Control Arm Suggestions

[ngreene9]

Hey Y'all,

I've been looking into getting a lift, and I'm looking at doing it on a little bit of a budget. I've come across a few different kits, and have thought about many different ways that I can piece things together, but one thing that I am a little bit unsure about is the control arms. The Jeep will be used for most, if not entirely on-road usage.

Are Upper and lower, front and rear control arms necessary for a rig that is really not going to be going off-road? Also, what is the difference/benefits between getting adjustable as compared to fixed control arms.

Any input here is really appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Alex01]

If you're not planning to lift it much, 2.5 or lower, I'd just stick with the OEM arms. Adjustable arms come into play once you lift the jeep or raise the belly and need to angle the pinion differently. A small lift such as a 2" OME will do just fine with OEM arms.

 

[06lj]

Not necessary. The stock control arms are a very good design and work well. I ran stock arms on a 2.5" lift for years with no problems.

 

[ngreene9]

If you're not planning to lift it much, 2.5 or lower, I'd just stick with the OEM arms. Adjustable arms come into play once you lift the jeep or raise the belly and need to angle the pinion differently. A small lift such as a 2" OME will do just fine with OEM arms.

I'm planning on doing a 4'' lift.

 

[AndyG]

I'm planning on doing a 4'' lift.

I've seen it , but it brings about all sorts of issues.

Taller springs raise the distance of the frame in relationship to the axle.

The control arms are mounted to the frame and the axle.

Metal doesn't stretch, so when the Jeep goes up that far, the axles rotate.

The first 2 things you see are a change in the pinion angle in the rear which causes vibrations because driveshafts rotate in an elliptical shape at the u joint and the front and rear joints have to be close to the same angle to cancel each other out and not vibrate.

Up front, since it has a long double cardan shaft and the rotation point is near the more forgiving double cardan joint , vibes aren't as common but you lose caster...and toe changes. The adjustable control arms help you with the caster adjustment .

Also the stock track bars, front and rear , are pulled as you lift and shift the axles off center, introducing a third angle to the already out of spec drive line.

You will also can get into the need for a slip yoke eliminator.

The sway bar links will be too short and the shocks need to be changed.

Zone is a decent entry kit value but I'm not going to tell you it won't need more work once you install it...we see it constantly....the lift happens and people get vibes, bump steer and bad steering/handling.

Also , a lift means larger tires and the means a regear often.

@Hog lifted his Sahara as successfully on a budget as I've seen done, and I'm sure he will be glad to answer questions..he just asks that it not be algebra or state capitols.

 

[JMT]

Hey Y'all,

I've been looking into getting a lift, and I'm looking at doing it on a little bit of a budget. I've come across a few different kits, and have thought about many different ways that I can piece things together, but one thing that I am a little bit unsure about is the control arms. The Jeep will be used for most, if not entirely on-road usage.

Are Upper and lower, front and rear control arms necessary for a rig that is really not going to be going off-road? Also, what is the difference/benefits between getting adjustable as compared to fixed control arms.

Any input here is really appreciated!

Thanks!

Lifting 4” on a budget. What’s the budget? At 4” of suspension lift you’d need CA’s. If you did a combo suspension +body lift you can avoid CA’s. A body lift is way cheaper than CA’s.

 

[ngreene9]

I've seen it , but it brings about all sorts of issues.

Taller springs raise the distance of the frame in relationship to the axle.

The control arms are mounted to the frame and the axle.

Metal doesn't stretch, so when the Jeep goes up that far, the axles rotate.

The first 2 things you see are a change in the pinion angle in the rear which causes vibrations because driveshafts rotate in an elliptical shape at the u joint and the front and rear joints have to be close to the same angle to cancel each other out and not vibrate.

Up front, since it has a long double cardan shaft and the rotation point is near the more forgiving double cardan joint , vibes aren't as common but you lose caster...and toe changes. The adjustable control arms help you with the caster adjustment .

Also the stock track bars, front and rear , are pulled as you lift and shift the axles off center, introducing a third angle to the already out of spec drive line.

You will also can get into the need for a slip yoke eliminator.

The sway bar links will be too short and the shocks need to be changed.

Zone is a decent entry kit value but I'm not going to tell you it won't need more work once you install it...we see it constantly....the lift happens and people get vibes, bump steer and bad steering/handling.

Also , a lift means larger tires and the means a regear often.

@Hog lifted his Sahara as successfully on a budget as I've seen done, and I'm sure he will be glad to answer questions..he just asks that it not be algebra or state capitols.

