knever3 Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I would like to replace my upper and lower control arm bushings but is it worth the effort? I have seen bushings as cheap as $7 at quadratec and as high as $24 for Moog ones at Advance Auto, does it make a difference? I have also seen complete control arms with bushings at quadratec for only $35 each. I can easily change the ones in the top of the axle but the lower ones seem a pita to change without bending the control arm in the process. What would you do? I do not want to pay $200 for a set of uppers and lowers. I have a 3 inch lift so take that into consideration when answering. I want to buy new so junk yard ones would be out of the question. Has anyone changed theirs before, and again is it worth it? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBKrazy Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 it's doable, but it is a PITA.... and if you do replace them, buy the good ones so you don't have to do it again in 8 months.. i'd go with the rubber ones, not a huge fan of poly suspension bushings myself cause they don't allow for as much flex as the rubber ones, IMO... i helped my buddy do his, we used an electric drill with a big bit and drilled multiple holes through the rubber, and worked what was left out of the hole... to put them in though, id recommend taking them to a machine shop or some place with an arbor press, trying to get the new ones in is the worst part of the whole job.. we managed to get one of the lower bushings fully seated after what seemed like forever, and he ended up taking the rest of them to work and pressing them in there.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 it's doable, but it is a PITA.... and if you do replace them, buy the good ones so you don't have to do it again in 8 months.. i'd go with the rubber ones, not a huge fan of poly suspension bushings myself cause they don't allow for as much flex as the rubber ones, IMO... i helped my buddy do his, we used an electric drill with a big bit and drilled multiple holes through the rubber, and worked what was left out of the hole... to put them in though, id recommend taking them to a machine shop or some place with an arbor press, trying to get the new ones in is the worst part of the whole job.. we managed to get one of the lower bushings fully seated after what seemed like forever, and he ended up taking the rest of them to work and pressing them in there.. I don't think it's worth it - especially for the lowers. Just shop around and get new WJ LCAs. Much beefier, and they allow more tire clearance because of the bend. They are the same length as the stock arms and because of the larger oval bushings provide much better handling too. I found a pair of new WJ arms on the JU frum that I got for $45 shipped. I have not done the uppers yet, and am still unsure if the WJ uppers will fit our MJs. Anyone done this? Paul maybe? :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88mjmanche Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 if they are the stamped pieces of crap steel ....... forget it for 200$ just buy some heavy duty arms orrrrrrr do what i did make your own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 don't do what he did. go buy some quality aftermarket arms that match your lift. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfpdm Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have not done the uppers yet, and am still unsure if the WJ uppers will fit our MJs. Anyone done this? Paul maybe? :cheers: I never got around to playing with them and sorry to say I can't remember who I sold them to. :fool: I believe they tried them but said because of the bend, they changed the caster angle. :dunno: I'll see if I can find the thread. However, if you are looking for a stock replacement on the cheap, search the want adds, craigslist, etc, for someone selling or giving away their stock arms from a TJ. Same ones found on the MJs just a few years newer. :cheers: EDIT: Here's the thread talking about trying the uppers viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15567&hilit=+upper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I too have a set of upper and lower WJ arms that Ive yet to put on. But measuring them bolt center to bolt center they seem to be the same length as MJ uppers. I am planning on installing all of them when I do my 4x4 conversion....hopefully within the couple months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I realize you said 'Junkyard arms are out of the question.' I would strongly suggest you look at picking up some lightly used TJ arms. I picked up the front components (arms, shocks, swaybar, brake lines) of a TJ with 30K for $15 locally. Most guys just want the stock crap out of their garages and will nearly give it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I would take the opportunity to get some lower arms that match your lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knever3 Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Which ones do you recommend Pete? As far as I know you don't have to do anything special for a 3 inch lift except get new brake lines and shocks. Am I missing something? I have heard of a drop pitman arm, a transfer case drop kit, a sye kit, but do I really need any of those for such a mild lift? I have an adjustable track bar that I am going to put on to center the axle. I am not afraid to spend the money but this is going to be a street truck for 99% of it's use. I may go trail riding but the paint is great so I don't plan on anything major. I would like opinions based on this use if possible, not just if money were falling out of my pockets or to the other extreme the bone yard. I am just asking of the "Right" way to do it without making a show truck or a rock crawler. Thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 lower control arms should be added to any lift above 2". As you lift the truck up with the stock arms, your caster changes, the axle gets pulled to the side, and the axle gets pulled backwards in the wheelwell. the longer trackbar fixes the lateral shift. The lower control arms fix the caster and rearward shift. It's not done for trail driving, it's for street driving. :thumbsup: Rubicon express is one known for their quality. fixed arms will work fine for ya, but it's not much more for the adjustable: http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Jeep/XJ/P ... art=RE3720 Oh, and drop pitmans should never be used without a corresponding dropped track bar bracket. SYEs are a good strength upgrade, but not really necessary for angles until you get above 5 or 6 inches. and in my opinion a t-case drop should not be used, period Did you do anything about the anti-sway bar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 the RRO fixed lowers look pretty strong they are $99 and have a lifetime warranty http://rocky-road.com/xjcontrol.