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RE control arm drop brackets... who's running em and opinions

A

a_hiatt

NAXJA Forum User
Location
effingham, IL
ive got a 99xj w/ about 4.5-5" of lift and 33's. my kit came w/ fixed LCA's and i used stock uppers. im thinking about getting the RE drop brackets to improve ride because right now its not the best and its my DD. i've heard that the brackets offer amazing improvement and wont let the front end up like long arms. wondering who's running them and what they think and where they got them. and yes i know they could get hung up but i dont run on rocks and it would be worth it for a better ride.

thanks
 
Spend the money on adjustable UCA's and LCA's. Drop brackets are a horrendious band aid, and not worth the cost IMO, aren't they really expensive from RE. Not to metion (although you did already) they hang down and make your LCA's look prego. At your lift height you should have UCA's anyway.

Todd
 
well..... I am planning on getting these as soon as $$$ alows.... I plan on using them with only 4-4.5 inches of lift.....

I hate to say it but there is a whole lot of info on this site if you search......
 
IMO, the drop brackets were a HUGE benefit at my lift height. The ride difference on the road is night and day.
At 4.5" of lift, I would recommend UCAs also.
 
I have now ran RE's drop brackets on my old 87 xj and now my 98 xj and I believe they are very well thought out and well worth the money. No problems here.======Kyle
 
NHxj4x4 said:
Spend the money on adjustable UCA's and LCA's. Drop brackets are a horrendious band aid, and not worth the cost IMO, aren't they really expensive from RE. Not to metion (although you did already) they hang down and make your LCA's look prego. At your lift height you should have UCA's anyway.

Todd
Click to expand...


They fix stuff that adjustable UCAs and LCAs can't so why just get those? If anything the only other fix is a good long arm set up (which can also get hung up on stuff) Or maybe front leaves :)
 
NHxj4x4 said:
Spend the money on adjustable UCA's and LCA's. Drop brackets are a horrendious band aid, and not worth the cost IMO, aren't they really expensive from RE. Not to metion (although you did already) they hang down and make your LCA's look prego. At your lift height you should have UCA's anyway.

Todd
Click to expand...

you obivously have no idea what you are talking about...

a bandaid? I would run DB's before long arms every day of the week...
UCA's are needed to adjust pinion angle - the stock ones are weak given, but new uca's arent needed...
Adjustable LCA/UCA does nothing for the control arm angle which is the cause for a rough ride. I have short arms with 5.5" front end lift and no drop brackets and the ride is crap! (but i dont care to fix it - comfort isnt why i built my rig)
the flatter the control arm angle - the better - for flex and ride...
read up here for more indepth anaysis of why that is:
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html

now to the thread starter -
I am planning on getthing them once i can afford the cost of adjustable LCA's and the DB's themself.
I would strongly reccomend getting/making the brace that keeps them from moving around - it will save you from having to use ratchet straps to hold your axle in place (that was a ZJ friend of mine...) and get back to the road...

trailmaster? also makes them - might be worth looking into them for another option...
 
i found some trailmasters that i think im going to get. im also going to put off uca's for now b/c i've talked to someone who has installed them and had to go back to stock uca's b/c the adj. ones were too long and pushed the axle. but as everyone else, im still waiting on $$
 
I'm not looking for redemtion here, obviously by my now numerous red dots, that was not a very popular answer.

Let me explain a little bit, or justify what I posted what I did.

I have Rusty's Adjustable upper and lowers, on those, the bottom part of the LCA is actually curved, so it creates a better angle than the straight RE style, I'm at 6.5" and 35's, and it drives like a dream. My only expirence 1st hand with drop brackets are with the trailmaster one's which, were crap, and actually bent. So maybe my opinion is slightly jaded. I however do still think that he needs UCA's if he's at 4.5-5" fixed or adjustable.

I don't really think that my opinion on this warranted rep ratings like I got nor comments like "you don't know shit do you" and "you just don't get it" I joined NAXJA to avoid this kinda BS from places like JU, and get better info on my stroker build.

Just my $.02

Todd
 
I have the RE 5.5 x-duty kit bumped up 2" with 8" skyjacker coils and 2" blocks in the back and it drives well for the amount of lift I run. What others have said here, the control arm angle from parallel is what gives U a bad ride and less flex so the Drop Brackets address this for the upper and lower CA's.
Troy
 
NHxj4x4 said:
At your lift height you should have UCA's anyway.

Todd
Click to expand...

Shouldn't we all? Except maybe Brett, but he's special.
 
NHxj4x4 said:
I'm not looking for redemtion here, obviously by my now numerous red dots, that was not a very popular answer.

Let me explain a little bit, or justify what I posted what I did.

