Self Made Adj LCA-Question

[Mike from Chile]

Hi Guys. IMine is a XJ Classik year 2000 with RE 3,5 kit + 1" spacer in the front and 1" rear shackles. Also bigger tires that add 0,5" aprox. No SYE, no degree shims. Kit does not include UCA. Result: vibration and DW.
My goal is to solve problems asap, but not too much $ available. Thats why I want to ask if there is the possibility to transform the LCA's into adjustables, buy cutting them to introduce a center Bolt. Are RE LCA's solid or is it a tube?
Thanks
Mike

 

[xray]

Why not try a transfer case drop first? That should help.

 

[Mike from Chile]

The RE 3,5" kit has already a Tcase drop. Thanks

 

[XJ_Vikings]

degree shims seem like an easy solution

 

[vegas_baja]

With my 2000 I needed uca's just to get it aligned properly.
With that lift you will need a sye.
My honest opinion from personal experience:

upper control arms
sye
3 or 4 degree shims
***really good alignment***

Making your lower control arms adjustable will not solve your problem.
Sorry its probably not the answer you want to hear, but I learned that 2000 cherokees are really different from other years.

 

[Kejtar]

degree shims seem like an easy solution

Ummm and how are you going to put them on the front axle? Unless I'm mistaken the question is about LCA's

 

[Kejtar]

Hi Guys. IMine is a XJ Classik year 2000 with RE 3,5 kit + 1" spacer in the front and 1" rear shackles. Also bigger tires that add 0,5" aprox. No SYE, no degree shims. Kit does not include UCA. Result: vibration and DW.
My goal is to solve problems asap, but not too much $ available. Thats why I want to ask if there is the possibility to transform the LCA's into adjustables, buy cutting them to introduce a center Bolt. Are RE LCA's solid or is it a tube?
Thanks
Mike

If you suspect that vibes are coming from the front then pull the front driveshaft off and take it for a test drive. If the vibes go away then working on the front end will be the answer.

In regards to control arms: why do you want to make lower ones adjustable? I have 'bout 6" give or take and I have RE fixed LCA's and they have been working out pretty good: I have no deathwobble nor vibes.

Now here is the kicker: you have 2000, so IIRC that means you have a low pinion D30. This might be the source of your problems when it comes to vibes. The above mentioned test of pulling the front driveshaft should give you an answer.

Getting to the deathwobble: make sure that your steering is aligned properly and that all your tie rod ends are good. Also check the axle end UCA bushings (as well as the body end).

Anyways, I know that I didn't answer your question about the UCA's but I think that your best course of action is to deal with most of these problems before you start modifying the control arms. If you don't deal with the vibes and the dw (or at least positevely identify the cause of) and you do something with the UCA's you just introduced yet another varibale into the whole setup.

 

[vegas_baja]

To give you a little more info. I started with 4.5" of lift with fixed lower control arms and stock upper control arms. The alignment shop could only get between 10 and 12 degree's of caster. I had to buy rubicon adjustable upper control arms just to get the alignment down to around 5 degree's of caster. That took care of the death wobble and the horrible vibes in the front, but the vibes in the back were still so bad that I couldn't go over 45 mph. To solve the problem I ditched the transfer case drop and got a sye. I also had to install 4 degree shims to get the driveshaft angles where they needed to be. Hope this helps you in any way.