xjnoob

So i bought a 99 cherokee sport from a guy and he said that it has a rough country 3 inch lift. It had stock rims on it then i purchased and installed cragars . the current tire size is 31x10.5 on 15in wheels. i had to cut part of the inner fenders where the tire was rubbing and i was down underneath there and realized that there is no aftermarket lower control arms. They are all factory stamped cheap ones. but the truck has RC shocks and an extra leaf in the back. I was putting my guess on that the lift that is on the truck is an older version when RC products sucked and that possibly that kit didnt come with LCA's. I was just wondering since i cant find anything about the old lift kits they used to sell since all the new ones show up when i try to search. Which the new ones do come with the tubular LCAs. Just wanted to ask and clear this up if anyone has any input.

Thanks

VTJeep

My input is to just get some LCA's? No reason to worry about why they aren't aftermarkets on there yet.. Idk..

NorCalJeep

Just buy new lower control arms

EXJAY01

He probably put this on which doesnt come with them.

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_3.html

OEJ

and get id of that add a leaf sh!te

GRIMUS99XJ

if you get a moment give me a call and I can try to get all your questions answered

thanks
Jason

Keaton

Theres no way to tell what it actually is. He could have bought RC shocks and done a bastard pack or crappy brand add a leaf and called it a "Rough Country" lift. Ya never know man. I never trust a damn thing craigslisters say unless i have proof.

Does it have aftermarket coils and if so do they say RC on them?

ericfx1984

there really is nothing the matter with a full length Add-a-Leaf, so long as your leafs are in good shape to begin with?

how many AAL setups have you owned, installed, used, seen in person?

I am running RC 4.5 coils in the front, rc 3" AAL, with RC extended shackles, and home made shackle relocation boxes (perfect 45° resting shackle angle).

when I first installed it it sat a little high in the rear, it has since settled to right at 4.75", been that way through quite a few wheeling trips and around 20,000 miles...

it rides smooth, most people have said it's one of the best riding Jeeps they have ever rode it, it also is one of the uglier ones in my opinion...

get a short AAL, saggy leafs poor shackle angle and a crappy set of shocks and you are going to hate AALs

however: correct the shackle angle, get full length AALs and start with leafs that are not beat to hell and you will be happy

in short you are just repeating what you have heard, not what you know to be true from experience.

And to those that are swearing by bastard packs, think about it, a bastard pack is just a 'junk yard' AAL

OEJ

Whatever dude.just because you have one doesn't mean its GOD.
while agree that if anyone is goin to go adl they should do the long version, i was goin to do that myself. but after researching the issue i decided not to CHEAP OUT and save some extra money up to get full packs.

so dont single me out. your the only one on here thats deffending them. you and everyone else who went add a leaf.

To the o/p. Mr. 2038 posts is correct in saying that if your stock leafs are in good shape they wont sag with the long stlye adl. but they will eventually. if your goin through all that agravation of removing your old leafs,taking them apart then reinstalling them; why not just replace them and be done with it. I always say..."you can't fix stupid"

and yet none of this has anything to do with your orginal inquiery. so for that i appologize.
i'm done.

1976Mustang

PO put that exact same lift and exact same size tires on my '92, I don't really have a rubbing issue with the fenders on the front (Do on the back due to flat leaf springs), but i do have the same control arm issue.

It'll be fine if you remember NOT to turn too sharp.

ericfx1984

OEJ, trust me, I am not singling you out... I have dealt with both full packs and AAL, full packs are better, sure, but AAL is not an end all, in many cases they work fine.

Yes an AAL is going to have a bad shackle angle, but if you plan to run shackle relocation boxes anyway, it does not matter.

most of the people that complain about AAL started with a leaf spring that was worn out, got the cheapest shocks they could find, ran a short AAL, tightened the shackle and leafs in the air, over tightened the shackles and leafs, do not know how to measure

as for cheap, yep, you have no idea, almost nothing I did not cut, weld, chop, grind, and what not. What I did not mod or build I got from craigslist and the local jeep club, even built my frame side control arm bracket, track bar and frame side trackbar mount

Here is my Jeep on the 30° RTI ramp, with stock bump stops. I hope to work out the bump stops and hit it again...

http://s759.photobucket.com/albums/x...jeep%20lifted/


What I am trying to say is if you want to spend the money fine. I plan to do the same myself one day, if I need to, but don't talk about something you read about, talk about something you did. I mean if you don't have first hand knowledge then you don't really know. the problem is at that point you are leading people to believe that you DO have first hand knowledge, not second hand, then people act on it, then they spread it, then someone else acts on it, see what I am getting at here?

ericfx1984

just adjust the stops on your calipers

OEJ

fair enough.

Its just with AAL i feel that second hand knowlegde can be exceptable to a point because of all the pics and complaints i've seen. I mean i truly read countless threads trying to find more good reviews than bad...just so i could justify to myself; that it was cool to get it. but i didn't find that...lol.

i do get your point and agree that overall 2nd hand knowledge is NOT knowing 1st hand true everyday experience.

ericfx1984

If it's done right and within the products limits you will be happy.

Also if you have a bad experience with anything you tell several people, who then tell several people, who tell a few more people, and so on, and so forth.

but for some reason if we have a good experience we rarely mention that.

VTJeep

Well since the OP seems to be long gone, I got a quick question. I have "newish" OEM leaf packs that have about 10 to 15,000 miles on, there is some negative camber, is it really worth getting an AAL or should I go full old man emu 2 inch leaf packs? (I have a budget boost now but I'm looking to just get rid of the shackle in favor for a good leaf pack.)