Crack in Rear Sway Bar end link mount

[squarefoot]

I just had some new suspension work done and my mechanic pointed out that the welded brackets that hold the rear sway bar end links have small crack in both of them. Anyone else have this issue?

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[krweatherl]

there must be an issue, here’s a bracket designed to fix it.
https://metalcloak.com/jt-gladiator-rear-sway-bar-reinforcement-bracket.html

 

[squarefoot]

there must be an issue, here’s a bracket designed to fix it.
https://metalcloak.com/jt-gladiator-rear-sway-bar-reinforcement-bracket.html

Thanks!!! I guess I'm not the only one.

 

[kevman65]

Thanks!!! I guess I'm not the only one.

No, it actually goes back to the JL's. You can use the Metal Cloak fix, or you can have X-Heavy washers welded on.

 

[Jteakus]

I bought the MC brackets, they are nice.

 

[Jteakus]

They are running a flash sale today too

 

[WILDHOBO]

I just had some new suspension work done and my mechanic pointed out that the welded brackets that hold the rear sway bar end links have small crack in both of them. Anyone else have this issue?

I’m 95% sure the split is normal from the factory, but they are still a super weak point. Metal cloak is the proactive and/or reactive solution. I put mine on before anything failed. I banged the hell out of mine and sat the sway bar down on rubicon trail boulders repeatedly this week. They held without a single issue.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The bottom "split" is factory. It is a perfect straight line straight down from the hole, both brackets.
Any other crack - not factory.

 

[Rusty PW]

The bottom "split" is factory. It is a perfect straight line straight down from the hole, both brackets.
Any other crack - not factory.

It's caused from the hole punching process.

 

[squarefoot]

It's caused from the hole punching process.

Well I guess that makes me feel better that it is designed that way, versus it failing from use. But still seems kind of a strange way to do it. Maybe the forces on that connection are not that great, or just poor design.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's caused from the hole punching process.

It's a totally straight cut line, not stress.
If it's from punching holes, anything of that gauge with a hole would have that split.
It's a cut, not a split. My 2022 doesn't appear to have such a cut.

 

[WILDHOBO]

It's a totally straight cut line, not stress.
If it's from punching holes, anything of that gauge with a hole would have that split.
It's a cut, not a split. My 2022 doesn't appear to have such a cut.

Either way, cut or no cut, it’s a weak point. The metal cloak brackets make it super strong and are cheap.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Either way, cut or no cut, it’s a weak point. The metal cloak brackets make it super strong and are cheap.

They are relying on a weld nut in a hole in a bracket that has very little substance to it.
The stress or pull and push isn't straight up and down, there's some angular force to it since there's no bracket on the other side to keep the bolt totally straight or horizontal.
If that link went between two steel brackets, and a bolt clamped the bushing between two brackets, it would not break.
But since the bushing can give, the bolt is being pulled and pushed at angles, trying to twist that weld nut out of the hole.
It's truly a weak design just because of the forces being applied to the weld nut in a single hole - they are angular, trying to tip the bolt up and down. Not a sheer force, but a bending sort of force.

 

[WILDHOBO]

They are relying on a weld nut in a hole in a bracket that has very little substance to it.
The stress or pull and push isn't straight up and down, there's some angular force to it since there's no bracket on the other side to keep the bolt totally straight or horizontal.
If that link went between two steel brackets, and a bolt clamped the bushing between two brackets, it would not break.
But since the bushing can give, the bolt is being pulled and pushed at angles, trying to twist that weld nut out of the hole.
It's truly a weak design just because of the forces being applied to the weld nut in a single hole - they are angular, trying to tip the bolt up and down. Not a sheer force, but a bending sort of force.

I wish it was a weld but. It’s a press nut on my 21. Super weak.

 

[Jefe1018]

+1 on the metal cloak as cheap insurance or fix.

I have them on my rig.

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