Jeep Liberty Frame Issue

[Dave Atherton]

Steve looking at pictures of face plate and cannot agree more with the welding shops thoughts.
Today's tow vehicles are made different from years ago. Thin metal running gear and unit box
welding. High tensil steel very thin really leaves nothing to get a strong weld. Your type of repair
leaves few options and would suggest fab with T-1 metal plate .250 and rebuild from from inside of the frame tube and sandwich metal plate to the out side of frame, going back along motor to motor
mount. Just a suggestion to think about. At Quartzsite I have repaired many toad hitch face plates
with our snowbird coming in for winter. Would be happy to assist you with your problem if you
choose to repair unit. ( I have a very complete welding / machine shop setup at Quartzsite )
Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dave,
Thx for the info and offer. Will decide on next steps after adjuster looks at it today. Spoke with him yesterday and he noted that frame repair on airbag equipped vehicles  is interesting since air bag deployment timing is dependent on the crumple rate of the front end. If, after repair the frame is too strong, deployment is delayed and too weak deployment is too early.
So, we'll see after he looks at it.
Steve

[Dave Atherton]

That is very true with toads behind motor homes and a very good point for all people thinking
About pulling with wheels down. Company's building and selling base plates I do not think under
stand just removing bolts and add on there product, all that is ahead. Your pictures really point
out a real problem that has caught everyone attention. With the air bag safety a feature as selling
vehicle, now pulling a vehicle wheels down with a add on base plate also presents just if not
more a safety problem having a toad come loose at 60 mph in traffic. That is where repair comes
in to play ( keeping toad connected to motorhome and beef up connection point, yes a welding
shop can fab something. By doing so will shut down the air bag safety feature.) Again this is a
problem insurance company will have to pay out or have base plate mfg. build to there standards.
Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic.

[Joel Ashley]

I've not been following this thread because its title referred to Jeeps and I didn't figure it would be relevant to me, not ever having owned one.  But this a.m. curiosity got me and I checked it out.   It is relevant to me after-all, at least as a fellow highway user.

I too have always figured a Jeep would have a stout frame given its reputation for off-roading.  A couple of relatives had Liberty's at one time or another, and they did seem a bit less attuned to much 4X4 activity as compared to a Wrangler, but then so does my Explorer Limited.   I've noted my Roadmaster brackets, however, are fastened to some pretty thick frame members under the Explorer, at least compared to what's in your photos.

I would think that beyond alerting others here about the issue, Chrysler/Jeep should be sent the information and pix, and perhaps the NTHB.  If Jeep is going to continue touting its vehicles as tough and tow-able 4-down, perhaps they need to consider a design change.  Admittedly yours is an older model, but I'm not sure any manufacturer is building new ones with any thicker and less brittle steel these days.

Joel

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Joel,
Good idea re Chrysler/Fiat.
Got some good news today from ins co. Adjuster is from body shop industry and appears very knowledgeable re frame issues. He verified that the Roadmaster "baseplates" could be safely attached to the car as is. They have multiple mounting points on each side, none of which are near the tear out areas of the frame. This will get me back to SUNNY AZ where I can get the rest of the work completed.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

That's great news, Steve.  Keep us clued in on any further developments.

Joel

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Update;
Picked up Jeep from Specialty Iron Works in Great Falls on the 12th. The Roadmaster "baseplate" attachment looked very secure. No problems towing it back to AZ. Found a bumper in FL (in right color!) and will pick up tomorrow. The Roadmaster "baseplate' provided support for the frame but I decided to have the torn crossmember repaired anyway. (Would have had a hard time sleeping it I ever sold the Liberty). Removed baseplate today to enable frame repair. It was tied into the Jeep frame structure in 7 different locations, vs the Blue Ox that had 4 bolts in 2 locations.
On the home stretch...
Steve

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Question and update;
Does anyone have a 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty with a Roadmaster 1422-1 tow bracket installed? If so, any info on the amount of bumper fascia trimming would be appreciated. I'm ready to mount the bumper and it looks like a bit of trimming will be required but I sure would like to see what a completed unit looks like before I begin "hacking" away at the bumper....

 As noted earlier, the Roadmaster bracket has a much more robust mounting approach IMHO. While the Blue Ox utilized 4 bolts in 2 locations at the junction of the frame rails and front cross-member, the Roadmaster has 10 bolts (4 of which are existing sub-frame and cross-member bolts) that tie into the front end at 7 different locations. It looks to me like Blue Ox could have easily run braces back to the existing sub-frame bolts, increasing the strength at minimal cost.
Thx! Steve