That zone kit is one of the kits that I have been thinking of for sure. I just see that it comes with fixed control arms. I didn’t know what the benefit would be to getting a comparable kit with adjustable arms is

 

[ErikOffroad]

The zone 4.25 combo lift is what I used and it works with the factory control arms. I did upgrade later in life to Currie arms.
We really need to figure out what your end goal is for the Jeep. If you are trying to go up to a 33 inch tire there is a lot of stuff that you need to do to make it work properly. Regearing is one of those things. Also with a tire that large on a tj you have to consider the poor gas mileage only getting worse. What is the budget for this build.

 

[JonZ98TJ]

The Zone 4.25" combo lift is a good lift for the money. It is 3" springs/shocks, 1.25" body lift, 1" MML, track bar relocation brackets and even a transfer case drop if you need it (I didn't). For me this lift allows me to run 35s, I get zero driveline vibes and can run 70+mph on the interstate. I have since upgraded steering and will eventually upgrade control arms once i go with a SYE and tummy tuck. For now, this lift fit my needs.

 

[Chris]

If you're doing a 4" suspension lift I would suggest a good control arm with Johnny Joints (i.e. Savvy, Currie, etc.) purely for the reason that you won't need to rebuild them often and they'll outlast anything else.

 

[AndyG]

That zone kit is one of the kits that I have been thinking of for sure. I just see that it comes with fixed control arms. I didn’t know what the benefit would be to getting a comparable kit with adjustable arms is

Well right off the bat those arms are designed for that much lift so once you put them on you're not going to alter it much... If you get adjustable arms you're able to move your lift height around like I was able to do when I needed better springs on the back.

It doesn't mean they're superior they just give you adjustability... That's not commonly needed but it's nice if you need to.

If you really look at the market there are some adjustable control arms that are just very very nice... And you'll notice they are what is called double adjustable so you don't have to remove the arm to change the pinion angle.

At the end of the day if they don't have decent bushings it doesn't matter what they are they aren't going to do great for long... The better arms have better connections.

 

[JMT]

That zone kit is one of the kits that I have been thinking of for sure. I just see that it comes with fixed control arms. I didn’t know what the benefit would be to getting a comparable kit with adjustable arms is

The Zone kit has arms that are set to fit the height of the suspension lift. It may or may not be just right because all TJ’s don’t have the same sprung weight, so there can be variances in lift height. They also limit you since you can’t raise the belly height without adjusting the pinion angle with the control arms. In the end, the stock arms are good up to ~2.5” of suspension lift. After that you should start looking at aftermarket. Put another way: it gets expensive.

 

[Alex01]

Like others have said a 4" lift is difficult to do on a budget. That said since you're going to be driving it mostly on road, you could just use a transfer case drop and save a decent amount of money by skipping on an sye and a new driveshaft.

Core4x4 makes an economical set of control arms and people seem to like them. I believe @RustyAutoholicGuy is running their tier 1 or 2 on his diesel build.

You'll likely just need either rear upper or lower adjustable arms in order to point the pinion correctly. I highly suggest you go with double adjustable, especially if you're going to do the lift yourself. With a double adjustable you could do an adjustment while the control arms are still attached to the jeep and make life way easier. If you run into vibration issues there's a chance you'll be adjusting the control arms a lot and the difference between single adjustable and double could be hours if not days of labor.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Like others have said a 4" lift is difficult to do on a budget. That said since you're going to be driving it mostly on road, you could just use a transfer case drop and save a decent amount of money by skipping on an sye and a new driveshaft.

Core4x4 makes an economical set of control arms and people seem to like them. I believe @RustyAutoholicGuy is running their tier 1 or 2 on his diesel build.

You'll likely just need either rear upper or lower adjustable arms in order to point the pinion correctly. I highly suggest you go with double adjustable, especially if you're going to do the lift yourself. With a double adjustable you could do an adjustment while the control arms are still attached to the jeep and make life way easier. If you run into vibration issues there's a chance you'll be adjusting the control arms a lot and the difference between single adjustable and double could be hours if not days of labor.

Yes @Alex01 I installed the Tier 1 setup on my diesel swap purely to fix a pinion angle alignment issue to my rear axle. I went with the Core4x4 for price, good reviews, and I could get them in a custom color (minor point but nice). Also they have a lifetime warranty as well as being made here in the USA which I really liked.

Are they the best? Probably not.

Did they fix the issue I was having? Yes absolutely and to take it one step further, my RHD TJ now has a better ride than my LJ Rubicon. The only difference between the two Wranglers, other than the obvious engine and driver location, is the control arms. Both suspensions are the same, stock on both, but hands down my RHD TJ with the Core4x4 rides so much better than my LJ Rubicon does right now.

