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Long Arm 'Upgrade'

I actually read the entire Rocky Rd page marketing theyre drop brackets. The pictures and words and in reality they are as good as they say and do improve ride and articulation.

But they lost me when they say that 8" lifted rig and 38" tires is theyre perfect rig. I wouldn't push control drop brackets on anyone wanting 8" if lift.

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If your uppers and lowers are adjustable id throw drop brackets on and run it.

That way youl be able to adjust castor.

Before you put on drop brackets set angle finder on upper ball joint to get a base line#. Reinstall and set arms to match that or slightly more positive if it didn't drive super straight...

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Does this make sense to you? From comments on a YouTube channel "The Late Model Tech" doing CAD.

1 says what you've said if I'm reading it right.

Comments by The Death Wobble Channel:

1. "you can set the length anything over stock. you set both lowers to equal and then use the uppers to adjust the caster angle. if your floor is flat, you can either use the machined surface at the pinion end or the diff cover gasket surface.use a level or angle finder to set caster to 0 degrees and let the alignment guy set it with the rack and heads from there."

2. For a 4 inch lift, as the arms slant down the axle comes rearward.1/2 to 1 inch for the extra length on the lowers.also, as the axle goes down the front driveshaft needs to be shortened. when you go max droop and the slip yoke bottoms out, it puts pressure on the t case and it can break the case in half. at full droop, the axle comes back even further so be sure to drive accordingly, or get the shaft trimmed back. or consider lower arms that have 1 to 2 inches adjustment to bring axle forward just a bit."


#2 is where I'm not seeing it. With 'measured' 4" lift on front - axle top to 'frame' bottom - with 3.5" OME springs, and since the recommended minimum lift by the manufacturer of the CAD is 4.5" does #2 apply? JKS tells me the arms will adjust to "stock length" at minimum adjustment. Will I be in danger of getting into the xfer case and need to worry about driveshaft length? Ahhh.. I have SYE with Tom Woods driveshaft.

CAD and SRB go on in the next few days so hoping to have some confidence I'm not opening a can-o-worms. Will be looking hard at those OME leafs, they might be questionable. If so, worst case - I'm not adverse to new springs all the way around at 4.5". Would open up the possibility of 35s if I feel the 'need' - 4.56 and Rusty's fenders in place.

Steer me straight fellas. I hope my questions are clear. I appreciate your patience and experience.
 
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Issue #2 can be resolved with an appropriate driveshaft. The X-Tom Woods has an "X-spline" option that provides a greater range of shaft extension and contraction. I imagine that Adams Driveshaft has something similar.
 
I just put my drop brackets on this morning. Thanks for the inspiration. 3” BDS short arm kit and RE drop brackets, braces, and UCAs.

The RE adjustable uppers have a minimum length about 1/4” longer than stock UCAs. I’m sure it is fine. My lowers are fixed length. Getting the lowers into the drop bracket pocket with the caster shoe sucked. That was the worst part.

I forgot, it’s been a long time since I had a rig like this, with the drop brackets on the axle was pushed forward just enough that the sway bar gets into the coil springs. Rubicon Express and other sell a sway bar drop kit for about $30 that will move the sway bar forward and fix the rub. RE9921. 4wheelparts, Amazon, others.
 
I just put my drop brackets on this morning. Thanks for the inspiration. 3” BDS short arm kit and RE drop brackets, braces, and UCAs.

The RE adjustable uppers have a minimum length about 1/4” longer than stock UCAs. I’m sure it is fine. My lowers are fixed length. Getting the lowers into the drop bracket pocket with the caster shoe sucked. That was the worst part.

I forgot, it’s been a long time since I had a rig like this, with the drop brackets on the axle was pushed forward just enough that the sway bar gets into the coil springs. Rubicon Express and other sell a sway bar drop kit for about $30 that will move the sway bar forward and fix the rub. RE9921. 4wheelparts, Amazon, others.

Are you planning on an allignment? Very interested in results since mine is also less lift than recommended minimum 4.5" for CAD.
 
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Also wondering if swaybar drop will affect disco function.
 
I set the toe (it was badly off before adding the drop brackets), and the lowers are fixed and the uppers are as short as they go, so I was going to be done. I can check caster/pinion but there’s not so much I can do to fix it short of adjustable lower. It won’t be for a number of days if I do check.

The sway bar drop does not affect sway bar or disconnect function. I had one before on Green Junk, when that had a sway bar.
 
The RE system uses the caster shoe to clamp the bracket to the brace. They recommend “no” caster shims but the drop brackets are slotted to allow adjustments. I did install the caster shims that had been installed prior, but adding more will make the rubbing on the sway bar worse (until I install the drop) and you can only install so many shims before the bolts on the shoe don’t have enough length to clamp the brackets together.
 
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