Bent rear lower shock mount, need advice

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

Hack it all off and start fabing. Might as well move the lower link mounts while your at it.

Since your asking I would look into a fab shop, otherwise you wouldn't be asking.

I happen to know of a fella who owns an offroad shop who kinda sorta does fab work lolol

As for the lower link mount, I'll either weld up a reinforcement kit or get a bolt on skid of sort.

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-strut-mount?_pos=1&_sid=afeba6257&_ss=r

^These babies are on order and I'll be hacking the old mounts off and welding the new ones on.

The mounts look sturdy AF and we noticed that they're boxed too.

I just wish there was a better design that doesn't look like it will get hung up on rocks. Something that's boxed liked this with an integrated skid.

We weld up a ton pan hard correction kits at my shop as well as upper link reinforcement plates for Toyota's. People come to us with different brands and a ton of clever designs. I have yet to see kits as equally impressive as what the Yota market has to offer.

My guess is Bronco's haven't been out long enough to generate a demand for reinforcement kits like the 4runner's and GX's do.

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[FleshTuxedo]

@2020FordRaptor thank you for being the safety supervisor voice in my head. I needed that lol

@Bronco_joe I've been digging for this! Thank you so much. Gonna order and weld this up. I shall report back later.

@NJRoadkill I'm surprised there isn't a lot of weld-on reinforcement kits. In the Toyota world there's a ton of companies producing reinforcement kits for old ass Toyotas.

Thanks everyone for their second of time and advice

Here's some pics from the weekend where it all went down at the Soup Bowl at good ol' Rubicon

 

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

I bent both of mine one side way worse than the other. You'll need to remove the shock to get access to bend the mount. Find a very large adjustable wrench because you'll need the leverage and the ability to fine tune where you want the bend. Apply a fair mount of heat (torch) so that you'll be able to bend it. Have an extra pry bar or anything for wedging to keep from bending the mount too far out. Use a bolt that is the slightly wider than the shock mount and wedge it in between to help you bend the mount if you pulled it out too far. Get some paint to spray the mounts after you are done because you'll probably gouge the mount a few times.

My mans! Is that a shock or a banana?

Holy cow, how did you do that?

Thanks for your advice on how to bend it back. I've decided to hold off on hammering and wait till the reinforced replacement mounts from Barnes come in.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

this is exactly why I Chopped mine and made them 2" higher up. and the 2" free lift is cool too....but the shorter it is the less leverage there is to bend it. they are TOO long and TOO low of a design from Ford.

if you did this why repair it the same way? less leverage is what is needed, and more ground clearance, and a lift is great TOO... my fix does all three for FREE.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/done-i-have-re-drilled-rear-shock-mount-2”-higher-more-clearance-and-2”-lift.31477/page-5#post-1841764


I laugh and giggle at all the shock skids....especially BBs. because they don't solve this problem and actually make it worse by creating a BIGGER surface area to hit or apply preasure from obstacles. and they don't add any clearance....what a fucking gimmick. ROFL.

even funnier is most of the same folks that add these skids are the same ones looking for a lift or already purchased some kind of lift...

the ONLY reason the aftermarket hasn't offered something like I did is because they can't SELL you something....

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

He has a skid on there and, apparently, it did not help with whatever situation he put his Bronco in. Generally, the skids will work for regular wheeling.

you mean mall crawlin?

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

Props on hitting that, I haven't seen another 6G try to hit that.

looks to me like 5g had a wheelbase advantage...Rubicon driven more-door = damage, who woulda guessed?

 

[SS Bronco]

looks to me like 5g had a wheelbase advantage...Rubicon driven more-door = damage, who woulda guessed?

The damage had nothing to do with the wheel base. The driver was just a little unseasoned but at least was trying. 4 doors actually do great on the Rubicon.

 

[cynicalrider]

I happen to know of a fella who owns an offroad shop who kinda sorta does fab work lolol

As for the lower link mount, I'll either weld up a reinforcement kit or get a bolt on skid of sort.

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-strut-mount?_pos=1&_sid=afeba6257&_ss=r

^These babies are on order and I'll be hacking the old mounts off and welding the new ones on.

The mounts look sturdy AF and we noticed that they're boxed too.

I just wish there was a better design that doesn't look like it will get hung up on rocks. Something that's boxed liked this with an integrated skid.

We weld up a ton pan hard correction kits at my shop as well as upper link reinforcement plates for Toyota's. People come to us with different brands and a ton of clever designs. I have yet to see kits as equally impressive as what the Yota market has to offer.

My guess is Bronco's haven't been out long enough to generate a demand for reinforcement kits like the 4runner's and GX's do.

FWIW since you mentioned PCK's I haven't seen many other companies come up with as extremely well fitting and thought out designs as I see Eimkeith do. (Assuming that's one of the companies you are referring to). Even the big names like TC I had to grind the fuck out of to get my UCA gussets in there on my Tacoma.

 

[Az_Squatch_Bronco]

I bought some new mounts from Barnes 4WD. They are boxed on the bottom so they should be stronger and are a thicker steel than OEM. Even if you raise the mounting point they are still a weak point.

 

[Felix808]

I think the winning combination would be to do boxed 1/4" like the Barnes but shorten them up a little bit to alleviate the leverage but still maintain a full size shock.

 

[87-Z28]

Most definitely need to be shortened. This will drastically reduce bending stresses and add some lift. Even 1-2” will make a big difference.

 

[Az_Squatch_Bronco]

I think the winning combination would be to do boxed 1/4" like the Barnes but shorten them up a little bit to alleviate the leverage but still maintain a full size shock.

Had mine installed today.

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