Anyone getting tire rubbing with Al's Upper A-Arms?

GilaMonster · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:01 pm

I've got the Frankenlift II and installed Al's Upper A-Arms, just recently put new tires on that are 240/75/16 BFG/AT KOs. I've got some tire rubbing on the A-Arms (rear area), and on the sway bar too (I expected this).
I'm just wondering if this is to be expected or experianced by anyone else.

Additionaly, it is a CRD, so it may just be another "CRD Thing".

steepcreekfreak · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:06 pm

yeah i had it after my alignment. I had to get spacers. Then I had to do accessive trimming due to rubbing. I think you need just the right backspace to get it of the arm but not to much or you rub really bad.

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:38 pm

Yep, the BFG AT's are real squared, mine rubbed too. Actually while in 4wd, I still rub at full lock with the mtrs too. Only on sway bar though.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

I get rubbing on mine. I just live with it. It is not much-- the alignment I got at Desert Rat took care of most of it. I think it is a CRD with 2.5 inch lift thing.

Johnboy · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:37 am

GilaMonster wrote:

I've got the Frankenlift II and installed Al's Upper A-Arms, just recently put new tires on that are 240/75/16 BFG/AT KOs. I've got some tire rubbing on the A-Arms (rear area), and on the sway bar too (I expected this).
I'm just wondering if this is to be expected or experianced by anyone else.

Additionaly, it is a CRD, so it may just be another "CRD Thing".

I assume you meant 245/70/16? I just lifted (the new shorter FLII + clevis and an extra isolator) and am getting tires soon. From thousands of hours of reading on LOST trying to decide what size tire to go with, I can not believe you are rubbing wiht 245/70/16 and a FL? 245/75/16 and there would be a good chance for rubbing (this is all from what I have gathered reading, I still have 225/75/16....). i do not have Als upper A arms, but I will when the UBJ needs replaced. Or if it wears tires to fast due to being out of camber.

Well, if your FL'ed CRD is rubbing with 245/70/16s so much for trying 255/70/16's on mine.

GilaMonster · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:18 pm

Johnboy wrote:

GilaMonster wrote:

I've got the Frankenlift II and installed Al's Upper A-Arms, just recently put new tires on that are 240/75/16 BFG/AT KOs. I've got some tire rubbing on the A-Arms (rear area), and on the sway bar too (I expected this).
I'm just wondering if this is to be expected or experianced by anyone else.

Additionaly, it is a CRD, so it may just be another "CRD Thing".

I assume you meant 245/70/16? I just lifted (the new shorter FLII + clevis and an extra isolator) and am getting tires soon. From thousands of hours of reading on LOST trying to decide what size tire to go with, I can not believe you are rubbing wiht 245/70/16 and a FL? 245/75/16 and there would be a good chance for rubbing (this is all from what I have gathered reading, I still have 225/75/16....). i do not have Als upper A arms, but I will when the UBJ needs replaced. Or if it wears tires to fast due to being out of camber.

Well, if your FL'ed CRD is rubbing with 245/70/16s so much for trying 255/70/16's on mine.

You are correct, I am running 245/70/16 and am getting the rubbing on the upper A-Arms and swaybar links.
I guess it is just par for running the bigger tires and lift. I too selected this size because I had read (hell discount tires even said they would fit without any rubbing) others were running them without any rubbing. I don't know what to tell you because it seems that results one gets from lifting/tires seems to be approximate to others, not definate.
If it helps any in your decisions, I only get rubbing at full lock. I'm really happy with the tires and have had great results with them on other 4x4s.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:25 pm

Make them take them back and give you 235/75/16...a bit less wide but a bit taller...

With a Frankie II are you sure you aren't running 245/75/16's? If the 245/70/16's are rubbing it could be because when you lift that tall, the tires get pulled in closer to suspension parts. I used the OME without the internal puc and it works great...it is the new setup AllJs suggests.

Pote · **Posted:** Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:19 pm

strange...I'm running 245/70/16 ATs with a big square shoulder on them on an unlifted 03 sport and have absolutely zero rubbing anywhere...I wonder why he's rubbing with this tire size on a lifted KJ. Even going to 75s it's still around a 30.5" tire ... No????

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:23 pm

Pote wrote:

strange...I'm running 245/70/16 ATs with a big square shoulder on them on an unlifted 03 sport and have absolutely zero rubbing anywhere...I wonder why he's rubbing with this tire size on a lifted KJ. Even going to 75s it's still around a 30" tire and can almost fit under a stock KJ. No????

