1...I got drop brackets, I am adding center frame stiffeners. The drop brackets are braced by a brace that bolts to the drop bracket, and the brace is bolted to the frame using the tranfer case cross member bolts.

Is it advisable to continue using bolts to secure the brace, or is welding the brace to the frame, and/or the drop bracket advised?

2...also, for my 1990 XJ, I see inside my frame box section that the inside is very nice, zero rust, and a silvery grey finish, much like a zinc weld thru paint color, or galvanizing. Is this factory coating a weld thru type zinc coating on my frame, underside of jeep? What was the jeep factory primer process?
Judging by the uniformity of the coating I see inside the frame, I suspect the coating might have been applied before the frame was attached to the floor pan.

If this is a weld thru type zinc coating, well then, I want to preserve it as much as possible rather than grind it off.

Thanks!

 

I get rid of all the coating I possibly can before welding. Seems some areas are galvanized and some aren't.

No issues with rust in my area

I haven't done drop brackets but pictures I've seen the appear plenty strong. I don't think I'd weld them incase you want to remove later down the road for long arms.

 

took factory finish to bare metal, then used weld thru primer between the metal parts, removed excess primer so as to minimize welding thru excess. worked nice!

 

Rob, three separate threads on the same thing? Really?

 

The subjects of them differ, One is an old thread with question that were important back then, I followed up with my results on that today. Today I introduced a new thread for questions for what is to be done next. I like to segregate the subjects to help minimize the length of a given thread, and to avoid having to wade thru posts looking for those that address the subject sought. Anyway that is my logic.
As for the double post of this onto the stock forum, well that was a mistake, and I dont know how to delete it, so I simply copied it to the modified forum

Sorry my posts have caused upset.

Carry on jeep'n.

 

I used CAD brackets on my MJ and on my XJ. What myself, and a few others, have done is instead of relying solely on the self tapping bolts to hold the brace on, we drilled the subframe out, ran actual bolts through, lifted the carpet on the inside (you will see a rubber plug in the floor) and added a washer and locknut. My MJ had Rocky Road Outfitters CAD and my XJ has RC CAD. I'm not a rock crawler, so you can take the "It dragged on the rocks!" comments out of the picture

 

I have CADs on my 90 XJ. I welded the brackets. If you are going to remove the CADs for long arms, then you have to cut the stock brackets off anyways. Initially I bolted them and those self tappers worked themselves loose.