NC Tom Posted February 15 Posted February 15 I ordered some SKP brand lower control arms for my 88 from rockauto and they are too wide by about +/- 1/2". They are supposed to be compatible. Does anyone know of a brand that are guaranteed to fit like OEM? Doesn't seem like anyone posts those technical measurements. They only post length. I'm not interested in the WJ mod and swap.
ratrapp Posted February 15 Posted February 15 (edited) do they actually measure 1/2 inch wider than your originals?ive had some that i trimmed a little off each side to make them work but not 1/2inch worth. Edited February 17 by ratrapp added a word
NC Tom Posted February 21 Author Posted February 21 On 2/15/2026 at 6:26 PM, ratrapp said: do they actually measure 1/2 inch wider than your originals?ive had some that i trimmed a little off each side to make them work but not 1/2inch worth. Give-or-take. It was too much to modify. So, I sent them back and ordered another set. This time, they only sent one! So annoying! I had time scheduled with a buddy to get these on today, but nope. I need to measure the replacement now, to see if it will fit. For anyone reading this post, "guaranteed to fit" is just speculation.
ratrapp Posted February 21 Posted February 21 ive never used anything skp brand so i can't comment on there quality.i have used dorman(not the greatest but better than nothing sometimes)and moog,delphi and even federated line srt and they all seem to fit.i do order a lot off of rock auto but sometimes its better to just bite the bullet and buy local so returning them isnt as big of a deal.
NC Tom Posted February 26 Author Posted February 26 I ordered some new ones. I can tell you from measuring them, they won't fit. This is a real pisser! Where the bolt threads through measures approx 2 3/8" wide on the stock ones. The new ones measure 2 7/8" at the same point. What am I doing wrong? Control arms
Eagle_SX4 Posted February 26 Posted February 26 What is the part number of the control arms you have?
NC Tom Posted February 27 Author Posted February 27 On 2/25/2026 at 8:45 PM, Eagle_SX4 said: What is the part number of the control arms you have? 52001162
Eagle_SX4 Posted February 27 Posted February 27 2 hours ago, NC Tom said: 52001162 That is the Mopar part number. Did you get the Mopar arms and are still having trouble with them?
NC Tom Posted February 27 Author Posted February 27 17 hours ago, Eagle_SX4 said: That is the Mopar part number. Did you get the Mopar arms and are still having trouble with them? Yes. See pic. Old and new. The news ones are wider by a good margin. Plus, the old ones don't have those "ears" that stick out beyond the install bracket. Again, is this user error or part error?
NC Tom Posted February 27 Author Posted February 27 44 minutes ago, Eagle_SX4 said: That defiantly looks like part error. The thing is, the set I ordered from Rock Auto was the same. This set I ordered from Parts Oasis with a "guaranteed to fit" clause. I don't get it.
NC Tom Posted February 28 Author Posted February 28 46 minutes ago, Eagle_SX4 said: What brand are the arms you have bought? Better yet, tell me what brand to buy!
89 MJ Posted February 28 Posted February 28 8 minutes ago, NC Tom said: Better yet, tell me what brand to buy! He’s asking so that other people know not to buy the brand if they didn’t fit. If it’s a brand that’s commonly recommended, we should know so that we stop recommending that. Moog, TRW, or SKP is probably decent. Heck, even Dorman is probably fine.
Gojira94 Posted February 28 Posted February 28 That pic clearly shows whatever manufacturer is supplying the brands he’s bought thus far are installing axle bushings in the body side of the arms.
NC Tom Posted February 28 Author Posted February 28 12 hours ago, 89 MJ said: He’s asking so that other people know not to buy the brand if they didn’t fit. If it’s a brand that’s commonly recommended, we should know so that we stop recommending that. Moog, TRW, or SKP is probably decent. Heck, even Dorman is probably fine. Nope. SKP was the first set and the second set was True Drive. The sets were identical. I'll keep looking.
NC Tom Posted February 28 Author Posted February 28 9 hours ago, Gojira94 said: That pic clearly shows whatever manufacturer is supplying the brands he’s bought thus far are installing axle bushings in the body side of the arms. That's interesting. They may not even know it's wrong. Or, they don't care.
NC Tom Posted March 1 Author Posted March 1 Well, I placed an order with Detroit Axle. I know they are not favs around here, but they are the only ones to respond to my questions and they said their arms fit without modification. We'll see.
NC Tom Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 Finally! The Detroit Axle set is only 3mm wider than the mounting bracket. Should be able to squeeze then in. Thank you for all the comments and suggestions.
ghetdjc320 Posted March 9 Posted March 9 Moog control arms were a direct swap for my when I got a set in 2023.
Gjeep Posted March 9 Posted March 9 Yep, I've installed several sets of upper and lower Moog's on many XJ's over past several years. Perfect fit.
NC Tom Posted March 14 Author Posted March 14 @ghetdjc320@Gjeep Glad to hear Moog worked out for you. I saw so many videos of mechanics just hating on Moog that I never even considered them an option. Rock Auto is also an accomplice in these parts "crimes". What I'm reading/watching is that they consistently put a part in a box with a different part number. Don't know how or why or even if that's true. But, it's something to consider and may help explain their low prices.
AnotherOldJeepGuy Posted March 16 Posted March 16 Good luck. Drop in a pick when you get the new ones in!
NC Tom Posted March 22 Author Posted March 22 @89 MJ@ratrapp@AnotherOldJeepGuy@Gjeep@ghetdjc320@Gojira94 Alright guys, I'm in the middle of this install and don't want to go further if this isn't correct. To install the new ones, I have to hammer them into place. This is bending the bracket. Is this right? The new ones won't sit flush like the old ones. Reminder, this is the third set of these I've ordered. They have all been basically the same. If this isn't correct, I'm lost.
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