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RE Drop Bracket setup...

XJsurf

XJsurf

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Diego
Just a quick question for anybody out there. Has anyone used the RE 9900 LCA/UCA Drop Brackets without the RE 9900 support brackets? Feedback??
 
They are good, but in my opinion they just reduce your CA angles. Besides that they just give you another thing to get hung up on and they're expensive.
You can achive the same thing with long arms, plus gain the articulation.
I'd save the money, and just get the RockKrawler long arm upgrade.
 
I'd use the braces. First, there's a lot of energy being absorbed by the LCA's, and you will be adding a lever to accentuate that force when you add the drop brackets. So I beleive the braces are necessary to insure the LCA mounts don't rip off the frame. Second, they act as skids for the now lower control arm mounts, helping you drag over obstacles.
I built my own drop brackets, so I only have the cost of material in them. If I were going to buy them, I'd consider putting the money towards a long arm kit. At 6 inches of lift, the drop brackets resulted in a huge improvement in ride quality.
 
Adding the RE drop bracket setup improved (more like fixed) the way my jeep rides, drives, and flexes tenfold. I'm only at 4.5" of lift, but had non-adjustable lower arms and stock uppers. I would reccomend the DB's to anybody, but I would also say that if your planning to go long arm in the future, think about just saving up and getting them now. Don't run the DB's without the braces!
 
I would for sure think they need to rienforcement. I really like my drop brackets, jeep rides great on the street and flexes and rides good on the trail. I have never really got them hung up on something but I do drag them some. I have also set the jeep down on them when dropping off ledges. However they are 1/4" thick plate or so and have taken all the beatings just fine.

They work so well they have made me put off upgrading to long arms for awhile. Hell last time I had an alignment done all my specs hit dead stock caster and all.
 
the same brackets can be used on MJs, and is offered in their MJ kits, but the braces cannot be used on MJs because of their reinforced LCA mounts from the factory.

therefore, it would be safe to say that you can use the drop brackets without the braces, just like you can use their trackbar drop bracket without the brace, but the brace gives you a peace of mind.

-Tim
 
definetly get the braces.
 
You can use the drop brackets without braces, and should be fine as long as you're not doing any ridiculously radical trails or rock racing, etc..

I bought my first XJ with a trailmaster lift on it. The drop brackets in the trailmaster kit are identical to the RE and there is no brace option from trailmaster. I beat on it pretty good without braces for the first year and a half or so and they held up fine.

I have fabbed braces that i added on though and it's additional peace of mind and also acts as a slider for them.

They do drag on some rocks/ obstacles but you lear to factor them into your driving style off road. Oh yeah and they work very well; I out flexed a rusty's Long arm kit with my Drop brackets and pieced together 6 inch lift.
 
You *can* run without the braces, but I've seen the carnage that comes from it first hand, on an XJ don't do it (on an MJ its a different story). You could buy the drop brackets and add the braces a couple of paychecks down the road, but I wouldn't wheel that way.


As far as people getting hung up on them .. That shouldn't be a problem. I've been running them for a year and a half, some of the locals have had them for *years*.. rubicon, hammers, you name your trail - and never been hung up on them. Yeah, everyone hits them, but they are pretty beefy and look good with a few scratches. ;)
 
cal said:
As far as people getting hung up on them .. That shouldn't be a problem. I've been running them for a year and a half, some of the locals have had them for *years*.. rubicon, hammers, you name your trail - and never been hung up on them. Yeah, everyone hits them, but they are pretty beefy and look good with a few scratches. ;)
Click to expand...

What Cal said. With the exception of the TnT LAs, just about every other LA out there follows the same path as a DB and Short Arm. People don't really seem to complain about getting hung up on those arms, so you can expect the same from this setup.
 
I can only recall once when I was hung up on them and couldnt make something. Slipped off a rock and just happened to land right on the bracket and my tires couldnt get traction. Where they are located it usually isnt a problem.
 
Thanks everyone, I'm going to get the braces also. I imagine most you have probably installed them at one time or another. What's the average install time?
 
XJsurf said:
Thanks everyone, I'm going to get the braces also. I imagine most you have probably installed them at one time or another. What's the average install time?
Click to expand...


You can install them at the same time, but follow the directions CAREFULLY..

Loosely assemble and line everything, then tighten it all up.

I remember we had issues lining things up, but we finally got it all together. Jeep rode better than new. I have hit them several times, but never got hung up on them.

This had to be one of the best mods to my Jeep....

Good Luck!
 
Has anyone everyhad a problem removing the uca's? Last couple of times I've had the front suspension torn apart, I've been unable to remove the uca at the frame location.
 
I can't even get the nuts loose. I've tried everything from a breaker bar, ratchet, wrench, and breaker bar with a pipe on it. Still can't crack the bolt loose. Is that bolt threaded backwards and I don't know it.
 
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