[5150gunner]

im new to lifting.at what point does the lower control arm need to be changed?i have seen a split on what 3" lifts do and dont come with them.whats the benefit other than flexable handling?

[GottaBeJeep]

Originally Posted by 5150gunner

im new to lifting.at what point does the lower control arm need to be changed?i have seen a split on what 3" lifts do and dont come with them.whats the benefit other than flexable handling?

Here is a chart to help you figure what length your arms need to be at certain heights. Control arms lengths are important for castor and location of axle in the wheel wells. At 3", you will be ok with stock arms, just expect the axle to move back toward the cab a little and some minor bumpsteer.

Control Arm Length Application Chart
For Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

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

[5150gunner]

what route did you go with your wifes xj with rustys 3".i have seen some of your pics and it looked real good off road.how did it do?this is my daily driver and 3" should be enough,considering that most of the pics you have are similiar to the kind of wheeling i do.so if you could break down all the parts you used on hers that would be great.

[GottaBeJeep]

Originally Posted by 5150gunner

what route did you go with your wifes xj with rustys 3".i have seen some of your pics and it looked real good off road.how did it do?this is my daily driver and 3" should be enough,considering that most of the pics you have are similiar to the kind of wheeling i do.so if you could break down all the parts you used on hers that would be great.

Rusty's 3" coils and leaf packs, YJ brakelines, OME shocks, stock UCA's/LCA's. Ride with stock arms wasn't changed too much, except for a little bit of bumpsteer, and you might be able to see in my pics how the front axle moved back toward the cab a little. It did ok offroad. I didn't care much for the Rusty's kit. Coils were too soft, packs were too stiff. Every bump on the road was harsh, no matter how small, and driving on washboard dirtroads was unbearable. I got that kit before I knew better. We are running RE stuff now, and made a big difference in ride quality and offroad performance all around.

If you want my advice, stay away from Rusty's and do it right with the RE 3.5" kit.