4" lift. Replacing front lower control arms enough?
 

I talked with a local shop about having a 4 inch lift installed on my 2014 JKU Rubicon and got the wife to agree to the price. It will include adjustable trackbars front and rear but they are telling me I can get away with only replacing the front lower control arms ( to correct caster angle ). How big of a deal is it to leave the other ones stock? This is a daily driver that also does some moderate rock crawling on the weekends. I can't spend another 1k$ replacing all 8 arms right now but I can probably swing a little extra if needed. Thinking maybe the front and rear lowers?

Thanks for any input.

Owen

They are giving you decent advice.

But, at four inches. When you do buy more control arms, drivelines will be going on as well.

Be prepared for people asking why you are going so tall, especially when choosing a cheaper, obviously incomplete, lift... :D


No problem starting with front lowers, then adding uppers later. The first pair lets you set the caster, the second pair will let you move the entire axle forward/backward and fine tune the angles. And remember that up front at that height, you will have the trade-off between good caster (flighty steering) and good pinion angle (vibes).

For the rear, the lowers will be set shorter than stock, minimally reducing the wheelbase. Some feel that uppers are the better choice. But with a 4door, you could wait on a rear set if you need to.

As noted, check clearances on the driveshafts, and keep an eye on the front joint at the tcase. Don't be shocked when it starts spitting out all of its grease, and have an idea of what you want to do when it does.

You might also want to do some reading on draglink flips, since it doesn't sound like that lift comes with one? And a rear raised trackbar bracket? And longer brakelines or brackets? And. Lots to think about with taller lifts.

If you are looking at a Rough Country or Rubicon Express lift then I would do some serious research before pulling the trigger. Typically at 4" if you want to have a good safe reliable ride you replace just about everything under the jeep. You have not mentioned tire size either and unless you are running 37"+ rubber there is no need to be so high. Drop brackets may be a good alternative for you as well since it is mainly a daily driver.

Click on the link in my signature for some more explanations on lifts.

I concur. I did 4.5" and replaced everything. I did both upper and lower control arms in order to position my axles the way I wanted them and set alignment specs the way I like them. Steering is a big concern so make sure you spend the money to do it right. You will have less headaches going forward if you have everything done up front rather than piecing things together as you go.

These guys are right. Even running 3" springs I ended up doing draglink flip and raised front trackbar bracket, rear raised trackbar bracket, all adjustable arms for castor and setting the wheelbase, brakelines, driveshafts, and relocating the front shock mounts outboard. Some of thee items were to fix handling issues and others we just downright necessary.

I would spend the trackbar $$ you have allocated on a front and rear raised trackbar brackets and a highsteer instead. These will get your axle centered again or close to it with stock trackbars and fix the handling issues the adjustable trackbars won't fix at all.

Thanks for all the advice guys. After doing a little more research I'm going to be adding a new front driveshaft and both front lower and upper adjustable control arms to the initial setup. He thinks the break line drop brackets I have from my 2.5" lift will be enough but is going to check all the lines at flex in the shop. I'm prepared for the possibility of more work in the future if necessary.