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

tjkj2002 wrote:

Pote wrote:

strange...I'm running 245/70/16 ATs with a big square shoulder on them on an unlifted 03 sport and have absolutely zero rubbing anywhere...I wonder why he's rubbing with this tire size on a lifted KJ. Even going to 75s it's still around a 30" tire and can almost fit under a stock KJ. No????

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

Any estimate on how far in a 2.5" lift brings the fronts? Haven't done geometry since high school and haven't measured everything.

Pote · **Posted:** Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:36 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

Pote wrote:

strange...I'm running 245/70/16 ATs with a big square shoulder on them on an unlifted 03 sport and have absolutely zero rubbing anywhere...I wonder why he's rubbing with this tire size on a lifted KJ. Even going to 75s it's still around a 30" tire and can almost fit under a stock KJ. No????

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

thanks TJKJ....love learning about this stuff.

Joe Jeeper · **Posted:** Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:07 pm

I have a little rubbing on the upper control arm rear none on sway bar, I have 5mm spacers on (3/16") can't go any further my tires just clear stuffing in the pockets on articulation. Joe

cowpie · **Joined:** Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 26

I put Al's upper arms on my liberty in February of '06. I have 265/75/16 Nitto Terragrapplers which I installed in May of '05.

When turning sharp, the inside sidewall of my tires rubs the rear of the upper arm. I have put on almost 50,000 miles now with these upper arms, and it doesn't seem that the rubbing has caused any damage. I repaint the rear of the A arm about once a month just to keep it from rusting, but before I know it, the tires tear all the paint off again.

The good thing about the Al's arms is that the tire doesn't rub the upper ball joint bung. On the stock upper arms, there tire sidewall rubbed the edge of the arm right above the ball joint at anything over 1" droop. The Al's arms don't rub the sidewall even at full droop.

nlife · **Joined:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:43 pm **Posts:** 226

tjkj2002 wrote:

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

Where would you get the longer LCA's?

N

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:47 pm

nlife wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

Where would you get the longer LCA's?

N

Nowhere,nobody makes them and since they are a major load bearing item they should be casted which would be very expensive to have some prototypes made.Oh and then you would need longer CV's made and that's not cheap either.

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

Has anyone measured how much the fronts are pulled in after lifting?

nlife · **Joined:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:43 pm **Posts:** 226

tjkj2002 wrote:

nlife wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

The reason he has rub and you don't is that when you lift a IFS without adding longer LCA's as well as longer UCA's(Al's a-arms) it sucks the wheels closer to the inside of the vehicle,thus getting rub with the factory rims and bigger tires.It's also common to get rub on the front swaybar to with the stock rims and bigger tires.

Where would you get the longer LCA's?

N

Nowhere,nobody makes them and since they are a major load bearing item they should be casted which would be very expensive to have some prototypes made.Oh and then you would need longer CV's made and that's not cheap either.

So would I be correct in saying that the lift only allows for minimal increase in tire size? e.g. about a 1/2"-1"

N

Johnboy · **Posted:** Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:30 pm

cowpie wrote:

I put Al's upper arms on my liberty in February of '06. I have 265/75/16 Nitto Terragrapplers which I installed in May of '05.

When turning sharp, the inside sidewall of my tires rubs the rear of the upper arm. I have put on almost 50,000 miles now with these upper arms, and it doesn't seem that the rubbing has caused any damage. I repaint the rear of the A arm about once a month just to keep it from rusting, but before I know it, the tires tear all the paint off again.

The good thing about the Al's arms is that the tire doesn't rub the upper ball joint bung. On the stock upper arms, there tire sidewall rubbed the edge of the arm right above the ball joint at anything over 1" droop. The Al's arms don't rub the sidewall even at full droop.

Did you ever get coil-UBJ or UCA contact before the longer UCA? I have had the FL on for 1.5 months and have ruined the boot on one, nearly 2 UBJ's. So I have to get longer upper control arms to get new UBJ and hopefully fix the contact. My FL II is 2nd generation (or whatever they call the ones with out internal spacers) which is why I dont understand the contact issue. I have not even gotten tires yet, I need to adress the contact that has ruined my UBJ's.

I am plannig on taking a bunch of pics and posting a comprehensive post to ask everybody what they think. All in due time...

Anyone getting tire rubbing with Al's Upper A-Arms?

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