[Tommy R]

Yeah, you need to use a sleeve or socket to push only on the outer sleeve. Even then it will take a buttload of force. I lubed it with oil and put a bunch of pressure on it until I didn't feel safe putting more. Then I'd let it sit for a couple minutes. It would either pop down a couple millimeters at a time or creep down allowing me to crank down on the press some more.

Qand thanks for the compliments, y'all. I get to test it out in Moab next week!!

[spencerd76]

So, i started ordering my parts for this build yesterday. i have a 4" lift and also a T/C drop. I was just wondering if the drop kit would effect the mod of the skid plate when attaching the rear LCA's. if i need to take out the drop kit, don't i need a CV driveshaft and SYE? do i need to replace front and rear? thx, in advance.

[spencerd76]

...and there was one other thing i was wondering, instead of having the upper brackets for the front UCA welded on a corner of the LCA, why not turn the LCA at an angle so those brackets could be welded to a totally flat surface?

[Tommy R]

I'm packing so only have a second to reply...

The t-case drop should only affect how much of the stock skid plate you need to trim off. Otherwise, I don't think it should be an issue. And yes, for 4" of lift you really should upgrade to a CV driveshaft and SYE.

You could rotate the front arms 45 degrees to have the UCA brackets weld to a flat surface. But that was offset by the increased work required to "fishmouth" the square tubing to mate up to the LCA axle rubber bushing. I also wanted the front and rear arms oriented similarly for aesthetic reasons. Plus, having them oriented flat (not rotated) gets me just a bit more clearance and more surface area to withstand dragging over rocks.

[spencerd76]

i have an angle finder, so when i go to measure for my LCA's, what is an ideal caster angle for a basic 4" lift?

[Tommy R]

Originally Posted by spencerd76

i have an angle finder, so when i go to measure for my LCA's, what is an ideal caster angle for a basic 4" lift?

I believe approx. 4.5 - 6.5 degrees of caster is what you want to shoot for.

[Tommy R]

Folks have asked about my control arm measurements and I finally put a tape measure to them. Hole center to hole center, they are:

FRONT: 34.25"
REAR: 33.5"

Some have also asked about how much I notched my skid plate for the brackets. I didn't notch the cross member at all for the front. I used a 1/4" plate between the skid plate and the bracket as a guide.


Here's how I notched the driver's side of the skid plate:




And the passenger side (yes, I need to straighten and reinforce my brackets!):

[d11b]

Killer build man. Gotta do it my self now. How much of the shank of the jj was in the insert/ or exsposed after you adjusted the caster?

[Tommy R]

Thanks! I don't recall the length, but if I recall it was more than the 1.25" bolt diameter, not including the thickness of the jam nut.

It's about to get a D60 and a 14 Bolt hung under them in a few weeks. I'll start a new build thread for that one, but will link it here for anyone interested.

[miguelitojeep97]

so you have been running this suspension with the passenger front upper removed, correct? How does it handle now that you have been using it quite a bit?
Im going to be upgrading to a RE radius arm and am curious about doing the same. I just dont want anything to break. I do beat the hell out of my Jeep. Your thoughts?



mike

[Jeepguy1977]

So if a person used heavy wall steel in the 2" steel (either square or round tube) could they conceivably dog leg the control arms a la Nth Degree but obviously heavier duty? And thusly also tuck the arms up inside the frame rails or am I missing something in the math department?

[98blacksahara]

Originally Posted by miguelitojeep97

so you have been running this suspension with the passenger front upper removed, correct? How does it handle now that you have been using it quite a bit?
Im going to be upgrading to a RE radius arm and am curious about doing the same. I just dont want anything to break. I do beat the hell out of my Jeep. Your thoughts?



mike

Also interested in how it street drives with the front pass upper removed. I have basically the same set-up as you and would like to know how it handles before I pull an arm

[Tommy R]

Originally Posted by miguelitojeep97

so you have been running this suspension with the passenger front upper removed, correct? How does it handle now that you have been using it quite a bit?
Im going to be upgrading to a RE radius arm and am curious about doing the same. I just dont want anything to break. I do beat the hell out of my Jeep. Your thoughts?



mike

Sorry, Mike, JF decided to drop some e-mail notifications for me for some reason. Anyway, I decided to go back to the conventional radius arm setup, basically for two reasons. 1) I didn't see much increased articulation with one upper removed and 2) I felt better not relying on just one upper in case a bolt backed out or something. Granted, #2 isn't really a valid concern, IMO, but since I didn't see much increased articulation I just didn't see a reason not to run both uppers.

FWIW, it drove no differently with one upper vs. both uppers.

Tommy

[Tommy R]

Originally Posted by Jeepguy1977

So if a person used heavy wall steel in the 2" steel (either square or round tube) could they conceivably dog leg the control arms a la Nth Degree but obviously heavier duty? And thusly also tuck the arms up inside the frame rails or am I missing something in the math department?

Sure. Just inboard the the arms with the frame rails (like you mentioned) otherwise they'll likely contact the bottoms of the frame before full articulation is reached.

[jsee238]

i use the same method using a socket on U-joints and a vice/hammer. i beat the hell out of the u-joints when pushing out or in and never messed up a cap yet. i use a small vice and socket on all bushings in a vice as well never had a problem. both systems work great!!!