One of the most frequently exposed limits of the Cherokee is the section of the frame where the steering box bolts to. The repeated cycling of the steering system in off-road conditions imposes tremendous forces on this section of the frame that eventually lead to a work hardening and material fatigue of the frame.

The relatively thin metal in the Cherokee frame lends itself to poor stress distribution that results in high point loading forces around the bolt heads. The thin metal that is adjacent to these high point load forces will actually deflect, or move, as the steering box pushes and pulls against the frame. This movement causes not only the metal fatigue that occurs on the frame but can also tend to loosen and ultimately break the steering box bolts.

Once the material fatigue has set in, small cracks will begin to appear around the bolt heads and in the vicinity of the frame section that surrounds the steering box. By the time cracks have appeared, complete frame failure is imminent. Usually when this system fails it is a combination of both bolt and frame failure. This failure cannot only leave you stranded but if it occurs at the wrong time, it could result in a serious accident

The C-ROK Frame Repair Kit includes a system of both and Inside and Outside frame plates. The plates are constructed out of laser cut, 3/16" thick solid steel plate. The plate system incorporates the three bumper bolts, the steering box bolts, the sway bar mount bolts and the large oval tow hook frame hole. Included with the plates are three new Grade 8 7/16" steering box bolts and heavy washers, a new Grade 8 9/16" bolt, washers and Nylok nut and three through frame bolt spacer sleeves to help reinforce the frame section that the box bolts to.

Also available for those with a front bumper mounting system like C-ROK’s where the bumper mount also acts as an Outside frame plate you can order a C-ROK Inside Frame Plate kit separately. The Inside Plate is laser cut out of 3/16” plate steel with TIG welded solid steel box spacers, the C-ROK Inside Frame Plate does more than just replace the weak OEM cast aluminum spacer that fits between the steering box and the frame rail; it improves upon it. Following the same principal as the outside frame plate, the inside plate spreads forces from the box over a much larger area and incorporates the very strong large rear oval tow hook hole on the frame