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31's rubbing on LCA

9

99xjvt

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Vermont
Hey Gang,

Im new to jeeps, I got a 99 xj, long time lurker in the forums to find what I need to know.

Heres to current problem, I got 2 if not 2 1/4 inches of lift up front and almost 3 in the back and my 31's are rubbing on the lca's. not bad just at full lock. Now my lift upfront consists of a 2 in coil spacer and a 1/4 in isolator bushing. The tires are Goodyear wrangler rt's. These are on jeep canyon wheels. Any help would be great.

Thanks

josh
 
99xjvt said:
Hey Gang,

Im new to jeeps, I got a 99 xj, long time lurker in the forums to find what I need to know.

Heres to current problem, I got 2 if not 2 1/4 inches of lift up front and almost 3 in the back and my 31's are rubbing on the lca's. not bad just at full lock. Now my lift upfront consists of a 2 in coil spacer and a 1/4 in isolator bushing. The tires are Goodyear wrangler rt's.
These are on jeep canyon wheels.<---------------PROBLEM IN BOLD
Any help would be great.

Thanks

josh
Click to expand...
 
The backspacing of your wheels are the issue. Even with the correct stock Cherokee wheels you need to backspace 1 inch on the wheel, for every 1 inch of lift on the vehicle

Example: 3 inch lift kit = 1.5 inch backspacer on each wheel. (1.5 x 2 = 3 inches )

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/d...apwcid=P1135867996W43b3f85c7ab9e&apwidyVrRPQ2

So if your Jeep Canyon Wheels need even more backspacing than the stock wheels, then that explains the total lockup on the lower control arms.
 
Last edited:
Non-StopXJ said:
The backspacing of your wheels are the issue. Even with the correct stock Cherokee wheels you need to backspace 1 inch on the wheel, for every 1 inch of lift on the vehicle

Example: 3 inch lift kit = 1.5 inch backspacer on each wheel. (1.5 x 2 = 3 inches )

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/d...apwcid=P1135867996W43b3f85c7ab9e&apwidyVrRPQ2

So if your Jeep Canyon Wheels need even more backspacing than the stock wheels, then that explains the total lockup on the lower control arms.
Click to expand...

I never heard of that, what if you are running 31 x 9.50's? Then it doesn't exactly mean the same. I would only think it has to do with tire width first and foremost.
 
Tire width is part of the issue, tire diameter is the other part. My 31x10.50's rubbed the LCA with 3" lift. I put a washer on the steering stop nut to keep them from rubbing. Then has to put another washer in when I went to 33x10.50's. Then got new wheels with different back spacing, removed both washers...all good now.
 
MrShaft696 said:
I never heard of that, what if you are running 31 x 9.50's? Then it doesn't exactly mean the same. I would only think it has to do with tire width first and foremost.
Click to expand...

This is what I am trying to say I guess... Maybe this article in 4wheeler.com will explain it better than I can.

From the factory, your rig was fitted with wheels carefully designed by engineers to allow for adequate clearance between the wheel and tire and items like tie-rod ends, brake calipers, fenderwells, the frame, and other exposed components. If you try to fit a different wheel-and-tire combination, you may find that contact may occur between these items and the wheel and/or tire during standard steering maneuvers or suspension articulation. The way to avoid this is to make sure you have wheels with the proper offset and backspacing for the tire you'd like to run on your truck.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/wheels/129_0602_wheel_backspacing_etiquette/index.html

Both tire size, and wheel offset will alter the measurements on clearance issues.
 
Last edited:
Or you could get a set of WJ lower CA's. From what I heard they're a big improvement in ride too.

And FWIW, I too rubbed the CA's at full lock with 4" and 31x10.50's on stock wheels.
 
30X9.5 on OEM stock wheels rubbed on the LCA at full lock. I had 2.5" of lift at that time. I do not know the wheel back space that you have now, acording to others that could be partially responsible but not totally. The prudent thing to do when using wider tires is to also use wheels with less back spacing or do what I do,...use wheel spacers. Wheel spacers are dirty words on NAXJA as indicated by many forum users.
 
Wheel spacers aren't dirty words, no, not at all.

But, when you go looking for longer studs to get the lug nuts on more than a thread and a half, and no parts counterman in town will guarantee you won't break them off, or even sell you 1" spacers, THEN you might have dirty words.

I work at an auto parts supplier, run all the spacers you want. The concept simply Does Not Work, it's not even ghetto fab. Lug stud length is ALSO calculated by the factory engineers to be just long enough, go jacking with spacers, short lug nuts, and a much bigger tire, you leverage the force on them and snap, crackle, pop, you're handed your rim and tire back by the tow truck operator. MORE dirty words.

It's not only Jeep - it's ANYTHING with wheels on it. And yes, I do know, I'm running 245-16's on Liberty rims, and these Coopers just rub the lugs on the LCA's. Liberty rims have another 1/2" offset - the wrong way - and moving up to 245's increased the diameter two inches, enough to finally touch on lock.

1) adjust the front stops and fix it
2) get Grand LCA's and enjoy another 1 1/2" clearance after the mod. The kink in the LCA was the factory fix for the Grand's problems with it.
3) buy rims with the proper offset, not some backyard takeoffs with a price too good to be true you just gotta run.

Or, suffer the consequences. You want really longer lugs, you will drill out the hubs to get them in, and you will likely increase bearing stress and suffer failure much sooner. Old school guys did learn something running those chrome reverse rims back in the '70s, everything has a tradeoff, be aware of what you will give up.
 
WJ Lowers are what I got on my XJ with approx 3" lift. I also have 31x10.50s and no rub. Much beefier than stock CA. Cheaper than aftermarket lowers that MAY still have the issue.
 
