Quote: the brackets didnt come out on anything from the factory assy line. they were a factory fixit for weak frames in the steering box area..
NEVER, even in the later years? My 91 RC has one and it looks factory to me as opposed to being added later. It is the less beefy version of the two shown in the pic. Found one today in an '88 RC 4X4 in the JY but it was cracked where it Y's out because the truck was wrecked. Took it anyway, it could be welded up if need be. JY owner gave it to me free after torching it out when we found the crack. As an aside, when I told him what it was he told me the story of a guy with a 79 long box that came in looking for a steering box for it, "too much play in the steering" as he said. When they opened the hood to check it it they found that the frame was cracked all the way through. The guy instead decided to leave it there. The JY owner drove it in the yard, and said that when he did the frame flexed so bad the tranny kept popping out of gear. He told me "you'd better take that(brace)with you."
He told me "you'd better take that(brace)with you." 
