Set the lower control arms at about 16" and the upper at about 15.5". The lowers will set your wheel base, the uppers will tune your caster, which will be less than stock caster so that your pinion angle is acceptable. Make sure the passenger side tie rod end doesn't make contact with the sway bar link bracket on the axle. You may have to adjust the control arms a bit shorter.

The wheelbase is not that important as long as the Jeep drives straight and the tires don't rub on the lower fenders.

 

that's bout what they were set at, but wb was split side to side.

i would think it needs to be the same on both sides to track correctly.

that's where i'm at now. same wb both sides, with different lower length arms, less than stock wb.

 

that's bout what they were set at, but wb was split side to side.

i would think it needs to be the same on both sides to track correctly.

that's where i'm at now. same wb both sides, with different lower length arms, less than stock wb.

First the wheelbase is soposed to be longer on the right side. this is done from the factory so that the rig will track straight on crowned roads. Second adjust the arms to the stock length to start. then adjust them out till you get the wheelbase, caster and pinion angles to where you want them. The arms must be equal length left to right. With 7" of lift and drop brackets you will endup with the arms being about 1" or so longer than stock.

 

In my opinion, you are over-thinking this. When I installed my RE drop brackets last month, I dialed the lower control arms to 16" or slightly less for my 5.5" of lift. Both of lowers are exactly the same length. I adjusted the uppers for a decent pinion angle, acceptable caster, and clearance at the tie rod end and sway bar bracket.

I don't know what the wheel base is and don't care. It must be longer than before because more of the front drive shaft slip yoke is showing. Longer is good for me because the tires used to rub at the lower rear of the wheel well opening. The Jeep drives straight and continues straight when I let go of the steering wheel.

Please describe how you are measuring the "wheelbase" and why does it matter ?

 

Well i would kinda think that if your driver side from center of front axle to center of rear axle is not the same as the pass side then you tires and axles would be out of square to the rest of the chassis which to me means that your tires would wear out faster do to the fact that your jeep is square. Mayb i am just over thinking the whole thing but to me it seems like there is some problem some where.

 

Over thinking it, don’t know about that.

Measuring from center of front axle shaft to center of rear axle shaft on each side. That's how I do it.

"Why would it matter?"

I’m trying to square it up like it should be, and trying to decide what not to worry about. If it was off just a little i wouldn't worry about it, but it's enough to make me adjust the right side to match the left side wb. But then my lca are not the same by about 1".
That’s why I’m asking.

Caster and pinion angle are good.

Tie rod to sway bar bracket is another story. In order to roll the axle enough to clear takes me out of acceptable caster, but I used a little heat and moved it enough to clear.

As far as the slip yoke, is more showing due to the new height rather than it moving your axle forward? Or did you have the lift and just added drop brackets?

Just trying to get it right.

 

"First the wheelbase is soposed to be longer on the right side. this is done from the factory so that the rig will track straight on crowned roads"

That’s a new one on me. We were taught that caster split took care of that.

I have to agree that the arms need to be the same length. That being said there is a difference in the wb left to right. Right being shorter, on mine.

Anyway, I think I’ll go back to equal length on the lower arms and drive it for a while.

 

If you are going to measure axle location, measure from a fixed reference like the transmission cross member to each axle. The front axle on my 5.5" lift with control arm drop brackets is moved about 1" forward.

I have 2 Cherokees right now, a stocker and my lifted 2000. Neither had any shims on the stock control arms. I have seen a shimmed front axle and the shims are 1/16 th inch wide, not 1 inch.

I measured both stock lower control arms, they are both 15 5/8 from center to center. I have 3 sets of lift lower control arms in the garage, RE, Rancho and Rusty's. All of them measure the same length for both arms.

Stock.... 0" lift... 15 5/8"
Rusty's.. 3" lift .. 16.25"
RE ..... 3.5-4.5 lift ... 16"
Rancho ..3" lift .... 15 5/8"'

Simple logic says your adjustable lower control arms should be equal length.

If you think one of the axles is out of square to the body have the alignment shop check the Trust Angle of both axles.

 

on my 10 inch long arm I went by the actual stock wheelbase and caster, 100.4" center hub to center hub, then 6 degrees positive caster I would adjust to set lengths to ballpark it then I would adjust side to side to get the proper wheelbase for stock out of the lift Just my 2 cents tho, thats how i align em,


sorry just checked my stuff 101.4 inch's dial the lowers into that, then mess with the caster