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Idea for a cheap long arm upgrade

E

emr1101

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Raleigh, NC
Ive gotu about 7-8" of lift, with drop brackets, RE 4.5" upper arms (bolt and tabs on axle end, worn out rubber bushing on frame end, no vibes from it though) and just about brand new lower super flex, adjustable control arms. They have fresh bushings on the frame end and good superflex joints on the axle end. I was looking at rock krawlers 3 link LA upgrade, looks like something like that would be easy to fab up if you just had a buddy with a set and just built yourself some arms and then for the brackets either make your own (might be kinda hard) or even just buy them separatly from Rock Krawler.

Then I got to thinkin, for the LCAs of the RK 3 link cant i maybe just get like an few inches of threaded tubing of the correct size to put in as a center piece extension for my LCAs and make them into long arms? Only down side is they would have to have a good amount of threading so id have to be careful in designing them, and they would need to have their lock nuts on extremely tight, as you can image what would happen if they were loose. In addition to that, while that super flex joint would last a while, who knows about that bushing (maybe when it wears out replace it with a kevlar heim, but for now i think it might offer some good driveability advantages). Does this seem safe? Or even feasible? Im thinkin then run a double kevlar heim ended upper control arm. If i had my hands on a Rock Krawler 3 link kit it may be possible to fab up a copy of the brackets, maybe not even a copy but just measurements of the arms and then see the locations of where the mounts would go.

Anyone tried this?
 
1) Cheap long arms (Never a thing that goes together)
2) Easy to fab up long arms (Also never a thing that goes together)
3) A lot of exposed thread (Not a good thing)
4) Safe? Not really
5) Feasible? Maybe if done right, but really most of the time its harder to modify existing stuff and make it work right as opposed to just buying or building something straight out the first time.

My .02: Unless you fab and have decent skills, just save your pennies and buy a real reputable long arm kit and sell your old kit to make up for some of the money you spent.
 
Wow i got grilled 5 times in one post, i think my previous record was 3 or 4 :)

Doesnt seem like it would be that hard to me, maybe i am crazy, but id like to see where it all goes. I think I can build it, I really do. And I would love to get started into fabbing as I have always been an engineer at heart since I was little and would like to see what I can do. But I guess for now I'll just keep it as an "idea", so given that let me have some fun with toying around with it and just think of it as a "what if" scenario :)


I do have some questions for you geometrics experts though. Can any one give me the placement of where most long arms LCAs will connect to the frame on the belly pan? My rig is a 2 door, and its a manual so door or crossmember oriented locations wont really be accurate I dont think. Also, on my rig the control arms are not parallel to one another from a side view, so how parellel must the 3 link UCA be to the LCAs? How far back in relation to the LCAs should the UCA mount?
 
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I do not have it handy, but if you google search long arm or 4 link calculator it should come up with a little java app that will let you figure it out, you put in length and width apart on the arms and it calculates angles and such. There used to be one posted in Advanced fab.
 
Evolution Offroad has some nice weld-up brackets, get some 2" dia. .500 wall DOM tubing, ream and tap, thread in some johny joints for one end and weld tube for bushings on the other.
 
ive been contemplating making a 4-link mid-arm with the RE upper and lowers i have. move the lower control arm axle mounts up even with the axle tube, fab up frame mounts/bracket somewhat similar to the skyjacker subframe bracket, and sleeving the arms i have for the 4.5" lift i have. not sure if it would work with 7-8" of lift.

emr,
anything can be done, it depends on your skills, materials, machines you have....
 
you could use your arms and cut em up BUT i would sell em, sell the drop brackets, make some cash and build them up from scratch... you can sleve tube if you want thick walls, get some weld in inserts, ballistic joints, make or use some prefabbed link brackets or make a cross member, get a tape measure and go to town. using the adjustable arms is OK but it seems like too much trouble to work around the arms... i know the RE ams are made out of chromoly
 
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