Long Arm Build for a TJ - Page 6

1 ton yj · 04-03-2008, 08:02 AM

Looks good. I think you'll be fine with doing the rear, the rear is always easier to link than the front. What are your plans for that?

**Tommy R** · 04-03-2008, 08:22 AM

Thanks... I'll be building a triangulated 4 link for the rear. Parallel lowers and triangulated uppers with some adjustability for anti-squat.

Tommy

Joker1 · 04-03-2008, 12:01 PM

Congrats on an insane build. It's a big under taking to try this yourself, looks like you did a great job. I am currently building adjustable control arms for my ZJ now but after reading your thread I am thinking about going ahead and tackling the long arm. I am using the same square inserts and had about the same idea on my adjustable short arms that you used on the long arms. I like you was going to run DOM until I saw that Claytons was using square tube. One question, can you give me the dimensions/specs on the steel you used for your long arms and your uppers. It looks like the LAs might 2 x2 x .25 but I wasn't sure. Can't wait to get your answer so I can start on my build.

Congrats Again.

raskull · 04-05-2008, 12:10 AM

I am toying around with the idea of this.. honestly it seems pretty simple. I can make all the mounts and brackets myself, and the tubing would be super cheap or free for me. I can't weld worth two ****s, but I can learn at work, or get a buddy to do it at work for free.

I did read the whole thread but I might have missed it. What are you using for springs/shocks? What is the final length of your lowers in the front? My brother has a RELA 5.5, suppose I could just take measurements off that, but the links attach to the skid plate, not the frame rails.

**Tommy R** · 04-05-2008, 09:09 AM

Thanks, y'all. Well, the lower arms are made of 2x2x.25 square tubing. The uppers are 1.5x1.5x.125 square tubing. The plate I'm using for various mounts and brackets is .25" thick. The C channel for the chassis mount started as rectangular tubing, but I don't recall it's orig. dimensions. It's .25" thick, too, though.

I don't have measurements on their lengths yet, though. I'll see what I can do about that. The front uppers don't really matter much. Just build them so that there isn't any binding on the rubber bushing at the axle end and that their length won't interfere with anything like the frame rail or driveshaft. Oh, for the front bracket locations I can tell you that I made the brackets identical to one another and located each one 1/4" from the factory skid plate. I used a scrap piece of steel as a spacer. Worked great!

The project isn't necessarily what I'd call "hard", but it does take some fairly meticulous measurements and thought. For example, I did my best to keep the axle in a fixed position while I fabbed up the arms and such. Having just got an alignment I knew where I was coming from. So then I could keep that in mind as I built the arms and I could make sure I would have adjustment in the directions I wanted and to keep the alignment with plenty of adjustability. As it turns out, when I got it aligned all it needed to be within spec was a toe change, which I fully expected. I guess being anal about all this stuff paid off.

The springs are my orig. RE 4.5" springs and while I'm still running the wimpy Skyjacker hydraulic shocks up front, I've got some Rancho RS9000 adjustables to replace them. I already swapped the rears.

Hope this helps,
Tommy

Joker1 · 04-07-2008, 03:15 PM

That surely helps me out thanks. I started laying mine out this weekend and will starting in a week or two. I hope to post some pics of my ZJ build-up as it goes thru this and other various changes.

Thanks Again,

jecaper · 04-08-2008, 02:28 PM

The job looks fantastic! Nice work. I found this thread doing research on my own LA project for my LJ. Is there a reason that you didn't use the RE upper arms? I am thinking of the exact same setup, but using my RE uppers. I have the 4.5" Superflex kit now and figure they would work well in this application, kind of like the long arm upgrade.

Again, nice job and please keep us posted on further testing of the system.

Jim

**Tommy R** · 04-08-2008, 03:30 PM

Honestly, the only reason I didn't use or cannibalize the RE uppers is because I wanted to be able to sell all my control arms when I'm done.

Tommy

omgsideburns · 04-21-2008, 02:14 PM

looks great man, i'm half tempted to start collecting parts to do this myself..

**Tommy R** · 04-21-2008, 03:03 PM

Thanks. Hoping to start the triangulated rear late this week.

redjeepguy32 · 04-22-2008, 06:19 PM

What rubber bushing are you using? looks like the factory one but im not for certain.

RedMountainYJ · 04-22-2008, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy R

Insert welded into place. Notice the holes in the arms for plug welds:

How large are the holes for the plug welds?

**Tommy R** · 04-22-2008, 10:13 PM

Yes, OEM rubber bushings. One day maybe I'll put Johnny Joints on the arms to replace them, but there's not much need.

The holes for the plug welds were 1/2", I believe. Twice the thickness of the material. It doesn't look it, though.

Tommy

Luke4554 · 04-23-2008, 12:00 AM

Bought my bushings already .. im not sure if i want to do round or square tubing on mine. But ill be going through the undertaking within the next year probably depending on when im willing to have the jeep down for the count for a few weeks.

Looks good..

Luke

bebout · 04-26-2008, 03:42 PM

tommy have you started the rear yet?

04-21-2008, 02:14 PM	#84
omgsideburns Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 191 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	looks great man, i'm half tempted to start collecting parts to do this myself..

04-22-2008, 06:19 PM	#86
redjeepguy32 Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 11 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	What rubber bushing are you using? looks like the factory one but im not for certain.