The Core4x4 control arms are going to be an upgrade at some point in the near future for my LJ Rubicon. I just need to get my diesel swap wrapped up on my TJ first.

Thanks
Grant

 

[ngreene9]

I really appreciate everyone's input here. I'm ideally looking to complete the lift while staying around the 1k mark, although I do understand that with 4 in of lift, especially if I do elect to go with a 33in tire, I do run into a future that will become a little more pricey as far as upgrades go.

Initially, I was thinking about going for a kit such as the Zone 4'' suspension lift, but from what I'm gathering, going that route might involve a little, if not a lot more upgrades to the kit than I had initially anticipated.

Instead, since I really only want the lift, but do not necessarily need all of the off-road capability, it might make more sense for me to go for the Zone 4.25'' Combo lift. It seems that this will not only give me the clearance that I desire but will also come much more complete at that price point.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

I really appreciate everyone's input here. I'm ideally looking to complete the lift while staying around the 1k mark, although I do understand that with 4 in of lift, especially if I do elect to go with a 33in tire, I do run into a future that will become a little more pricey as far as upgrades go.

Initially, I was thinking about going for a kit such as the Zone 4'' suspension lift, but from what I'm gathering, going that route might involve a little, if not a lot more upgrades to the kit than I had initially anticipated.

Instead, since I really only want the lift, but do not necessarily need all of the off-road capability, it might make more sense for me to go for the Zone 4.25'' Combo lift. It seems that this will not only give me the clearance that I desire but will also come much more complete at that price point.

Just to put it out there, I'm basically on a 32" tire. I'm running a 235/85r16 which is 31.8" tire that is a pizza cutter, I love them but I only did a 1.25" body lift to get there. Might not be what you want but it was inexpensive and I really like the way my TJ handles both on and off road now.

 

[Alex01]

I really appreciate everyone's input here. I'm ideally looking to complete the lift while staying around the 1k mark, although I do understand that with 4 in of lift, especially if I do elect to go with a 33in tire, I do run into a future that will become a little more pricey as far as upgrades go.

Initially, I was thinking about going for a kit such as the Zone 4'' suspension lift, but from what I'm gathering, going that route might involve a little, if not a lot more upgrades to the kit than I had initially anticipated.

Instead, since I really only want the lift, but do not necessarily need all of the off-road capability, it might make more sense for me to go for the Zone 4.25'' Combo lift. It seems that this will not only give me the clearance that I desire but will also come much more complete at that price point.

I highly recommend you stay away from any lift above 3" if you don't want to go down a rabbit hole of additional mods and money.

A 2" lift will be fine for 33" tires, You can do it with some 2" EMU springs, rancho RS5000x shocks, and a front adjustable track bar from core 4x4 or JKS. For the rear get a relocation bracket, the angled one isn't needed. If you want more height at that point add a 1.25 savvy body lift and a MML (so you can avoid dealing with raising the fan shroud and lower your angles).

Alternatively, you could just go super cheap and use a 2" spring spacer lift.

 

[06lj]

I highly recommend you stay away from any lift above 3" if you don't want to go down a rabbit hole of additional mods and money.

A 2" lift will be fine for 33" tires, You can do it with some 2" EMU springs, rancho RS5000x shocks, and a front adjustable track bar from core 4x4 or JKS. For the rear get a relocation bracket, the angled one isn't needed. If you want more height at that point add a 1.25 savvy body lift and a MML (so you can avoid dealing with raising the fan shroud and lower your angles).

This 100%

 

[ngreene9]

I highly recommend you stay away from any lift above 3" if you don't want to go down a rabbit hole of additional mods and money.

A 2" lift will be fine for 33" tires, You can do it with some 2" EMU springs, rancho RS5000x shocks, and a front adjustable track bar from core 4x4 or JKS. For the rear get a relocation bracket, the angled one isn't needed. If you want more height at that point add a 1.25 savvy body lift and a MML (so you can avoid dealing with raising the fan shroud and lower your angles).

Alternatively, you could just go super cheap and use a 2" spring spacer lift.

When you say 3'' of lift as the threshold, are you suggesting that 3'' of suspension lift, or 3'' of total lift?

Would getting 3'' of suspension, and then adding on body lift exceed that threshold and shoot me down that rabbit hole, or would I still be in a safe place?

 

[Alex01]

When you say 3'' of lift as the threshold, are you suggesting that 3'' of suspension lift, or 3'' of total lift?

Would getting 3'' of suspension, and then adding on body lift exceed that threshold and shoot me down that rabbit hole, or would I still be in a safe place?

3" of suspension.
A BL won't take you down the rabbit hole since it doesn't have any effect on the suspension.