Upper Control Arm Pockets

prionic1 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:32 pm **Posts:** 79

Sorry if this is yet another over posted question, but I just spent about 4 hours looking over about 300 topics on various websites and have not found an answer.

Upper Control Arm Pockets when installing JBA 4.5 arms. What's the skinny? Some say grind out the pockets, some say don't. Those that do grind them say it will give the arm more room to move and will avoid hearing a clunk of the arm hitting the pocket edge. Those that say don't do it say that the arms will bend the metal anyway and will not damage the arms at all and that you shouldn't do it because your wheels will droop too low and cause binding on the CV.

On the JBA website there is a link to instructions for grinding out the pockets on the UCA page. So Marlin seems to think that you need to. However, AllJ also says that you don't need extended bumpstops with a Frankenlift, and we all know the majority opinion on that topic.

What gives? Who knows? What's the latest consensus?

This is going on a OME Frankenlift with 927s in front.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:09 am

Do not cut them out! With them cut out your suspension may have too much down travel and cause binding in your cv's. There is an old post about it somewhere, they had them cut out, drooped to much and ended up having to reconsruct them. My uca's opened up the pockets themselves with only minor cosmetic damage to the uca itself.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:58 am

Cut mine out about 70,000 miles ago when I installed thye 4.5s not one problem
The ones referenced above was on a 4 inch lift from JBA I think and where they had problems
I can see where you may not want to but then the arm is going to hit the metal and have a pivot point which would not be good. I have cut out every set that I have installed and no one has had a problem so far, all have been wheled and lots of miles on them

prionic1 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:32 pm **Posts:** 79

Haha... yeah this is my point. We'll I'll grind em out and if there are problems which I don't think there will be, I can weld a bracket like they did on that 4in lift.

infernicus · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:19 pm

I "shaved" my pockets because I had forgot to do it while the A-arm's were out.
Definitely a pain to do with the JBA arms installed.
Before my alignment, they were literally resting on the pockets. After the alignment, it wasn't so bad.

Tom, would you happen to have pictures of how much was "cut out" of the pockets?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:05 pm

When did the need for extended front bumpstops become majority opinion? Must've missed the memo on that.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:11 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

When did the need for extended front bumpstops become majority opinion? Must've missed the memo on that.

You have to be a dedicated long time experienced extreme 4 wheeler to need them

just sayin'

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:41 pm

The pockets barely need to be cut. I didn’t cut mine, and there was minor hitting issues. After some wheeling, the a-arms did not hit the pockets anymore.

Ryn7 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:39 pm

I trimmed the openings for the upper control arms on ours and have ZERO problems as far as maximum flex!

ryanee182 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:19 pm

Cut mine out, no clunking noises and no problems so far!

prionic1 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:32 pm **Posts:** 79

Good to hear... now if I just could get a break from work... I just might put my lift on and trim my pockets as well.

jeepetorp · **Posted:** Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:45 am

I cut mine...

I don´t see any trouble, but i´ve only had it a few days yet...
Normaly when you drive whith the swaybar on, it can´t go down too far. But offroadin whithout swaybar may be another story... You´ll hear from me when/if it brake down... :oops:

Upper Control Arm Pockets

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