How will 31x10x50 duratracs look compared to my 30x9.50 cooper at3

[Lowrange2]

I preferred cutting the bushing down. There's enough steel sticking out of the rubber to cut on without touching the rubber. (As you can see in my pictures.)

 

[87manche]

I preferred cutting the bushing down. There's enough steel sticking out of the rubber to cut on without touching the rubber. (As you can see in my pictures.)

^ totally this.

putting them in the freezer just makes them less wobbly when you go to cut them, and make it less likely that heat from cutting will melt the bushing.

I didn't like the idea of bending the brackets.

 

[cmahaff]

CAs came in today. Do you think I'll need an alignment? Mixed reviews when I did a search. Obviously I will be able to tell after get them on my how it drives and what not.

But I'm wondering if I should replace them on the ground to help avoid an alignment. Is that even possible?

 

[thatxjguy]

Here's an idea of what they will look like:

 

[cmahaff]

Haha sweet couch flex. I like it. That looks exactly like my jeep. Color wise and stuff

 

[87manche]

CAs came in today. Do you think I'll need an alignment? Mixed reviews when I did a search. Obviously I will be able to tell after get them on my how it drives and what not.

But I'm wondering if I should replace them on the ground to help avoid an alignment. Is that even possible?

wj arms and XJ arms are the exact length eye to eye. The only reason your alignment might change is because it was done with old worn bushings that weren't centered up.

I'd swap them, see how it drives. It won't change your toe or steering stuff, it might affect the caster slightly.

as to changing them, jack it up, pop one off at a time so you don't have to deal with a completly loose axle. put the bolts in and snug them. Drop it down off the stands and torque the LCA bolts to spec with it on the ground and at ride height.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Score. You rock. I was going to go to the junk yard today. But got lazy. Good thing. Because even if I happened to find any, they would be a pain to pull, the yard would probably charge me 25 bucks. And the bushing wouldn't be new.




Started doing that today Gary. On the front bumper. Turned out ok I think. I'm gonna post pics In the next few days when I get it back together. I'm gonna have to trim the rear bumper plastic also. Just going up the curb today almost ripped it off

If you are not opposed to it. You cal remove the plastic bumper end caps. A few bolts removed and more clearance!

The write up we have posted on here suggests bending out the bracket a little bit more as opposed to cutting the bushings. But you like the bushing cutting method more?

When I previously installed WJ LCAs on my heep the PO hadalready trimmed them a bit. I still bent out the bracket on the axle side just a bit for ease of install. When you tighten the bolts, with the weight of the jeep at ride height, it will pull the bracket sides back in.

Some have used old leaf spring plates as LCA skids as well.

 

[cmahaff]

Oh yea I've done some trimming for sure. Got it trimmed up pretty good. Eventually I'll get some pics up.

And I am super pumped for these control arms. Even just driving around town and being careful I've bumped the stock CAs a few times with my massive new tires.

 

[cmahaff]

I'm running into a few issues. It appears my WJ CAs are ever so slightly longer. This picture is with a bolt through the stock XJ and WJ on one end. And the other end you can see isn't lining up.

Another issue is I can't seem to get the oval bushing side, frame bracket, up in the bracket far enough. It seems to hit its top edge on the jeep.

This is what the oval frame side looks like after I put a bolt through the round axle side. Its pushed up in as far as it can go

 

[Hypoid]

I don't know what to tell you about the WJ arms, never tried them. I can tell you that replacement bushings in stock arms will put up a fight. Your old ones do look pretty toasty.

 

[cmahaff]

Re: Re: How will 31x10x50 duratracs look compared to my 30x9.50 cooper at3

I don't know what to tell you about the WJ arms, never tried them. I can tell you that replacement bushings in stock arms will put up a fight. Your old ones do look pretty toasty.

Haha yea I wouldn't dare, it'd probably be easier to replace the whole arm before messing with those nasty bushings. Why haven't you tried the WJ arms? They are highly desirable for me at this point to fit my tires. Which I can tell they will clear if I ever get them bolted up

 

[cmahaff]

Re: Re: How will 31x10x50 duratracs look compared to my 30x9.50 cooper at3

Here's an idea of what they will look like:

Yea Instagram shout!

 

[Alexia]

Another issue is I can't seem to get the oval bushing side, frame bracket, up in the bracket far enough. It seems to hit its top edge on the jeep.

That is because the oval end goes on the axle.(Just like a WJ.)

 

[cmahaff]

Really? I read this on another site and of course I believe everything I read.

 

[Alexia]

Really? I read this on another site and of course I believe everything I read.

I verified this against a couple other WJs as well. Putting the WJ lower control arm in backwards actually creates more work and grinding to fit it.

Here is a picture from Bushwacker's web site.

 

[V-hunter]

Another issue is I can't seem to get the oval bushing side, frame bracket, up in the bracket far enough. It seems to hit its top edge on the jeep.

Take a look at post #24 in this thread, you can see what needs to be trimmed. The first pic shows portion that is hitting on yours trimmed off a bit.

 

[Lowrange2]

He's talking about this.

I had to make that cut as well. I chose to run the round bushing at the axle and the oblong bushing at the body. I don't see why it'd hurt to go either way.

The only other disadvantage to WJ arms is that they hit the lower shock mount even faster than OEM arms. Trim that back while you have the arms off.

 

[cmahaff]

Re: Re: How will 31x10x50 duratracs look compared to my 30x9.50 cooper at3

He's talking about this.

I had to make that cut as well. I chose to run the round bushing at the axle and the oblong bushing at the body. I don't see why it'd hurt to go either way.

The only other disadvantage to WJ arms is that they hit the lower shock mount even faster than OEM arms. Trim that back while you have the arms off.

I don't think my factory arms have ever hit the shock mounts. Do you happen to have any pictures of your trimmed shock mount. I'm wondering how much is appropriate to trim before any integrity is compromised.

Its not a big deal that these are slightly longer?

It looks like mine are a different brand than yours. I have that weld line all across the top

 

[cmahaff]

Alright, I was able to grind it down enough to get it up in there and get a bolt through it. I'm talking about the oblong bushing on the frame mount. Now due to he fact that the CA is a bit longer, he front bolt holes on the axle mount aren't lining up. I've read of people using come alongs or something to line stuff up but I not familiar with this method.

 

[Hypoid]

That is close enough to use a drift punch to get the holes lined up. After that, use the bolt to drive the punch back out from the opposite side. It sounds evil, and it is.