Iron Rock Offroad long arm kit?
03-05-2013, 03:31 PM
#31
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
Haha this one again 
Seems like every few months when I log on someone is asking about IRO and someone else is bashing them. I myself have had no problems with the 10 mm bolt.. I have had to change the one bolt that goes through the signal/lone arm out as it wears down over time.
I just recently decided that KTM was right about the lack of support for the subframe/where the arms mount. The 4 bolts on each side that hold everything (including the transmission/transfer case) does not seem like a good idea to me. It has never broken but I do not want it too so when I have the time I will fab some frame stiffiners and will weld the IRO sub frame to them as well as use the bolts.
The adjuster works great and is easy to use. I have no complaints with it. The 10mm bolt has not even worn down at all in over 140,000 miles.... its the big grade 12 bolts on the passenger side that have.
If I had all the money in the world, I would probably go with clayton or RK but the IRO kit is great and I have no complaints with it.
Seems like every few months when I log on someone is asking about IRO and someone else is bashing them. I myself have had no problems with the 10 mm bolt.. I have had to change the one bolt that goes through the signal/lone arm out as it wears down over time. I just recently decided that KTM was right about the lack of support for the subframe/where the arms mount. The 4 bolts on each side that hold everything (including the transmission/transfer case) does not seem like a good idea to me. It has never broken but I do not want it too so when I have the time I will fab some frame stiffiners and will weld the IRO sub frame to them as well as use the bolts.
The adjuster works great and is easy to use. I have no complaints with it. The 10mm bolt has not even worn down at all in over 140,000 miles.... its the big grade 12 bolts on the passenger side that have.
If I had all the money in the world, I would probably go with clayton or RK but the IRO kit is great and I have no complaints with it.
03-05-2013, 09:50 PM
#32
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Big 4.0L
I just installed mine this weekend and you are right. Where the subframe bolts looks a little shakey to me. I am thinking of welding some angle to them and bringing them up the sides some and drill and sleeve the frame with some 1/2 bolts. I mean come on 1/4 thick crossmember you have to hold it up lol.
03-05-2013, 10:15 PM
#33
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Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
Works for me so far. I have heavily beaten mine on rocks hard, and they show it. But it has never failed, came out of spec/adjustment, nor loosed up anywhere. And then I DD the **** out of.
Here in this picture of me playing at Crozet, You can see where I have been slamming my diff on rocks(need to move up to 35's), and see where I bent the hell out my steering(mega toe in). But the long arm hasn't as much as tweaked a little on my anywhere. the just look all gouged and beat to hell lol
Here in this picture of me playing at Crozet, You can see where I have been slamming my diff on rocks(need to move up to 35's), and see where I bent the hell out my steering(mega toe in). But the long arm hasn't as much as tweaked a little on my anywhere. the just look all gouged and beat to hell lol
03-07-2013, 08:02 PM
#36
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0L HO, JBA headers, 99 intake, #703 injectors
first hand experience with this, as i currently run iro long arms with 6.5" springs. i do have to say that they are stout. they are strong. ive used them as sliders and have only really scratched the paint. ive never had a problem with the caster bracket and ive put that front axle through some **** i didnt think id ever make it out of. the kit holds up just fine.
onroad it rides pretty nicely. altho they overstiffen their springs at 230#. the jeep handles like a racecar with overly dramatic bodyroll. even in extremely tight corners at higher speeds i can still keep all 4 wheels on the ground. im also running no swaybars aswell. the jeep handles bumps with minimal amount of feel. ive had it for alittle over 1 year. i also see no bushing wear yet.
altho as well as positive things to say i also am looking to upgrade soon.
that caster bracket still scares the **** out of me. its thick metal but theres only a few fasteners holding it together.
offroad the geometry of when it flexes scares me to. the caster angle changes as it flexes and at full flex my bumpstops are useless because the axle isnt centered over the top stops. it twists the axle as it flexes and ive been waiting to crack a mount or snap something. going over ( speed bumps, woopty dos, brake bumps, what ever you want to call them ) the jeep will buck and dip down drematicly on the side with out the upper control arm and underly drematic on the driver side. this kit is deffinatly not ment for speed but only straight crawling.
onroad, during extremely hard brakeing the jeep is hard to control. it will flex and swerve side to side. even with a sway bar this still happens enough to make me feel cautious everytime i drive. during hard acceleration the jeep does the same thing. when the front unloads a bit it will get increaseingly harder to control with the more it unloads.
just to clairify, correct allignments/ tire balanceing/ the works, have been done.
appologies for the long post. just giveing the most first hand information i can about this kit. im not trying to encourage/ discourage you from buying this kit just giveing some of the ins and outs.
onroad it rides pretty nicely. altho they overstiffen their springs at 230#. the jeep handles like a racecar with overly dramatic bodyroll. even in extremely tight corners at higher speeds i can still keep all 4 wheels on the ground. im also running no swaybars aswell. the jeep handles bumps with minimal amount of feel. ive had it for alittle over 1 year. i also see no bushing wear yet.
altho as well as positive things to say i also am looking to upgrade soon.
that caster bracket still scares the **** out of me. its thick metal but theres only a few fasteners holding it together.
