WJ lower control arms

[jeeptec1]

So I did a quick 3 inch lift on my 88 Comanche out of used parts. Looks I may need longer lower control arms. I remember about 15 or so years ago there was discussion about using WJ lower arms. Still relevant or a waste of time?

 

 

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[Jeep Driver]

WJs are not longer.

 

WJs do offer greater turning clearance.

 

You need adjustables, uppers and lowers. 

[jeeptec1]

Thanks


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[Pete M]

there is one caveat to this.  The lower control arms have some adjustment in the form of shims.  IF your truck has enough to give, you can shim the WJ (or stock, but who wants that?) arms to accommodate a 3" lift.   

[WahooSteeler]

Pete, I'm confused. For as long as I can remember and the 10+ years I have been on here, I've always understood that 1) 0-3" lifts required no modifications to steering or driveline components, and 2) based on #1, WJ arms were also perfectly fine to "upgrade" to if the truck is lifted 0-3". 

[Pete M]

well, technically the lower arms aren't steering or driveline. 

 

rules of thumb (and these can differ depending on who is saying them):

1-2" is pucks and shackles

at 3" is where things get weird and you need coils, lower control arms, shocks, longer brake lines, longer sway bar links, and some sort of AAL or full leafpacks. 

 

3" of lift and stock lowers usually pulls the tire back in the wheelwell.  I've known guys to just run that way and not care (even though it looks funny and lessens your caster).  Don found that he was able to shim his forward and since then others have done the same.  But because there is only so much room to scoot the LCA bolt and all trucks are a bit different, I always caveat with this may work.

[rylee144]

Sorry to jump in. So only adjustable lowers are needed for a 3"? Or uppers and lowers? If a guy didnt want to shim.

[Pete M]

your lowers are already shimmed to some degree.  they come that way from the factory as an adjustment built in to perfect the alignment.    The process is simply adding more shim.

 

But yes, uppers start to be needed around 4-4.5" to fix caster.  But having said that, uppers exist for a 3" lift and are an upgrade over stock.  

[gogmorgo]

So I've also been under the impression that WJ lower control arms were slightly longer than stock, which I had picked up on this forum and have been repeating. Turns out I'm wrong.

Figured I should add a photo to illustrate the points made in this thread about them.

 

I just changed them on my '93 ZJ, which has the same part number as the MJ/XJ arm. The WJ is actually slightly longer by like, 1/16" or so, which I'll call negligible. But then I didn't get Mopar parts, these are the Napa Premium part.

The advantage to the WJ ones as said and as you can see is that they're fully boxed, without the tire-catching reinforcement lip on the MJ/XJ arms, in addition to having the curve in them that accommodates the larger tire size. 

I'll reiterate that to make them fit, one of the bushings will need trimmed. I elected to put the oval bushing at the axle end, as the round one fit nicely in the frame-side cup. You've got to take about 1/4" out of each side of the oval bushing's sleeve. That's the only trimming I did, and the arm doesn't come into contact with the axle or vehicle, but then again this was a ZJ. 

 

 

[Pete M]

both ends needed to be cut to fit my 90 MJ.