I put some good 1.5 spacers on my 96 because I wanted to keep the tight turning radius. 3" lift 31x10.5. No problems. I like it better than limiting the short turns.
 
I put two lock washers under each of the steering stop bolts.

Problem solved.
 
The 2000 XJ front hubs have longer wheel studs than the older XJ's. I use a set of those to fit the 1.5" wheel spacers I have and love it. Before that I tried the 'washer behind the steering stop' but did not like it. I could no longer make a turn in one go at some places I frequented.

There are plenty of talk about moving the wheel further out will cause pre-mature failure of the wheel bearings. While that may be true, it is something I am willing to live with. It is a small price to pay for something I enjoy. Bear in mind that wether you use wheel spacers or wheels with more back spacing, the results are the same. You move the wheel center and thus the load to a different area on the wheel bearings.

To the OP, the WJ LCA's is the way to go.
 
I grabbed some LCA from Rusty's. They are designed for my 3 in lift using my stock 15" ECCO wheels and 31" tires. They have the same bend in them the WJ arms do but are made for an XJ--no grinding bushings, etc... Go to Rusy's site and type in "rc-cac1" in the search box.
 
Last edited:
99xjvt said:
Hey Gang,

Im new to jeeps, I got a 99 xj, long time lurker in the forums to find what I need to know.

Heres to current problem, I got 2 if not 2 1/4 inches of lift up front and almost 3 in the back and my 31's are rubbing on the lca's. not bad just at full lock. Now my lift upfront consists of a 2 in coil spacer and a 1/4 in isolator bushing. The tires are Goodyear wrangler rt's. These are on jeep canyon wheels. Any help would be great.

Thanks

josh
Click to expand...

Point blank your problem, as long as the correction has been made to the track bar to keep the axle center, is backspacing of your wheels. I kept my stock wheels with my 31X10.50 mud terrains and my 3" lift and they rubbed on the LCAs very badly at full lock. But once I changed out to a wheel with 3.75" backspacing I no longer had any rubbing issues until I went up to 33x12.50 tire and even still I cannot feel the rubbing that these tires cause but I can see where they touch the LCAs just enough to rub some of the paint off.

To solve your problem get yourself some cheap steel wheels with the appropriate backspacing.
 
Non-StopXJ said:
The backspacing of your wheels are the issue. Even with the correct stock Cherokee wheels you need to backspace 1 inch on the wheel, for every 1 inch of lift on the vehicle

Example: 3 inch lift kit = 1.5 inch backspacer on each wheel. (1.5 x 2 = 3 inches )

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/d...apwcid=P1135867996W43b3f85c7ab9e&apwidyVrRPQ2

So if your Jeep Canyon Wheels need even more backspacing than the stock wheels, then that explains the total lockup on the lower control arms.
Click to expand...

Whoever told you that backspacing thing couldn't be more wrong.

99xjvt, you'll either want to run wheelspacers, adjust the steering stops or upgrade to wheels with a little more backspacing. I run cragar soft 8's in 15x7 with 4" of backspacing. Stock wheels are 5.25" backspacing.
 
TiRod said:
Wheel spacers aren't dirty words, no, not at all.

But, when you go looking for longer studs to get the lug nuts on more than a thread and a half, and no parts counterman in town will guarantee you won't break them off, or even sell you 1" spacers, THEN you might have dirty words.

I work at an auto parts supplier, run all the spacers you want. The concept simply Does Not Work, it's not even ghetto fab. Lug stud length is ALSO calculated by the factory engineers to be just long enough, go jacking with spacers, short lug nuts, and a much bigger tire, you leverage the force on them and snap, crackle, pop, you're handed your rim and tire back by the tow truck operator. MORE dirty words.

It's not only Jeep - it's ANYTHING with wheels on it. And yes, I do know, I'm running 245-16's on Liberty rims, and these Coopers just rub the lugs on the LCA's. Liberty rims have another 1/2" offset - the wrong way - and moving up to 245's increased the diameter two inches, enough to finally touch on lock.

1) adjust the front stops and fix it
2) get Grand LCA's and enjoy another 1 1/2" clearance after the mod. The kink in the LCA was the factory fix for the Grand's problems with it.
3) buy rims with the proper offset, not some backyard takeoffs with a price too good to be true you just gotta run.

Or, suffer the consequences. You want really longer lugs, you will drill out the hubs to get them in, and you will likely increase bearing stress and suffer failure much sooner. Old school guys did learn something running those chrome reverse rims back in the '70s, everything has a tradeoff, be aware of what you will give up.
Click to expand...
Apparently you aren't aware of anything but crap spacers...I ran Rough Country spacers for a year or so, they bolt to the stock lugs and have a second set of lugs to bolt the wheels to. Proper lug length is maintained.
 
Ben824 said:
Point blank your problem, as long as the correction has been made to the track bar to keep the axle center, is backspacing of your wheels. I kept my stock wheels with my 31X10.50 mud terrains and my 3" lift and they rubbed on the LCAs very badly at full lock. But once I changed out to a wheel with 3.75" backspacing I no longer had any rubbing issues until I went up to 33x12.50 tire and even still I cannot feel the rubbing that these tires cause but I can see where they touch the LCAs just enough to rub some of the paint off.

To solve your problem get yourself some cheap steel wheels with the appropriate backspacing.
Click to expand...


Did you hit on the factory fenders when you flexed up.:rof:I am getting ready to order wheel and tire combo and was just feeling out what worked and what did not. I would like to go with 33-32 and 10.50-11.50, but I really did not want to cut on the body just yet.:explosion I figured I would go with a BS of 4" since factory they are 5.25". I don't want to hang the tire out and burn out bearings.
 
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