Ok some background. I purchased and installed a Tuff Country 3.5" lift with solid LCA's(junk, will never buy TC again). After a few months of wheeling, i have discovered that my 3.5" lift settled down to about 2.75". I want to put my spring spacers back in to get me an additional 1.5" and purchase lift shckles for the rear. Do i need to get adjustable LCA's to keep the front axle centered or am I ok with the fixed ones at that height?

 

drop brackets will let you do more without replacing the lowers. but I would think you're getting close to need them at that height. your axle is already pulled back close to an inch I would think

 

Lift...........Lower Control Arms/Upper Control Arms
********Decimal**Fraction**Decimal**Fraction
Stock........15.75.......15 ¾........15.00.......15
2”.............15.92.......16............14.88 .... ...15
3”.............16.09.......16............14.92 .... ...15
4”.............16.33.......16 3/8......15.03.......15
4.5”..........16.47.......16 ½........15.11.......15
5”.............16.62.......16 5/8......15.21.......15 ¼
6”.............16.97.......17............15.44 .... ...15 ½
7”.............17.36.......17 3/8......15.74.......15 ¾
8”.............17.81.......17 ¾........16.09.......16
9”.............18.30.......18 ¼........16.50.......16 ½
10”...........18.82.......18 ¾........16.96.......17

 

Here is a lift chart

 

3.5 if you want perfect axle placement.

 

Ive got the LCA's that came with the TC lift, so they are for a 3.5 lift. It sounds like it will be pulled back about a 1/2 inch or so according to cruisers table. so either drop brackets or adjustables. Thanks guys.

 

Drop brackets will push the axle too far forward if use with AM LCA.

Are you looking to gain height back or go higher than at first. Because if your suspension is sagging, adding spacers and shackles will only wear them out fast, shackles more so than the spacers. This might be the point where you buy a quality lift and cut your loses. Starting to put band aids on a stab wound is just wasting time and resources. Go quality one time and be done with it instead of next year posting a new thread, "what next?"

 

You will also lose clearance with drop brackets. If your springs settled that much that quick expect more cheap made in China I bet. When you look for new springs coils and leafs go Rustys good quality and made in NA mine have been good for almost 4 yrs now.

 

Thanks for the ideas. The TC was all i could afford at the time, so this is more of a 2-3 year fix until i can get the funds to go to a high quality lift.

 

Just put on RC's control arm drop bracket and ditched the fixed control arms for adjustable ones. It rides so much better now, being able to adjust the control arms to your needs is definitely worth the money.

 

Good idea