I have Rusty's Adjustable upper and lowers, on those, the bottom part of the LCA is actually curved, so it creates a better angle than the straight RE style, I'm at 6.5" and 35's, and it drives like a dream. My only expirence 1st hand with drop brackets are with the trailmaster one's which, were crap, and actually bent. So maybe my opinion is slightly jaded. I however do still think that he needs UCA's if he's at 4.5-5" fixed or adjustable.

I don't really think that my opinion on this warranted rep ratings like I got nor comments like "you don't know shit do you" and "you just don't get it" I joined NAXJA to avoid this kinda BS from places like JU, and get better info on my stroker build.

Just my $.02

Todd
Click to expand...

todd, you make a good point with him still needing to buy adj. uppers... but the bend in ur rusty arms has nothing to do with LCA angles. all that matters is the straight line between the LCA frame mount to the LCA axle mount. the bend is just there for clearance issues. i've ran rusty's 6" CA's and at 6" they suck! something really needs to bre done with remounting CA's when ur that tall. i've also used RE DB's and now i have custom LA's, but if i could do it all over, i'd stick with RE DB's. you still get tons of flex with them, and its not irreversible like LAs. (since you have to cut the LCA mounts off)

:cheers:
Brandon
PS, i have no experience with TM's though, so that company may just not hold up to to our standards of offroading.
 
NHxj4x4 said:
I have Rusty's Adjustable upper and lowers, on those, the bottom part of the LCA is actually curved, so it creates a better angle than the straight RE style
Click to expand...

Ummm, draw a straight line between the bolts, thats your control arm angle, the bend only gives better clearance for the arm and the axle side mounting bracket. Sorry.

EDIT: What he said ^^^
 
Got em, Love em!! They got rid of DW, and improved the ride. I overnighted them about 3 years ago and never have regretted it. I like crawlin on rocks with the XJ, and the short arms with the brackets are not a problem. I have hit them, but much less now with the 35's. droppin' off a ledge is when they used to hit, but 35's pretty much cover them up.

They will improve your dd experience. GET THEM !!!!

Greddy
 
XJ_ranger said:
you obivously have no idea what you are talking about...

a bandaid? I would run DB's before long arms every day of the week...l[/url]
Click to expand...

Id love to know what you base your opionon on!
 
If you "joined" NAXJA, then your name should be in red...............

NHxj4x4 said:
I'm not looking for redemtion here, obviously by my now numerous red dots, that was not a very popular answer.

Let me explain a little bit, or justify what I posted what I did.

I have Rusty's Adjustable upper and lowers, on those, the bottom part of the LCA is actually curved, so it creates a better angle than the straight RE style, I'm at 6.5" and 35's, and it drives like a dream. My only expirence 1st hand with drop brackets are with the trailmaster one's which, were crap, and actually bent. So maybe my opinion is slightly jaded. I however do still think that he needs UCA's if he's at 4.5-5" fixed or adjustable.

I don't really think that my opinion on this warranted rep ratings like I got nor comments like "you don't know shit do you" and "you just don't get it" I joined NAXJA to avoid this kinda BS from places like JU, and get better info on my stroker build.

Just my $.02

Todd
Click to expand...
 
Got 'em. Use 'em. Like 'em.

If they grab rocks, nothing says you can't modify them to slide off of rocks. Live and learn.
 
Ran a Pro Comp 3 inch without them and the ride was baaaad. Got the RE 5 inch kit and DB's abd the ride is goood. It seems to take much less effort for the tire and wheel to roll up onto an obstacle with the flat angle the DB's provide. I would get drop brackets with braces for sure.

HarveOut-
 
NHxj4x4 said:
Spend the money on adjustable UCA's and LCA's. Drop brackets are a horrendious band aid, and not worth the cost IMO, aren't they really expensive from RE. Not to metion (although you did already) they hang down and make your LCA's look prego. At your lift height you should have UCA's anyway.
Click to expand...
yoda_spobi.jpg


Your only experience with DBs is with Trailmaster models, which I am pretty sure don't have braces on them...they folded? I wonder why...

You make it seem as though you are the secret holder of revelation that at height you will need UCAs. Ummm...yeah. Big notice for you is that everyone should have longer UCAs and LCAs after about 3-4" lift. Adjustables are recommended because they allow fine-tuning of the axle position for beter handling.

Speaking of handling:
new_arms.jpg

The long red line is the old control arm angle - noice how steep it is? That's at 4.5" lift, and they are pretty steep. Every bump in the road travels up that arm before the tire lifts, and the ride sucks because of that. Additionally, when the arms are already pre-angled that far down, how far do you think they can flex downward? Try the same flex with the arm in the lower position and see what happens...you flex better and your kidneys don't fall out on the ride to the trail.
 
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