My DIY welding fix for rear cracked control arm brackets on 2021 Bronco

[jonesh242]

Nice work dude! You had me rolling on the floor! No roasting from me...at least you drive it hard and work on it yourself. It's worth every smile. Cheers.

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[Beach_Bum]

This is reason Number 1,000,000 why I won’t be “upgrading” the suspension. Nothing but trouble, wasted money, and almost always looks douchey anyway. Sasquatch for the win.

Quoting for posterity for when your reservoirs fall off.

 

[SevenT]

Mitch,
You seem to have a line on any fix that becomes necessary for Pumba. Keep up the good work.
v/r,
Mike

 

[Midnight_Blue]

Quoting for posterity for when your reservoirs fall off.

If that happens, at least I can take it to the dealership.

 

[Az_Squatch_Bronco]

I've just dropped a video on my YouTube channel detailing my personal journey with the rear cracked control arm brackets on my 2021 Bronco. I took on a DIY welding fix to secure everything back in place. Curious to know your thoughts on my approach and how it compares to other solutions out there. Check out the video for a full rundown of the process and let me know what you think! Looking forward to hearing your insights and learning about the different ways we're all tackling this challenge.

Curious why you are patching those thin metal brackets and not cutting them off and doing a thicker aftermarket steel bracket?

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-upper-control-arm-brackets

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-strut-mount?_pos=16&_sid=4cf574ff8&_ss=r

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bron...rol-arm-brackets?_pos=17&_sid=4cf574ff8&_ss=r

 

[Merc4x4]

Curious why you are patching those thin metal brackets and not cutting them off and doing a thicker aftermarket steel bracket?

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-upper-control-arm-brackets

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bronco-rear-axle-strut-mount?_pos=16&_sid=4cf574ff8&_ss=r

https://barnes4wd.com/products/bron...rol-arm-brackets?_pos=17&_sid=4cf574ff8&_ss=r

None of those links are the bracket that is breaking.
We're all waiting on Barnes to make a replacement bracket.

 

[Merc4x4]

Thats certainly a factor, but I know i'm not the only one who wheels pretty hard on stock control arms. It's anecdotal to point out that I havent had any issue, but I find it suspicious how many cracked mounts are attached to ridged links.

I didn't mean to be 100% dismissive of solid joints causing more issues, just that abusing your bronco with the stock arms won't guarantee they won't break.

A couple more issues with replacement arms that could be factors in adding extra stress.
The stock upper rear arms are offset; I've seen a few replacements that are straight. I think most replacements are straight.
The nuts and bolts are single use only. If they are stretched they will not hold torque and come loose.

I forgot to replace the bolts and the ones to the brackets that are breaking are not holding tight. My theory is they were over tightened at the factory. I'm replacing all the trailing arm nuts and bolts this week to test my theory.

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