Is it worth purchasing adjustable control arms to extend wheelbase?

[jjvw]

My comments have been in reference to the thread starter. My jeeps weight varies quite a bit removing the back seat, hard top, doors and full tank vs 1/4 tank. I'm estimating close to 400 pounds difference. I don't adjust my arms when it is light in the summer and again when winter comes. Should I buy all adjustable arms?

Mine is generally setup for summer mode where it is the lightest. I don't adjust the arms for the season either. But they are adjusted to where I believe they ought to be. And over the last few years, I have made several changes that have affected all the links on one end or the other. Point being, if your links put the axles where they need to be, then there is no need to adjust them. That hasn't always been the case on mine as things evolve.

 

[Steel City 06]

My comments have been in reference to the thread starter. My jeeps weight varies quite a bit removing the back seat, hard top, doors and full tank vs 1/4 tank. I'm estimating close to 400 pounds difference. I don't adjust my arms when it is light in the summer and again when winter comes. Should I buy all adjustable arms?

Generally, with adjustable arms, you can create a compromise between those two heights that prevents vibrations and keeps everything centered. You shouldn't need to adjust between the seasons. Will the angles be perfect? No. But you can likely find something that works. Perhaps the pinion angle is 1.0° above the driveshaft in the winter and 1.5° below in the winter.

But your best compromise lengths may not work on someone else's jeep. If they are running 4.5" of suspension lift, a tummy tuck, and 5.89 gears, then if you took those links from your jeep and put it into theirs, they may get vibrations until they can find a compromise that works for them. (And maybe there is no compromise that works.)

The adjustable arms give you the chance to retune everything in the suspension every time something forces a change. New tucked skid? You're gonna need to increase that pinion angle. New front differential cover? Better make sure the trackbar doesn't hit it.


For me, my loaded weight changes so much, I chose to add airbags in all 4 coil springs to level the ride. Simple changes in suspension geometry wouldn't have changed the fact I had way more weight at times than the springs were designed for. At some loads I would get vibrations, get excessively bouncy, or even bottom out the shocks in parking lots.

 

[Brianj5600]

Generally, with adjustable arms, you can create a compromise between those two heights that prevents vibrations and keeps everything centered.

That has been my point from the beginning. Most of the companies that make budget 4" lifts have a fixed length LCA that shoot for the middle of the range that will provide most Jeeps smooth running.

The only RC parts I have now are the front LCAs. Someday I'll get around to replacing them.

This is with a 4" RC with longer than stock fixed length LCA and stock UCA on the bump stop. No trimming on the tub or flares. The tires had slight contact to the flares. No sheet metal was harmed in this picture.