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 everybody's arms look strong. That added-on gusset concerns me. They shouldn't need that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 lower control arms should be added to any lift above 2". As you lift the truck up with the stock arms, your caster changes, the axle gets pulled to the side, and the axle gets pulled backwards in the wheelwell. the longer trackbar fixes the lateral shift. The lower control arms fix the caster and rearward shift. It's not done for trail driving, it's for street driving. :thumbsup: Did you do anything about the anti-sway bar? With 3'' or less your stock LCAs and UCAs will work fine for you. Caster will change as Pete states, but this can be easily corrected back to spec by installing factory shims behind the LCAs. It took a 4mm shim on each side for me. About $2 from the dealer. And a lateral axle shift will occur also. Only way to re-center the axle is with an adjustable track bar. There are many vendors for these; I used the Teraflex bar that works for a 1" - 4" lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 everybody's arms look strong. That added-on gusset concerns me. They shouldn't need that. I saw that, i was thinking its because they are a bent arm instead of straight. If they are as strong as they claim then they should be pretty stout arms,so far i havent been able to break anything ive got from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 If they used a better quality steel, they shouldn't need the gusset. I remember a major manufacturer having a similar issue a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 here's the info from thier site For more information on our excellent Control arm kits... Read On! Control arms serve the purpose of helping to achieve proper alignment specifications and axle position when a Jeep is lifted. Not really mandatory until you get over 6" of lift, some people still do very much prefer control arms for lifts at or above 3". Every suspension company on the planet offers control arms. So... what sets ours apart from everyone else? Price, engineering, and guarantee. Our control arms have a lifetime guarantee never to bend or dent. If they do, send it back and we will replace the arm for you. As a result of the extremely heavy duty DOM tubing we use on our arms though, this has never and will never happen... ever. Stronger control arms.. you will not find. Similar strength, you may find... but not with a lifetime guarantee. Engineering... note an important design feature on our control arms you don't see on many others. We shape all of our control arms for additional clearance to the mounting pocket on the axle. This corrective angle is a far better design than the straight control arms you find most other places. Straight arms are cheaper to produce for sure which is why the competition keeps them straight. Problem is, they don't pass that savings on to you. So you are paying for cheaply engineered straight control arms, but without the price break. We engineer ours with the contour bend, gusseted reinforcing, and with a still lower price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 I don't take the word of someone that stands to directly gain monetarily from me believing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 they look good ,have a lifetime warranty, and the price is good. I imagine they could tell you what they are made from,seems like a good deal :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Rusty claims his arms are awesome too. this is one of them: We can never escape the old adage; you get what you pay for. No one discounts out of the goodness of their heart. they will charge the most they can get away with. there has got to be more at work here between $99 arms and $170 arms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 that doesnt look very strong to begin with. here's the RE and RRO both,without knowing about the DOM used i don't see how the RE arms are worth an extra $80. Image Not Found RE $179 Image Not Found RRO $99 You do get what you pay for and sometimes your paying for a name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Image Not FoundRRO $99 You do get what you pay for and sometimes your paying for a name I see one thing I likee - it's greasable. I like to be able to grease moving mechanisms. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche87 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 what year tj upper control arms to look for? does it matter what size motor? if i can find a pair cheap enough ill change mine. i really sick of the poly urathane bushings in stock control arms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal1200r Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 I see one thing I likee - it's greasable. I like to be able to grease moving mechanisms. :D I noticed that too...that puts those arms one up on the others in my book... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 If you did opt for the RRO arms, be sure to get the deluxe johnny joint arm. Solid bushings at both ends are no good on a stiff arm. When your axle droops, the arm must twist in order to not sheer off the mounting brackets and ruin the bushings. The factory "U" shaped arms are designed to twist, thus OK having solid rubber bushings at both ends of the arms. A Jonny-Joint at one end of the arm will be the twisting point of most control arms. I run the JKS arms on my TJ. They have been a very good investment and have been trouble free for over 3 years. They use the factory bushings on both end of the arm and twist in the middle. The factory rubber bushings provided a smoother ride in the TJ compared to the RE SF arms. Although expensive, these JKS arms replaced the very troublesome Rubicon express SuperFlex I had. Just do a search on any jeep forum and you will find a whole host of people who have problems with the RE bushings splitting. I would highly suggest avoiding Rubicon Express at all costs. Take a look at Rokmen, JKS and Currie arms if looking for a solid after market control arm for DD and off-road uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now