offroad the geometry of when it flexes scares me to. the caster angle changes as it flexes and at full flex my bumpstops are useless because the axle isnt centered over the top stops. it twists the axle as it flexes and ive been waiting to crack a mount or snap something. going over ( speed bumps, woopty dos, brake bumps, what ever you want to call them ) the jeep will buck and dip down drematicly on the side with out the upper control arm and underly drematic on the driver side. this kit is deffinatly not ment for speed but only straight crawling.
onroad, during extremely hard brakeing the jeep is hard to control. it will flex and swerve side to side. even with a sway bar this still happens enough to make me feel cautious everytime i drive. during hard acceleration the jeep does the same thing. when the front unloads a bit it will get increaseingly harder to control with the more it unloads.
just to clairify, correct allignments/ tire balanceing/ the works, have been done.
appologies for the long post. just giveing the most first hand information i can about this kit. im not trying to encourage/ discourage you from buying this kit just giveing some of the ins and outs.
and not spamming your thread so heres some pics
and at ride hight
03-08-2013, 06:10 AM
#37
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Year: 1997
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Engine: 4.0, comp cam, 99 intake, apn header, neon injectors, Thunderbolt 2.5" High Flow Cat
Allusion, can we get a pic from the front of yours? I'm curious about the flop on your drag link considering the symptoms you've described. Good looking XJ btw.
03-08-2013, 06:59 AM
#38
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0L HO, JBA headers, 99 intake, #703 injectors
these are the only ones i really have. im in the process of figureing out what steering system to run. the hiems on the iro setup are looseing up and wearing out. think i might run a ball joint setup with removable centers so i can swap it out when i swap in a d44 or a d60. since i replaced just about every piece of steering and the same thing happens i can only assume its just how the control arms act under diffrent forces of load. or maybe i have it setup wrong for the application. not so sure anymore. ill figure it out adventualy. maybe ill stop by a big rock and flex out and get real close shots of where the bumps line up.
Last edited by Allusion; 03-08-2013 at 07:04 AM.
03-08-2013, 07:49 AM
#41
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03-08-2013, 07:50 AM
#42
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Engine: 4.0, comp cam, 99 intake, apn header, neon injectors, Thunderbolt 2.5" High Flow Cat
ive run diffrent steering and trac bar setups.
Attachment 179563
Attachment 179562
Attachment 179564
these are the only ones i really have. im in the process of figureing out what steering system to run. the hiems on the iro setup are looseing up and wearing out. think i might run a ball joint setup with removable centers so i can swap it out when i swap in a d44 or a d60. since i replaced just about every piece of steering and the same thing happens i can only assume its just how the control arms act under diffrent forces of load. or maybe i have it setup wrong for the application. not so sure anymore. ill figure it out adventualy. maybe ill stop by a big rock and flex out and get real close shots of where the bumps line up.
Attachment 179563
Attachment 179562
Attachment 179564
these are the only ones i really have. im in the process of figureing out what steering system to run. the hiems on the iro setup are looseing up and wearing out. think i might run a ball joint setup with removable centers so i can swap it out when i swap in a d44 or a d60. since i replaced just about every piece of steering and the same thing happens i can only assume its just how the control arms act under diffrent forces of load. or maybe i have it setup wrong for the application. not so sure anymore. ill figure it out adventualy. maybe ill stop by a big rock and flex out and get real close shots of where the bumps line up.
03-08-2013, 08:04 AM
#43
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For the sake of comparison though, not specific brands, but long arms altogether. I'd like to point out a couple of things.
Yes, Some setups only connect to the upper on the axle on one side, for example the Iron rock Setup which is Radius arm, and all 3 link setups. While most OTHER radius arm setups connect to the axle on top on both sides. I'd prefer the 3 link myself, but alas, I've yet to win the lottery.
Yes, the caster angle does change throughout articulation on the Iron rock setup, as well as all other radius arm setups because they're radius arm and not 3 or 4 link. This includes Iron Rock, Rough Country, Rusty's, Rubicon Express, every radius arm setup out there does that.
I've also seen notice of how the crossmember on this radius arm setup attaches to the unibody. I for one opted to bolt it in, and weld it. Anyone care to describe the mounting solutions for the other radius arm setups?
And yes, all radius arm setups unload, all long arms do really, but radius arms seem to do it more severely.
Again, not bashing or saying one is better than the other, just looking for real world comparisons.
Yes, Some setups only connect to the upper on the axle on one side, for example the Iron rock Setup which is Radius arm, and all 3 link setups. While most OTHER radius arm setups connect to the axle on top on both sides. I'd prefer the 3 link myself, but alas, I've yet to win the lottery.
Yes, the caster angle does change throughout articulation on the Iron rock setup, as well as all other radius arm setups because they're radius arm and not 3 or 4 link. This includes Iron Rock, Rough Country, Rusty's, Rubicon Express, every radius arm setup out there does that.
I've also seen notice of how the crossmember on this radius arm setup attaches to the unibody. I for one opted to bolt it in, and weld it. Anyone care to describe the mounting solutions for the other radius arm setups?
And yes, all radius arm setups unload, all long arms do really, but radius arms seem to do it more severely.
Again, not bashing or saying one is better than the other, just looking for real world comparisons.
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