steering box brace/ cracked frame

[STEVIERAYCJ]

cj7 frame here 83 yr. previous owner home built a hd psb brace from bottom of box clamped just above output shaft[standard]over to r side of frame & bolted it to old existing bracket for stock sway bar. hangs down off bottom of frame 2" & has 2 bolts thru bottom &one sleeved thru side of frame.1 yr. ago replaced stock psb w/ hd agr & installed a big daddys hd sb one piece mounting bracket. put old psb brace back on. after 2 yrs of rock crawlin & wheelin start hearing lots of creaks & cracks lately. where psb brace attaches to rr side has cracked frame & buckled the thin innerside frame wall. a little metal fab & welding will fix frame, but should i just lose the psb brace or raise it so mount on rr side is center of frame to prevent the leverage factor it had before? what say you guys any ideas thanks

 

[BlackSheep]

If You have to fix it anyway, you might as well make it as beefy as possible. If you have the room, moving it to the frame center might be best.

 

[Caver Dave]

If I'm reading this correctly, the RH side of the brace where it meets the frame, has caused the crack?

Are you sure the single bolt thru the frame is sleeved? If it is, I'm inclined to wonder about the other 2 bolts (thru crossmember?) moving...

I'd probably move the RH mount... centered on the frame (for the reason you mentioned) and sleeve any additional frame mounts.

OTOH, I'll admit I don't have a brace, but have everything here to build one. My frame isn't boxed in that position, so I'll beef/plate the rail at the attachment point and hope for the best

 

[upnover]

My 85 has a home built brace, Bolts to the bottom of the frame thru existing bolt holes, which are nuts welded on the inside. To beef it I would drill the side of the frame, sleeve a piece of tube thru it, weld it on one side(this would prevent the frame from caving in. On the brace mount a piece of angle with it bolted thru the bottom like I have now, and on the side with the new holes.