- First Name
- Caleb
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2021
- Threads
- 41
- Messages
- 865
- Reaction score
- 2,476
- Location
- Sacramento
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Bronco/1996 Jeep XJ/1957 FC-150
- Your Bronco Model
- Big Bend
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey ya'll, I know this has been addressed here and there but I want to bring this fully into the light with some research i've done.
The rear, control arm upper brackets on my 21 Bronco are cracked... Both sides in multiple places. My welding friend stop drilled and welded up one crack but I have since discovered another and also on the passenger side. To access and repair the passenger side I will have to drop the tank to assess which we will do soon. I reached out to a few friends that also have 21 Broncos and 3 of them have cracks in the same spot with others checking for me tonight. So far all 4 of us with cracks are modified with aftermarket, rear arms, 37's and we wheel hard and often. I'm still looking to see if unmodified 2021 Broncos have this crack but so far no.
I did find a friend with a 21 Bronco Sasquatch that is stock and he has no visible cracks, but the welds are now rusting right where I've seen some of the cracks form which leads me to believe his is on the way out as well.
I posted up in my group asking for photos of newer Broncos and someone with a 23 Bronco sent me this awesome photo. If you compare, you can see the newer Bronco's have boxed in that upper bracket. This shows that Ford is aware of the issue but the question remains what do the rest of us do. Do we chase cracks forever? Can we purchase that newer bracket to weld in? Will just fixing the cracks as they show up work?
In the meantime, I hope this helps ya'll and serves as a reminder to check those welds! Worst case scenario, you dont catch this and your upper arms come detached while wheeling or on the freeway.
See the below pics.
My Bronco before repair
My bronco after repair
21 stock Sasquatch (note rust at arrow)
23 Bronco with boxed bracket
21 Bronco with open bracket
My second crack that I found after fixing first one
***edit*** got some great feedback from y’all. It appears that random 21Broncos have the open style prone to cracking. As of now there is no rhyme or reason which ones get it that I can tell! The 22’s and up all seem boxed. There is No date cutoff as some early Broncos have the box and some late 21’s do not. The cracks seem to start with rust forming in the welds which someone mentioned could be a sign of poor welds. As of right now there is no solution but the recommendation is to go to Ford if cracks form and report it. If you have the open design and no cracks, just watch it. I have not seen cracks on a stock Bronco but I have seen the rust showing
The rear, control arm upper brackets on my 21 Bronco are cracked... Both sides in multiple places. My welding friend stop drilled and welded up one crack but I have since discovered another and also on the passenger side. To access and repair the passenger side I will have to drop the tank to assess which we will do soon. I reached out to a few friends that also have 21 Broncos and 3 of them have cracks in the same spot with others checking for me tonight. So far all 4 of us with cracks are modified with aftermarket, rear arms, 37's and we wheel hard and often. I'm still looking to see if unmodified 2021 Broncos have this crack but so far no.
I did find a friend with a 21 Bronco Sasquatch that is stock and he has no visible cracks, but the welds are now rusting right where I've seen some of the cracks form which leads me to believe his is on the way out as well.
I posted up in my group asking for photos of newer Broncos and someone with a 23 Bronco sent me this awesome photo. If you compare, you can see the newer Bronco's have boxed in that upper bracket. This shows that Ford is aware of the issue but the question remains what do the rest of us do. Do we chase cracks forever? Can we purchase that newer bracket to weld in? Will just fixing the cracks as they show up work?
In the meantime, I hope this helps ya'll and serves as a reminder to check those welds! Worst case scenario, you dont catch this and your upper arms come detached while wheeling or on the freeway.
See the below pics.
My Bronco before repair
My bronco after repair
21 stock Sasquatch (note rust at arrow)
23 Bronco with boxed bracket
21 Bronco with open bracket
My second crack that I found after fixing first one
***edit*** got some great feedback from y’all. It appears that random 21Broncos have the open style prone to cracking. As of now there is no rhyme or reason which ones get it that I can tell! The 22’s and up all seem boxed. There is No date cutoff as some early Broncos have the box and some late 21’s do not. The cracks seem to start with rust forming in the welds which someone mentioned could be a sign of poor welds. As of right now there is no solution but the recommendation is to go to Ford if cracks form and report it. If you have the open design and no cracks, just watch it. I have not seen cracks on a stock Bronco but I have seen the rust showing
Sponsored
Last edited:
