing the panhard.
Click to expand...
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The rear had a trackbar....at sometime.
 
Never said I haven't done jeeps before. Never messed with a JK is what I said.


I think he had an evo long arm kit on 37s before he went with the double throwdown.

They do look similar on their site but no good pics.

He's going to bring all that he has laying around next weekend but no telling whats really missing till then.
 
Trying to figure out if the brackets were somebody's kit so I can compare and see where the previous install went wrong cause some thing isn't meshing with it all.

The rear lower control arm brackets on the frame side are what seems to be the issue. Left one is on inside of frame, right one is on outside of frame... and they contact frame.

Since the lower brackets on axle are equally spaced if I centered it with track bar the links would be cock eyed...

like so / / instead of parallel with frame
Like so | |

I'm thinking easiest fix will be cutting these off and just using standard link mounts on bottom of frame.
 
Those arms and brackets look like EVO high clearance long arm.
 
Hopefully it pulls far enough out the top. Other side looks like it does but I didn't really check it out.

I'm thinking they are evo too. Gonna send them an email today to see if they can confirm. At least I'll have a starting point now.

I really don't like how much thread is showing on the uppers. May reuse the joints and build custom links to suit. It looks like with LA kit and 37s it was probably fine. Bumping to 42s they had to run out threads to gain some clearance probably.

Found half the new Howe system, and 3/4 of the old AGR system. Found the unopened ARB line boxes and compressor that came with the prorocks.
Got antirock arms and links but no bars... organizing and inventory may be as big of a job as finishing this up!
 
The rear lower control arm brackets on the frame side are what seems to be the issue. Left one is on inside of frame, right one is on outside of frame...
Click to expand...
That is weird.
 
NDCjeepsmith said:
Got antirock arms and links but no bars... organizing and inventory may be as big of a job as finishing this up!
Click to expand...
That would suck. My luck, I would fab/repurchase missing parts only for the last shop to stop by and drop it off a day later :laughing: "I found this while cleaning..."
 
Maybe call the previous shops that did work, “hey I’ve got this Heep, would there happen to be any parts that were left/forgotten there”???? Worth a call I would think!!!!
Good luck!!!!
 
Trashman said:
That would suck. My luck, I would fab/repurchase missing parts only for the last shop to stop by and drop it off a day later :laughing: "I found this while cleaning..."
Click to expand...
Right!...

I picked it up from the last spot. Old "owner" is a awol. The new owner bought it for storage space and to rent out. He's not a mech or anything just has a lot of toys. We looked around but didn't dig, and of course didn't find anything.

The owner of jeep is well aware that theres missing things and expects it. Also expects to have to rebuy somethings. I just don't want to redo it all and would like to get it right enough as easily and quickly as possible with buying the least as possible.

But it is what is in the end. If it's missing, it's gotta be got.
 
OK, so making some progress. Almost got rear dailed in but the coilovers have 0 preload... actually negative preload, the coil isnt even tight on the seats, it rattles around with the shock pulled out. So anyone have a good starting point for preload?

The Ebrake cables were also never re-routed so the passenger side was tight even at rest and pulled the fuel filler hose off and broke the vent nipple. Are these tanks like the rams where the fix for that is a new damn tank?

Going to remove rear bumper today and cut the tacks on the coilover cradle as I can see daylight between it and the frame where it should be mounted. Throw some bolts in it to tighten it up to frame and then actually weld it up rather than just some 1 inch beads on each side.

After that just need to cycle suspension to double trackbar clearance to fuel tank and weld on limit strap and sway bar link mounts to axle.

Then up to the front to mock up the Artec full hydro mount.
 
Both coils don’t wiggle around and you can’t twist the top retaining nut by hand = Starting point for preload. At least this is what I’m doing and I’ve no previous experience with coilovers, or rock crawling, or designing anything.

Most people will tell you 1 inch.
 
Yeah I went with one inch on driver and 1.5 on pass. I've read a few about having lean and to compensate for fuel tank on that side.

In the rear its just a single 400# coil BTW.
 
Anyone ever tackled replacing a body mount on a JK? Got the center mount under B pillar that somebody previously impacted in a 1/2-13 bolt instead of a metric so the top of bolt is broke off up in there.

Think I may try to drill it and extract it but the threads will probably be muffed up so it'd still need a helicoil. Also considering just leaving it alone.
 
