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Control Arms

ert01

ert01

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
I'm running 4.5" of lift and the control arms I'm using were from a 3" kit (not adjustable) and I'm looking to smooth up the ride a bit more.

I've seen the RE drop brackets and I like the idea, but you lose a lot of clearance and they're pretty costly for what they are.

I could maybe do a longarm, but this thing's my daily driver in the winter and I can't afford to have it out of commission for more then a weekend, so if things go wrong at all and I'm not done in time... well, things would be bad. I'll probably do a longarm next summer when I can take my streetbike to work.

Anyone have an opinion on the arms that are bent (like the rusty's ones). Do you install those with the bend kicking down at the axle end to make them more horizontal at the frame side, or the other way around?

Anyways, suggestions are welcome.
 
The RE drop brackets are worth every dime. They will take your jeep from riding rough to riding like a caddy.

The clearance isn't as much of an issue as you might think. I've never hung up on mine, and only hit them 2-3 times that I can account for.
 
cal said:
The RE drop brackets are worth every dime. They will take your jeep from riding rough to riding like a caddy.

The clearance isn't as much of an issue as you might think. I've never hung up on mine, and only hit them 2-3 times that I can account for.
Click to expand...

X2 - but like Jimbo said, get teh braces with the brackets. Make sure everything it lined up BEFORE you tighten anything.

If you have the $$$, you could upgrade to adjustable UCA's and LCA's and tune the angles more.
 
Yeah, but if I upgraded to adjustable LCA's and UCA's and bought the brackets with the braces, I may as well just build a longarm setup for around the same price...

Anyone know of a place that ships to canada that has good prices on the brackets and braces?
 
You shouldn't need to do adjustables, unless you find your caster/pinion angle is way off - then you can get away with just adjustable uppers or lowers, both not required. I was good with fixed at both ends, and then went to adjustable uppers later, because I got a good deal on them.

Call Dan Turner at loose nuts enterprises, he offers good deals on RE stuff.

http://www.loose-nuts-enterprises.com/
 
cal said:
You shouldn't need to do adjustables, unless you find your caster/pinion angle is way off - then you can get away with just adjustable uppers or lowers, both not required. ...
Click to expand...
Ditto that. I still have the RE fixed LCAs on mine with 6.5" lift and the drop brackets. I only upgraded my uppers to adj. only because they come with the SuperFlex joint and I have them set as short as possible which is the same length as fixed.

As far as the drop brackets go, they can take a beating, and they don't give up more clearance than many of the long-arm setups do. I've been planning on upgrading to long-arms (probably T&T) but I've been waiting for my drop brackets to wear out. The rate its going, the LCAs will need to be replaced before the brackets, so that is the point when I'll probably do the switch. But honestly, I am quite happy with the on-road ride, as well as off-road performance with the drop brackets. :thumbup:
 
ert01 said:
Anyone have an opinion on the arms that are bent (like the rusty's ones). Do you install those with the bend kicking down at the axle end to make them more horizontal at the frame side, or the other way around?
Click to expand...
The bend is to reduce interference with the shock mount on the axle. Even though its bent it won't give you any better on-road ride because the angle between the mounting points are still the same.
 
Has anyone made a set of brackets? The concept doesn't seem too hard.

I ask only because I called a local distributor today and they want $419 for the kit and another $135 for the brackets... which is absolutely ridiculous.
 
I made my own--they were time consuming to build, but a lot stronger than RE's.
 
I've been seriously considering this upgrade, cause I have to drive my xj from arizona to maryland (2300 mi) within the next month or two.. and it rides like garbage now, also the front end starts to shimmy at 45 mph. I have a 4.5" rusty's kit on there now with fixed lowers that have a bend in them. If i put the drop brackets on, would i have to put my stock lowers back on, or are the bent lowers ok?
 
12GAXJ said:
They'd work.
Click to expand...

And the lenth is ok also? eye to eye they are the same length as the stock pieces. from what i gather on yuccaman's site, at 4.5" it seems i should be ok with the stock lenth lca's.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AZ XJ said:
And the lenth is ok also? eye to eye they are the same length as the stock pieces. from what i gather on yuccaman's site, at 4.5" it seems i should be ok with the stock lenth lca's.
Click to expand...

Yea, there are a few that run stock ones with DB's. ECKSJAY ran stocks ones, and now I believe he has the Rustys fixed lowers. Stock uppers will work as well.
 
I just put the RE drop brackets on with about 4.5" of lift, and it definitely rides nice. Most of the roads I'm on are smooth, but the brackets still were noticeably better. I also considered long arms, but there aren't any available that fit my requirements, and I didn't feel like building my own at this time.

If you're asking if short arms with a bend in them will improve the ride, the answer is no. The bend does nothing to correct the geometry that causes the bad ride.
 
garyk said:
I just put the RE drop brackets on with about 4.5" of lift, and it definitely rides nice. Most of the roads I'm on are smooth, but the brackets still were noticeably better. I also considered long arms, but there aren't any available that fit my requirements, and I didn't feel like building my own at this time.

If you're asking if short arms with a bend in them will improve the ride, the answer is no. The bend does nothing to correct the geometry that causes the bad ride.
Click to expand...

No, im aware that the bend does nothing to correct geometry, i believe it's just there so that the arm will clear the shock mount on the axle. while im after a smoother ride, what im looking to fix more than anything is the mild dw that i have at 45+ mph.. i just put on a tnt trac bar system and it didn't really solve anything. im led to believe that the axle geometry is incorrect, and that is what im looking to fix with the drop brackets until im ready to go long arm.
 
If it's lifted with stock arms and stock mount points for the stock arms, then yes the geometery is screwed up. I have yet to experience this "death wobble" everyone talks about, but my lift went from 2" OME to 5.5" RE with drop brackets, so I guess I'm safe. :)
 
AZ XJ said:
I've been seriously considering this upgrade, cause I have to drive my xj from arizona to maryland (2300 mi) within the next month or two.. and it rides like garbage now, also the front end starts to shimmy at 45 mph. I have a 4.5" rusty's kit on there now with fixed lowers that have a bend in them. If i put the drop brackets on, would i have to put my stock lowers back on, or are the bent lowers ok?
Click to expand...
Just be aware that the RE drop brackets lower the mounting points 4". If you have a 4.5" lift then my advanced mathematical skill :) tells me your control arms will be 1/2" higher than they were stock. I'm not sure, but that might be odd using a control arm with the bend in it. Would probably still work as long as the eye to eye distance of the arm is the same (or close to) as the stock length. For wheeling it would be bad if the bend hangs lower than the bottom of the drop bracket. You might want to have a set of stock LCAs on hand just in case the bent LCAs don't work.
 
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