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control arms

R

retard_ed_1

NAXJA Forum User
Location
windsor,ontario,canada
i looked at this chart that said my lca should be 17", mine are 16", ( oh ya forgot 90 xj 6" rustys lift, 35 mudkings) will this 1" really cause me all the steering probs iv'e been having, ( typical on the edge of your seat ride), if it is , can i just cust the lca and weld a sleve over the cut to extend the arm an inch or 2, if i can should i cut the long piece near the frame on the short piece near the axle

thanks
tim
 
To put it simply your caster affects your steering. You really should worry more about the caster angle. That can be adjusted by either the lower arms or the uppers. Also have you considered drop brackets? That will also help put your caster back to normal.

Also what you are proposing on how you are going to modify your LCA's, does not sound very strong. You would be better off verifying your wheelbase to see if your LCA's are too short and if they are not, buy a set of adjustable uppers and sell your Rusty's junk to someone else.
 
rightside.jpg


Here is an example of what you have, the front tires look like they are tucked in, this guy and you need drop brakets to make you current arms work. The angle is what is killing you guys.


BTW, thanks for posting your picture for the example, :D
 
i have proper length, rustys uppers, my propblem is with my lowers they were bought for his 4.5" kits and i went up to 6" now there to short, if i just buy adjustable lowers will that have the same affect as drop brackets, or are DB'S still the way to go, i just want to get the axle back to the proper placement, i dont really need more "droop"

thanks
 
retard_ed_1 said:
i have proper length, rustys uppers, my propblem is with my lowers they were bought for his 4.5" kits and i went up to 6" now there to short, if i just buy adjustable lowers will that have the same affect as drop brackets, or are DB'S still the way to go, i just want to get the axle back to the proper placement, i dont really need more "droop"
Click to expand...
Look at the angle of your control arms now. Adjustable ones will put your axle back where it belongs, but the angle on the arms is still going to be steep. When the axle flezes, it's going to start moving back immediately, and on the road any bumps are going to be transferred up the control arm and into the frame before the tire lifts...giving you that rough ride you're getting now. Drop Brackets will move the control arms to a more neutral (horizontal) angle so the axle will move down when flexing before moving back. I just installed DBs on mine last month after a year at 4.5" and the ride is incredibly better.
 
Picked up my DBs through here last year. Keep an eye out on the Classifieds and post a 'Wanted' to see if there are some out there. Mine came with a little pre-installation rockrash and I needed to supply my own bolts, but no big deal. I'll have a writeup with pics at http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html one of these days; right now it's just random ramblings without pics.
 
Yucca-Man said:
Picked up my DBs through here last year. Keep an eye out on the Classifieds and post a 'Wanted' to see if there are some out there. Mine came with a little pre-installation rockrash and I needed to supply my own bolts, but no big deal. I'll have a writeup with pics at http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html one of these days; right now it's just random ramblings without pics.
Click to expand...
that chart was helpful, but i am wondering if that means that if you run a DB kit with a 4-4.5" lift you can use the stock LCA's?

fun times
-XJ_Ranger
 
The stock lcas and ucas should be the first things to trash. They are just POS and going aftermarket even at stock height improves your ride.
 
XJ_ranger said:
that chart was helpful, but i am wondering if that means that if you run a DB kit with a 4-4.5" lift you can use the stock LCA's?
Click to expand...

I looked at Yuccaman's web page and read this thread but I'm still confused a little.

If I use drop brackets with 4.5" lift springs (total 4.5" of lift) what length do I set my arms to?

This part of the table?

With stock Control Arm Mounts With RE Drop Brackets
Lift Height LCA UCA LCA UCA
4.5" 16.5" 15" 15 7/8" 15"

Sorry, maybe I need another coffee?

r@m
 
You need to get the wheels centered in the wheel wells and then measure for control arm length. Then adjust your upper control arms to give the correct castor angle.
I have a pix I'll post tonight that will show what is a REALLY gross case of needing drop brackets. I'm now boxing in my "frames" from the damage they suffered in Moab and while on the jack I have been looking at the droop and angles etc. and trying to figure out how and where to mount drop brackets.
 
i would say 16", but what do i know, thats why im posting, im going to post a pic tonight, cause i cant see spending 240.00 bucks on drop bracket and then another 150.00 bucks on adjustable control arms.
 
You can lengthen your current arms like you talked about. If you use plug welds you can sleeve them on the outside and make them as strong or stronger than the originals. I would sleeve the longer upper portion since your Rusty's arms have that bend. Just make sure you're confident in your welds and use thick enough tube. You can sleeve them on the outside or the inside.
 
Root Moose said:
I looked at Yuccaman's web page and read this thread but I'm still confused a little.

If I use drop brackets with 4.5" lift springs (total 4.5" of lift) what length do I set my arms to?
Click to expand...
Use the part on the right side of the table, where it says WITH Drop Brackets. Stock-length UCA but a slightly longer than stock LCA at 4.5" I'll post more about it when I get home later.
 
retard_ed_1 said:
i would say 16", but what do i know, thats why im posting, im going to post a pic tonight, cause i cant see spending 240.00 bucks on drop bracket and then another 150.00 bucks on adjustable control arms.
Click to expand...


You'll understand why it takes spending money to do it right. Look at the RE 5.5" kit, the one with DB's, they do not use adjustable uppers. With the DB's you can still adjust your camber with the lowers, just like your OEM setup.

My advise is this, if your looking for the best fix, your better off with DB's instead of Adj. uppers.
 
alright, you got me sold, i like you guys here, most of you tell it straight and hardly any one judges, each other abilities, when i use to have a suzuki, there forum was full of jackasses that would laugh and call you a dumb for just asking a question, same as that truckworld forum

anyway thanks to every one for all your help

tim
 
I'm a little late with the reply, but here's why I like the DBs. The red line approximates the angle of the arms before dropping them:
new_arms.jpg


Yes, I know there are detractors who don't like the loss of ground clearance, but that was a minimal problem in my book. I think I'm going to hack the rear corners this weekend to bring it up a little closer to the braces, but that may not happen...

Looking at the front driveshaft angle again this evening makes me think that 15 7.8" measurement may be off; I'll have to mess around with it in the light and see for sure.
 
do they come with the brace behind it, or was tha extra, i was going to add a picture but i dont know how, any way will they work with rusty's LCA'S, they have a bend to them?
 
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