NDCjeepsmith said:
Anyone ever tackled replacing a body mount on a JK? Got the center mount under B pillar that somebody previously impacted in a 1/2-13 bolt instead of a metric so the top of bolt is broke off up in there.

Think I may try to drill it and extract it but the threads will probably be muffed up so it'd still need a helicoil. Also considering just leaving it alone.
Click to expand...
Some threads are better than no threads. If you aren't currently taking it apart for a good reason I'd shake my head and just leave it.
 
The boatside sliders were held on by one body bolt and the 14 or so 1/4 - 20s on the topside bracket so I dove in to find out why the main mounts were 2/3s missing.

Yes this thing is a nightmare but it's paying a few bills and helping a friend get his basket case unfucked... plus a good bit of learning.

Makes me bask in glee at the fact I do my own work cause if I would paid for this shit there'd be multiple people not breathing anymore.
 
EVO, yes.. garbage... idk bout that.

It's not perfect for sure. Another case of more money than sense.

But it's giving me a lot of experience and knowing I'm finding things others did wrong increases my confidence to tackle more.
 
Well after a bunch of rework I've got this thing driving under own power and steering now.

Ended up fixing broken EVO front frame long arm brackets. They were installed with only 3 bolts. Supposed to have 6. Rather than drilling thru frame and putting tube spacers in I just welded them in. The worst bracket come to find out was actually sipped from EVO incomplete, missing 2 gussets which led to the breaking.

Tested a bit for clearance issues. Only found a couple issues. I need to clock the left hydro fitting at ram so it goes in front of track bar instead of behind it and probably rotate ram so fittings are straight up. May have to shorten the rear antirock links and redo the axle mounts to land on top instead of behind axle.

But being mobile is a huge step.

First time this thing has had trackbars and steering on it in almost 3 yrs

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Next hurdle is front swaybar link mounts. Very little clearance so what would be yalls route?

Options:
1 half-moon the lower edge of trackbar mount to clear inside mounted heim and run as is.

2 move lower mount an inch forward to gain more clearance to coilover and run it.

3 make new brackets to mount between inner C and CO... if I do that and leave them this long I don't like that they'd be rock magnets. If I shortened them up and did bracket higher is a 6" link too short?

4 move swaybar mounts more forward which would require at least one threaded weld in per side if I use the OE front hole.

5 get shorter and straight arms

6 just shorten arms and drill another hole somewhere abouts where my finger is

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I'm thinking #6... seems to be easiest and will deal with link angle fixing, move arm and link away from CO and not have to deal with track bar interference.

But what are the things that this would change? I know rate will change but will it be much? Are these arms hardened or anything that would make cutting, shaping, and drilling them a bitch?
 
Well it's been a bit but took it to hot springs during the genright take over and it did pretty damn well. Ran without swaybars but now I'm buttoning up the little adjustments list an got the rear dialed in. Need to flex it and double check swaybar link length is good.

The front I think I'm going to move the mount on frame forward so the rear hole in bracket I I front hole on frame and that will deal with the coil and trackbar bracket clearance issue and keep me from cutting the arms down.

Got half doors for a steal so the B chop may happen this winter.

Lots of other little stuff but whittling away.

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Unfortunately didn't get many pics as I was driving mostly and my android apparently hates files from an IPhone so my brother's and the owner's pics are horrible when I view them
 
Getting some more knocked out but ran into a swaybar issue.

Got the front moved forward to clear COs without cutting arms or any major surgery.

I simply used rear most bolt hole on antirock mount in the front most hole in frame. Then made new forward hole in frame.

I right now just slapped a nutsert in there but am thinking it might not be strong enough so we'll see this weekend and I plan on making a flag nut instead... thoughts?

Went to measure for links on rear swaybar so I flexed it out with bobcat and it has sooo much rear steer when flexed that the tire contacts the antirock arm if it's any further towards level with ground than like 30° downward angle... which to me seems very limited in travel.

The rear also does the majority of flexing now. It drove ok and wheeled good without the antirocks. A little bit of body roll on road but not too bad.

Should I hook them up, flex it, and see what happens?

I'd rather run it rear to limit axle steer if they're going to kill a bunch of travel.

What's experiences with antirocks on a rig like this and would you recommend both, none, one over the other and why?
 
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