control arm question

I recently bought a 4.5 inch BDS lift kit, have started the back and should finish it tomorrow if there are no more leaf spring bolt delays. So I started looking at the front components and plan out how to tackle the project. The instructions I got with the kit don't say anything about what the control arms should be adjusted too. I was just wondering if anybody knew what they should be adjusted too? I really have no clue what im doing so any help or advice would be appreciated. Aso I have 2 inch spacers and new 6.5 inch shocks if that would make a difference.
Thanks in advance

Call BDS tell them you purchased there kit and that your adding a spacer to take it to 6.5" lift. it's a longarm? they sell 6.5" coils and should be able to give you a starting point.. cool people at BDS..

do a search here on leaf spring bolt. i routeinely give advise on walking the leaf spring bolts out and the reasoning behind it. im just too lazy to post it up right now

edit: i found one of my old posts about it and have now started a referance sheet for me to copy and paste from. saveing carpletunnel so that i get it from welding not from typing.

for the bolt issue. WHEN THE BOLT ONLY "POPS" 1/4 TURN AT A TIME STOP! trouble could await if you dont. i had the same issue when i lifted my xj. i ended up breaking off the leaf springs front bolt.

when it gets tough to turn and pops-this is gonna sound crazy but- retighten the bolt. what is happening is that debris (like rust, old paint, road grime, mud etc) is clogging up the threads on the bolt and nut. as you are trying to turn it the debris is wedging itself into the fasteners thread. if you do this too much, the bolt will sieze in place and you may end up over loading the bolt and break it off. when you re-tighten the bolt up some you are giveing the threads a chance to clean out. when its a little easier to turn try lostening it again. as you loosen it and get into the gunked up thread it will dislodge some more debris and then loosen again. repeat the cycle over and over again.

it takes a long time to get the bolt out but may save you the having to deal with a broken bolt and all that goes with it.

Lift...........Lower Control Arms/Upper Control Arms
********Decimal**Fraction**Decimal**Fraction
Stock........15.75.......15 ¾........15.00.......15
2”.............15.92.......16............14.88.... ...15
3”.............16.09.......16............14.92.... ...15
4”.............16.33.......16 3/8......15.03.......15
4.5”..........16.47.......16 ½........15.11.......15
5”.............16.62.......16 5/8......15.21.......15 ¼
6”.............16.97.......17............15.44.... ...15 ½
7”.............17.36.......17 3/8......15.74.......15 ¾
8”.............17.81.......17 ¾........16.09.......16
9”.............18.30.......18 ¼........16.50.......16 ½
10”...........18.82.......18 ¾........16.96.......17

Just take a couple measurements of where your axle is located now, then measure from there to the mounts on the new suspension, and that's how long the arms should be. You might want to adjust just a little from there, based on your lift amount and tire clearance, but you won't know that until you get it all together. Bolt everything up without the springs (if you can do this, it's the only real way to install any suspension modification) and cycle the suspension to check for tire clearance, and to check shock bottoming and bumpstop height, and steering clearance. Then you can make any slight adjustment to the arm length if needed, and anything else you might find.

the arms should be set so the wheel is centered in the wheel well and you have caster and pinion angles that fall into the spec range. if you have a lp front axle(2000-2001), pinion angle may be different then a hp dana 30.