Broken Frame - Rear Crossmember

[FJ62gator]

This is my first post and I'd like to say thank you to all of you who have posted such valuable information. I bought a '89 FJ62 about a year ago and have been daily driving it. I did some overdue maintenance on all of the gasket leaks and mechanical items. It runs great.

I knew it had some rust spots, but nothing major. Last week after a hunting trip I discovered that the rear cross member between the frame rails broke on both sides outside of the shock mounts in exactly the same place. I don't get it, there is no evidence of damage or rust in this area. This happened after replacing the shocks a few months ago. Could that be the cause?

What's next, replace the cross member? Anyone else experienced this?

I'll update my profile while I wait for enlightenment.

 

[FJ62gator]

Correction

The shock tube is the piece that broke and it looks like I can order a replacement from SOR.

 

[essar5]

This is a common problem, there are several posts that deal with this issue in a couple of ways. Some have sourced an OEM part and welded it back in place. Others have used various tubing. And some simply weld the old one back on with extra reinforcement.