What is this part for?

[briphi]

Looking under my girlfriends Jeep, a 23 Rubicon 2D 3.6, she has this metal bracket hanging down off her frame on the passenger side only, behind the front tire. It hangs pretty low… is it removable? What is its purpose? My 20 Rubicon 2D 2.0 doesn’t have it…

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[TrailScooter]

Looks like your spectrimiscopic range reflector minierizer unit is missing.

 

[C.Sco]

It's to reduce the chances of a rollover in Jeep's frontal offset collision tests. They added it sometime around 2021 or so.

Many of us removed ours. If you change your tire size, lift, or wheel offset then there's a good chance this stupid bracket would be doing more harm than good in a collision. But besides that, it just looks dumb and can get caught on rocks.

If you decide to remove it, it requires cutting the bolts with a saw because they put them in at the factory before putting the body on the frame; after the body is on, the bolts won't back out all the way anymore unless you cut them. Once you get the bolt-on part off, there's still a smaller bracket welded onto the frame, you could cut it off with an angle grinder or just leave it, as I did.

 

[briphi]

It's to reduce the chances of a rollover in Jeep's frontal offset collision tests. They added it sometime around 2021 or so.

Many of us removed ours. If you change your tire size, lift, or wheel offset then there's a good chance this stupid bracket would be doing more harm than good in a collision. But besides that, it looks dumb and can scrape on rocks.

If you decide to, it requires cutting the bolts with a saw because they put them in at the factory before putting the body on the frame; after the body is on, the bolts won't back out all the way anymore unless you cut them. Once you get the bolt-on part off, there's still a smaller bracket welded onto the frame, you could cut it off with an angle grinder or just leave it, as I did.

Thanks for the info! I’ll likely remove it. Nothings ever easy though, is it?

 

[C.Sco]

Thanks for the info! I’ll likely remove it. Nothings ever easy though, is it?

What I did was back the bolt out as far as it would go before hitting the Jeep's body, then cut off the bolt head with a multitool with a metal-cutting blade, making sure to leave enough bolt shank sticking out to still be able to grab it with a pair of vice grips, and then turn the rest of the bolt out by hand with the vice grips. I may have needed to cut it again at some point before it was finally short enough to get it all the way out, I can't remember.

 

[Heimkehr]

What is its purpose?

To hopefully prevent this outcome.

Yes, the bracket is on the pax-side only, and the video illustrates an offset collision on the driver's side. We can't speak to Corporate's thinking on the matter.

 

[21JLURDG]

I believe that corner of the body gets cut-off when installing high clearance fenders such as Motobilt's. Just saying that facilitating the bracket removal is the perfect excuse to install those new fender liners and flares....

 

[Vatdevil]

That bracket protects the passenger from wheel intrusion into floor area. Broken ankles, feet, legs….that stuff. RAM trucks have similar brackets on both sides for same reason. Not good idea to remove unless you don’t like your passenger.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a ‘22 JL build start December ‘21 and don’t have that bracket. I guess I don’t like my passengers.

 

[KHR Racing]

Do not mess with this!!!!!!!!! It is NO Different than taking the tag off your mattress. It will definitely void your warranty.

 

[aeonixx1001]

Do not mess with this!!!!!!!!! It is NO Different than taking the tag off your mattress. It will definitely void your warranty.

You took the tag off your mattress? OMG..

 

[jadmt]

....it is because of the weak breakaway passenger side axle tube

 

[Skeethree]

Looks like your spectrimiscopic range reflector minierizer unit is missing.

I hate it when that thing falls off....

 

[KHR Racing]

It is a “”Leveright”” built by the Leveright Corporation for Jeep. Do not mess with it.

 

[Upnarms]

I think the threads on this are becoming as common as death wobble threads. Maybe we can start a rumor its a DW anti-correction bracket.

At least it protects the blinker fluid reservoir. In the past, the finnegan pin would puncture that in a collision, causing the blinker fluid to get all over the place. That's practically a hazmat situation.

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