Rubicon Express drop brackets

[CWLONGSHOT]

Alright, who is running RE drop brackets and what do you think?

 

I was not a fan from the stand point of having things hanging down under the jeep to hang up on stuff. But want to do something towards a better ride as this MJ will remain my DD for some time. Long arms are out.

 

Because its built for a XJ, what is invilved with putting them on a MJ? Anything special I should know before I order them??

 

LMK!!

 

CW

[pingpong]

I ran them for a yr and a half and loved them. They flex like there is no tommorow. I ran mine with stock uppers and lowers, and had no issues. I did eventually plate the bottoms for strenght but no issues. They are a pita to install, but worth the end result. Personally I would just buy the brackets and piee together everything else. RE's price is a bit high

[88MJay]

I know guys who have run them with good luck too. I noticed you said a long arm was out of the question but I figured I'd throw this out there anyway...

 

RE brackets... $262.95 + shipping

Rock Krawler LA $400.00 shipped

 

Thats about a $135 dollar difference and probably not really that much more work.

 

DC4WD has the long arms for that price shipped if you call him. I heard the price was going up though.

 

I don't know why I'm mentioning this because you said your not interested anyway. :cheers:

[Eagle]

The REs are clones of the original Trailmster brackets, which were on my '88 when I bought it. The Trailmaster kit was a 4" lift, which is what the brackets are optimized for and which is the MINIMUM height with which they should be used.

 

They work. At 4" of lift they bring the suspension geometry right back to stock. Good steering, no death wobble. For street driving, they are ideal. The problem is that off-road they are hanging down right where your chassis comes down when you take a line that runs a frint wheel over a rock (like to clear the axle). The wheel goes down the far side of the rock and the rock smashes into the bracket.

 

I hated them. They are rock magnets. Took 'em off and swapped them to a friend for some other junk he had. IMHO I can wheel better with a 2" or 3" lift and no brackets than I could with a 4" lift and the brackets.

 

It depends on what you want to do with the truck.

[Oizarod115]

we're lucky to drive MJs!

 

the XJ actually needs a LCA brace to run this bracket (which they sell seperately, don't you love that?)

 

but MJs LCAs came braced factory.. so you only have to buy the drop bracket..

 

 

what part of the install is a pain? (going to be doing this soon)

[randimal]

I have them on my XJ with 6 inches of lift. They work great and you can use stock control arms. They not only allow it to flex nicely, but they eliminated my death wobble. I don't remember hitting any rocks with them, but they are solid, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Eagle]

I have them on my XJ with 6 inches of lift. They work great and you can use stock control arms. They not only allow it to flex nicely, but they eliminated my death wobble. I don't remember hitting any rocks with them, but they are solid, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Yeah, with 6" of lift and 32s you have enough clearance to mostly avoid the "rock magnet" problem. At 4" of lift on 31s, the brackets are hardly any higher off the ground than the stock LCA pockets on an unlifted vehicle, but you're trying to drive over bigger rocks. Even so, at 6" of lift and 32s the brackets aren't any higher than an otherwise stock vehicle with a budget boost.

[Scott86mj]

I'm in the process of installing the re drop brackets the only problem I have ran into is that my 86 mj does not have access to the upper control arm bolts which need to be drilled out to 1/2 inch I used a hole saw to cut access to these. here is a link http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html of an xj which has access hole from the factory I don't now if all mjs are like mine but that is what I'm doing.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have them on my XJ with 6 inches of lift. They work great and you can use stock control arms. They not only allow it to flex nicely, but they eliminated my death wobble. I don't remember hitting any rocks with them, but they are solid, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Yeah, with 6" of lift and 32s you have enough clearance to mostly avoid the "rock magnet" problem. At 4" of lift on 31s, the brackets are hardly any higher off the ground than the stock LCA pockets on an unlifted vehicle, but you're trying to drive over bigger rocks. Even so, at 6" of lift and 32s the brackets aren't any higher than an otherwise stock vehicle with a budget boost.

 

Well, I am sitting near 7" of lift and 33" tires. This rig will be wheeled, but its primairly my daily driver. Even when its wheeled, its only going on easy/modeate trails, my TJ is the hard core rig. The MJ has WAY too little departure angles for anything to serious.

 

A for the Long arms, I haven't seen any that use a rubber bushing. Poly is OK, but I will never run heims on the street and thats what most LA's I have seen use.

 

CW

[AZXJ]

RK now runs Poly at the axle end and Hiem on the unirail mount.. much better design and alot less noise. In my opinion, long arm will make for better on road driving and for the occasional wheeling you do with the MJ you'll have more then enough travel to handle any situation.

 

 

Dave

Http://desertfab.com/shopping/

[88MJay]

Not only do they have a poly bushing on one end now but the lower arms are bent for better clearance now instead of being straight! Kinda like the TNT arms being high clearance now RK's junk is that way. Easy install too.

 

It's a reasonable option for you. :cheers:

 

 

On a side note... Roy at RK told me that their kit doesn't fit every XJ or MJ though. (kinda strange). You have to take a measurement from the lower control arm bolt at the frame mount back to the first crossmember bolt. If it's 18" you're good. If not.... I suppose you are SOL.