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4" to 4.5" lift

blackdoutxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Temecula,CA
it not much but i was wonderin will i HAVE to get upper control arms for right now i have re's fixed arms lower..i know longer shocks and longer brake lines... but could i get away with the stock uppers for a while... or will it not work?!
 
I bought the RE 3.5" kit, which doesn't come with uppers.

I put a Ford 8.8" in the rear which provides slightly higher lift due to thicker tubes. To compensate, I added a .75" coil spacer up front to even it out, which gives me a 4.25" lift.

I ran stock uppers this way for a year no problem. I eventually switched to RE UCAs because I bent 2 stockers in a year from wheeling.
 
Ive seen 2 sets of stock uppers bend like crazy.

I would replace them on anything thats going to be wheeled.

The stock upper bending however is a nice insurance policy... things that break tend to be more expensive than the UCA.

I just got tired of it.
 
yes thats correct only and 1/2" increase... and is it more an issue bending them or not being long enough?! and ok islanderoffroad hopefully it will hold for a while:D!
 
ok perfect thanks everyone:D!
 
with 4.5" of lift on stock uppers your pinion angle will suffer, do it right and replace them.
 
I too had the stock uppers bend on me, then I discovered why! The arms were coming in contact with a couple "tabs" on the frame. During high articulation the arms hit these tabs and would bend. I cut the tabs off and have had no more problems since.

Given your lift height, you really don't need UCAs unless your pinion angle or caster is off. It is nice however to have some adjustability somewhere, and since your LCAs are fixed, adj. uppers are not a bad idea.
 
Sorry to hi-jack, but I need some on topic advice. I am going from 3" to 4.5" lift and am looking at control arms. A lot of guys are selling UCAs and LCAs for 6" lift but say they will fit a 4+. Anybody have experience on this? Yuccaman I have looked at your page and your chart and I get the facts, I am wondering about actual experience, but Yucca feel free to chime in.
 
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Sorry to hi-jack, but I need some on topic advice. I am going from 3" to 4.5" lift and am looking at control arms. A lot of guys are selling UCAs and LCAs for 6" lift but say they will fit a 4+. Anybody have experience on this? Yuccaman I have looked at your page and your chart and I get the facts, I am wondering about actual experience, but Yucca feel free to chime in.


could keep your stock arms and get drop brackets.
 
I am thinking more and more about the drop brackets but I may just get adjustable for now, and add the drops when I can afford them.
 
DBs make a world of difference in the ride, bringing it back to a near-stock feel. The repositioned control arm location also allows for better flex.

If you're wondering whether the 6" lift arms will fit your app, ask for the eye-to-eye center length of the arms and compare to what you'll need.

Jim www.yuccaman.com
 
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