My XJ with the wavy roof was bought like that, I have no idea how it happened, I know it was wheeled hard. Doesn't look like any gear was ever up there, but who knows. The doors seem to open easily when flexed, so it's not too bad overall. I just want my newer one done right and hopefully last for many years on the rare occasion I actually keep it and don't get bored with it!!

Anyone have experience with the Ironrock stiffeners? I particularly like the rears as they wrap around under the frame.

http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/12538.html

 

after using both the ruffstuff and the HDO stiffeners, I'm a big advocate of the full HDO kit. 10ga is more than enough for beating on the rocks. I'm also a big advocate of the many rosette holes in the HDO kit. I think attaching the stiffeners to your frame in many places to unify them into 1 strong frame is more effective than welding on a thicker material with less attachment. They attach better, the are easier to weld, and they fit better.


Honestly I'd never buy the ruffstuff again. 3/16 is overkill for the average build and it's not fun to work with, especially when you have to bend a big portion of it by yourself

 

Good info right there, thank you.

I think that is what I was questioning the most. At first, I thought thicker was better, but considering the unibody is so thin, it almost seems better to have the stiffener a little thinner to make it a little easier to weld.

I'm still considering which ones to get, hope to decide soon and get them ordered. I guess anything is better than nothing, so probably can't go wrong either way. Just sounds like the 10ga options will be a little easier to install overall.

 

One more option to consider...

https://www.hooliganoffroad.com/coll...iffener-system

I saw these installed, in person, over the weekend. They are the only kit I've seen that wraps around front to back. If I ever have to do this again on another rig, I'd definitely give these a shot.

 

I saw those and figured they'd be overkill for my rig, very nice though.

I decided on the HD Offroad set, figured it's a good compromise for a less extreme rig. It should stiffen it up enough for not so extreme crawling and should be a little easier to install than the 3/16" options.

Now I need to get my 220v run in the garage so I can get serious about the build!

 

There's no denying that Hooligan makes top notch stuff. I went with HO personally.

 

Here's my .02 cents. I WISH I would have added frame stiffeners a long time ago. If you don't off-road very often or very "hard" then you should be OK. However, on my last couple of trips to the rocks, all my Doors went out of alignment. I wish I could go back in time, but I will be stiffening my MJ before it gets built.

 

I'll further reinforce (see what I did there?) the need for stiffeners. I wish I did them sooner. My drivers door paid the price and doesn't line up like it should anymore. I went with the HD mids and love them. They were easy to weld too. I didn't bother stitch welding them I just plug welded, they put a lot of holes in them for a reason.

 

can't emphasize this enough, the HDO kit is so nice to work with.


Hooligan kit looks bad a** as long as it fits absolutely perfect. Amazing work by them, especially if the kit comes pre bent. I'd use that kit if I ever built a 1 ton rig again (which I'd never do again)

 

I do like the Hooligan kit but 3/16 has got to be tough to weld to the unibody, even rosette welding.

 

Agreed, I've done the HDO fronts/mids, waiting to tear down the rear suspension to do the rears. Everything has fit very well and they are easy to form into place. No complaints here.

I ordered a set of HDO's shackle relocation brackets as well, they haven't arrived yet but I suspect the quality to be great as well. Good company to deal with.

 

Ugh been choosing between those or Liquid Iron sliders....

 

I'm going sliders. But it'll be a while before I order with other bills and such. Adulting lol

 

.

 

I just installed the HDO shackle relocation kit and I highly recommend it. I put them on my other XJ that was built when I bought it, the shackles were nearly vertical and the rear rode stiff. After installation the ride was much improved and rear droop was improved a bit as well, I even had to extend the vent hose for the axle.

Only problems I had was with the first kit, I had to drill out the holes, the bolts wouldn't quite go through as there was a burr on each hole. The second kit had to be clearanced for the bumper mounting weldnuts, not too big of deal, just added time to each install.

Well made kits overall, I recommend pulling the fuel hoses off and replacing them, makes cutting the drivers side a little easier and they probably need replacing anyways, just be ready to spend about $70 for the pair!!

I'll probably start a build thread soon, hopefully I'll be able to get some good pics and details on the frame stiffener install.