Can I remove my rear coil spring upper mount?

[71swb4x4]

I am getting ready to put my rear bags in. I am using Slam Specialties RS-72's. The upper bolt holes are 2 3/4" apart, which means that the inner hole will be off the frame sitting in the little cup part of the upper bracket. This is going to make it nearly impossible for me to put that bolt in, since the body is still on. What I want to do is remove this piece, and install a plate that would basically make the frame a little wider right here, giving me extra material to mount the bag to, while making it easier to install the bag. At least 90% of the bag will still be resting on the main part of the frame. I feel very comfortable using this as a solution but I wanted some outside input too.
What do you think?

[smbrouss70]

I'm thinking that if you remove that bracket coming off of the crossmember, you might have some issues with the lower portion of the frame rail wanting to "roll" inward once you have the weight of your Jimmy back on it. If you think about it all of the weight that the rear bags will be supporting will be resting in these exact spots. If you remove it you really "should" box in that area of the frame, which would make it completely impossible to put the bolts in that hold the top of the bag in place.

My best solution for you would be to rotate the bag to where the two bolt holes would be forward and aft of the center hole (the original hole for the coil spring bolt). This in turn would make it a little easier to put the bolts in because you wouldn't have to reach "inside" of the bracket as far, and the bolts would be going through the actual frame also.

[smbrouss70]

Nevermind, I just looked online at a pic of the top of your bag, and my "solution" would make it a pain in the a@@ to get the airline fitting in because it would be pushed to the outside of the frame or inside of that bracket.

According to MrShelley's Illustrated Air Bag Installation Guide you should be able to drill the holes inside and out of the original hole, unless the Slam bags have a different bolt configuration than the Airlift bags he used.