Control arm drop brackets are used to place the control arms in a better operating angle, hence lowering them. When you go above 3" on a control-armed jeep, the arms are operating at an angle, towards the ground. Road noise is transmitting up these arms and into the chassis, giving you a rougher than normal ride. A control arm that is horizontal will submit road noise to the coil springs/shocks instead, which is how the cherokee/wranglers are designed stock. These drop brackets are not necessary but are worthy of having when going 4.5"+ on short arms. I can't recall the length in relation to the lift but it's something like 1/4" longer per 2 or 3" of lift. Most aftermarket short arms are 1/4" longer than stock.

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_..._arm_drop.html
I've read alot of reviews on these drop brackets and most of them are good reviews stating ride quality has improved using these and no issues with them.

 

muddeprived you are correct 1/4" per 3" of lift..at 2" there isn't much of a need for longer ones. On a 3" lift after market angled and longer LCA's will improve handling and ride quality..If you go above say 4" then yes a drop kit is almost a must in my mind or you will ride rough and be at odd angles..This is why I am going 3" for now and when I can afford to go to 4.5" or higher I am going long arm...

 

WOW! Rough Country's price in the adjustable track are is way better than JKSs. Is their quality close? Im not looking to do anything crazy with this ride so if the quality is less, that fine. As long as it isnt crap. Also, Rough Country's CA drop kit looks good, but Rocky-Roads unit looks beefier. Any thoughts?

 

It's an "ok" trackbar. Theirs uses a regular tie rod type joint at the frame end and poly bushing at the axle end. These are what i call "cheap" joints. Not the best, not the worst, but they do. JKS uses a beefier axle end joint with more travel and also uses a stock style rubber bushing at the axle end, which absorbs road noise better than poly, plus the trackbar itself is very beefy. So JKS is the overall better trackbar but the RC bar will work. I went with JKS because i found it for $150 on ebay. It's normally $200+. If you are on a budget, the RC bar will work.

As for rocky road vs RC, they are both basically the same. They do the same job. it comes down to the company you choose from. RC has very good customer service, while rocky road has it's bumps. I ordered from rocky road before and it wasn't a pleasant experience and i've seen alot of threads regarding their below-average customer service.

 

So RCs quality is good for the price but not the best then? If so, Im probably gonna get everything from them. Im more interested in keeping the cost down than building something that will climb a vertical wall.

 

Then you'll be fine with RC.

 

RC is about in the middle of the pack as far as quality goes.

 

rocky roads customer service is not good...I have their rear shackles and they are solid and look like direct copies of teraflex.. RC has much better customer service...The track bar you get will depend on the intended use..If you are just doing basic trails and nothing overly aggressive then RC would work..if you want to climb on rocks and nasty trails get the JKS..better to spend it now then to have to buy another later..

 

X2. JKS is the top of the heap as far as trackbars go.

 

Is a SYE still needed if I were to install a transfer case drop kit?

 

That's a very subjective question..Some say all you need is a TC drop other say you need an SYE and that the TC Drop is a band aid temp fix...If you are going to do heavy offroad and rock crawling get an SYE for basic trail riding and light offroad tc drop should be fine..This is just my opinion...I am sure others will differ..

 

What he said is true but it's mainly based on if the transfer case drop CAN eliminate the vibes. Sometimes it can't, sometimes it can. So if it does, you are good. If it doesn't then you'll have to get a sye kit to eliminate the vibes or else you'll go through u-joints and have leaky seals in the future.

 

Would it be wise to install the lift and see how much/if it vibrates? Is the vibration the sign that I'd need the TC drop or the SYE? There is about a 3" lift on it now and there are no vibrations. Also, since I bought the Jeep with the lift, how can I tell for sure hoe much of a lift it has? There are 32x11.5x15s on it now and it doesn't rub.

 

Yes you install the lift first then test drive it..If you get vibes then you will need tc drop or SYE.. But those of us with older XJ's can sometimes get away without a tc drop or SYE.Also if you do a 4" or so lift you will likely need shims for the rear to get the rear axle angle set back properpy..My buddy did a 4" lift on his and I think had to add 2 degree shims..

 

Should I bother getting new control arms if I intend to install the CA drop kit? If so, are the RC arms good for what Im using them for?