Ruffstuff Specialties frame stiffener install (XJ)

[@ToddSalisbury]

Just awesome,badass guys!!!

[@jasonsilverberg8327]

Prep is definitely key. When I did mine the prep was the hardest part.

[@rollingiron3834]

Rigidability describes the potential of going over ridges I guess 😉

[@trailtrash9717]

😂😂 that’s a good way to describe it

[@danhambrick6331]

Nice job guys, looks good👍👍

[@trailtrash9717]

Thank you!

[@dropsvt5632]

Been waiting on this one

[@trailtrash9717]

It’s been a while in the making

[@yerwrng]

I never grind the entire rail surface to bare metal . I mark where I'm welding and clear the costing only from there . I do use steel it as a primer because it is a rust proofer , but a lot of weld through primers are porus primers which means they aren't going to prevent rust they are going to suck moisture right down under them between primer and surface .

[@trailtrash9717]

That’s good to know. The first set we did we only marked and cleaned the area it was getting welded, I just wanted to try something different on this one

[@praterbrothers4wd907]

I did mine in the middle of the summer time. So obviously I was wearing a cut off t shirt and shorts. Still have the scars.

[@trailtrash9717]

Haha osha approved shorts I assume??

[@hairsracing8013]

I recently bought the mid section kid and it comes with the 4 little pieces. I can’t figure out where they go

[@mikebaze1524]

Nicely done, what size wire did you use and welder settings?

[@trailtrash9717]

The wire size is .030” and the settings are kind all over. Some of the body is thicker so we could turn it up but the thin parts had to be lower

[@DanielCole]

I'll be starting this job in a few days. I'm going to start with the front first though. My frame horns where the steering box mounts is trashed. I'll have to repair that first and then add the stiffener. How does it handle on the road and trail nope that you've added this?

[@trailtrash9717]

It makes a huge difference in how it feels. Between the stiffeners and the steel bumper it doesn’t have nearly as much body flex. One mistake I made doing these is that I didn’t realize how much the body was flex having one tire off and the suspension unloaded so when we finished the first side the driver door didn’t want to close like it should

[@DanielCole]

@@trailtrash9717 so the moral of the story is to remove both front wheels even if doing only 1 dude at a time?

[@rsjohnson7436]

The set I got from RuffStuff fit the unibody frame rail contour but the slots cut for the cross member bolts weren't even close. I contacted them and they did NOTHING to remedy the situation and only suggested that I had the sides swapped (which would have been impossible). Never another word or any follow up from them. My IRO stiffeners fit perfectly. I'll never buy any RUFFSTUFF products again.

[@moejr14]

How did you mount your sliders

[@trailtrash9717]

Welded them straight to the stiffeners