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How much lift needs new control arms?

Tim_MN

Freakish Hand Strength
NAXJA Member
Location
Minneapolis, MN
At what point in lifting the XJ are new control arms (1) required, or (2) a usefull upgrade for ride and/or articulation? I got a good deal on a used RE drop bracket and some adj control arms and was wondering if I would see any benefit form installing the adj control arms on my 2000. Lowers only, or lowers and uppers? I have 2.75" lift from some Grand coils and a BB spacer.
 
With just under 3" of lift, you really don't "need" longer control arms, but the adjustables may help some in the ride.

The drop brackets probably would be a waste of time as they would reduce some ground clearance while overcompensating for your 2.75" lift.

I have 4.25" of lift and am running the stock LCA's. I am looking for a set of adjustable LCA's or drop brackets. Wanna sell one or the other? :)

Yucca man has some info on his site that I've found helpful, check out the chart at the bottom of this page:
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html#arms
 
I am trying to find out where people think the new control arms become a usefull addition. I understand that at my current lift I could not even use the drop bracket unless I made the other changes to the rear suspension and to the driveline, but I wonder if the control arms would help smooth out out the potholes and frost humps they call our Interstate highway. I got a real good deal on a bunch of good parts and I think I will just hang onto them for future use.
 
It's a geometry thing, the more you lift the rig, the more the control arm angles increase.......this increase in angle negatively effects caster, wheelbase and ride quality, as the suspension is designed for the control arms to operate on a nearly parallel plane with the road surface.

This being said, most folks can get away with stock length control arms up to 3" of lift, more than that and adjustable arms or extended length arms become very useful to both restore wheelbase and dial in caster. A lifted rig will never ride like a stock rig, due to suspension geometry changes and increased spring rates. The closer you can keep the control arm geometry to stock, the better the ride, which is the main reason behind the RE CA drop brackets and other long arm kits on the market. Others have modified LCA frame and axle brackets to improve arm angles without the loss of ground clearance that comes with drop brackets and longarms.
Also, using adjustable length UCA's and LCA's will allow one to use the same arms as they invariably increase the lift height of their rig over time, offering a good ROA.

Hope this helps.
 
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