ANOTHER Rocky Road warning

kj lad · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:02 pm

I ordered the replacement a arms from Rocky Road in February last year. I have just checked the rubber seals and they are BOTH split and the gease has oozed out. I reckon that I have a few weeks before the ball joints fail.

Rocky Road claim these are OEM parts. The ball joint seals are NOT as flexible as the OEM ones available in the UK (could be different in the USA?).

My advice is STAY CLEAR. In my opinion, they are cheap for a reason!

I run a daystar 2.5 inch lift on a diesel KJ. I've just ordered jeepin als a arms. Hopefully I'll get more than 1 year (12,000 miles) out of them......

Ian

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:10 pm

kj lad wrote:

I ordered the replacement a arms from Rocky Road in February last year. I have just checked the rubber seals and they are BOTH split and the gease has oozed out. I reckon that I have a few weeks before the ball joints fail.

Rocky Road claim these are OEM parts. The ball joint seals are NOT as flexible as the OEM ones available in the UK (could be different in the USA?).

My advice is STAY CLEAR. In my opinion, they are cheap for a reason!

I run a daystar 2.5 inch lift on a diesel KJ. I've just ordered jeepin als a arms. Hopefully I'll get more than 1 year (12,000 miles) out of them......

Ian

Yep RR os bad news.

You'll be very happy with Al's UCA's,the Gen IV arms are beefy,the balljoints are greaseable(best to pump a few shots of grease every oil change) and they are replaceable as well.They are MOOG's.

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:30 pm

GOD I wish Al's arms were cheaper. :evil:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:59 pm

Prospect62 wrote:

GOD I wish Al's arms were cheaper. :evil:

There not that more expensive then a pair of OEM UCA's.

medic9402 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:28 am

I dropped this on another thread but thought I might say it again. My Al's A-arms are gonna be in either the 5th or 6th and I was wondering if anyone has done a detailed write-up of the install with photos? If not, I will take lots of pics and post them after the install........

Thanks!

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:26 am

Troy,

I just had my alignment done since my OME lift and new rubber and wheels put on. All went well but the mechanic said the Caster was off pretty good. that it should not effect tire wear but that he could not do anything more about it. Said the computer told him to adjust the upper conrol arms but that on a KJ they are not adjustable. Is this correct?

If not then how?

If it is correct then will Al's gen 6 uppers address this issue? and has anybody else heard this.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:59 am

medic9402 wrote:

I dropped this on another thread but thought I might say it again. My Al's A-arms are gonna be in either the 5th or 6th and I was wondering if anyone has done a detailed write-up of the install with photos? If not, I will take lots of pics and post them after the install........

Thanks!

I just intstalled my a-arms too, did it myself. There isn't a write up on it, so it might not be a bad idea. You will need an 18mm socket to get the nuts off. For the rear nuts, I took some of Beepbeepjeepjeep's advice and ran the ratchet extensions forward towards the front of the engine bay (along the brake lines), instead of up towards the hood. Made it a lot easier to break the nuts loose and ratchet them with my set up. Also take some advice from TJKJ and remove the 10mm tiny bolt holding the brake line where it crosses from inside to outside the fender wall. This gives a bit more room to move the lines around and get the a-arm bolts out.

meh_kick · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:29 am

WoodysKJ wrote:

Troy,

I just had my alignment done since my OME lift and new rubber and wheels put on. All went well but the mechanic said the Caster was off pretty good. that it should not effect tire wear but that he could not do anything more about it. Said the computer told him to adjust the upper conrol arms but that on a KJ they are not adjustable. Is this correct?

If not then how?

If it is correct then will Al's gen 6 uppers address this issue? and has anybody else heard this.

The top of your tires/wheels will usually be a little too far in (positive camber) with stock arms. Since JBAs (Gen IV now) arms are a little longer, your alignment shop should be able to adjust to proper camber again.

(PS There is no way to adjust the upper arms - the LOWERS are adjusted by cam bolts)

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:05 am

Al's Arms Rock. I bought them when my stock UBJ's failed and wish I had done it sooner!

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:38 am

meh_kick wrote:

WoodysKJ wrote:

Troy,

I just had my alignment done since my OME lift and new rubber and wheels put on. All went well but the mechanic said the Caster was off pretty good. that it should not effect tire wear but that he could not do anything more about it. Said the computer told him to adjust the upper conrol arms but that on a KJ they are not adjustable. Is this correct?

If not then how?

If it is correct then will Al's gen 6 uppers address this issue? and has anybody else heard this.

The top of your tires/wheels will usually be a little too far in (positive camber) with stock arms. Since JBAs (Gen IV now) arms are a little longer, your alignment shop should be able to adjust to proper camber again.

(PS There is no way to adjust the upper arms - the LOWERS are adjusted by cam bolts)

I know all that. Please read my post. Camber and Toe were set with in specs just fine. It was the CASTER that is difficult to set.

Will the Gen 6 A Arms allow for myre CASTER adjustment?

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:50 am

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

Al's Arms Rock. I bought them when my stock UBJ's failed and wish I had done it sooner!

If they were just cheaper...why do they cost so much? Why Jeepin Al??!! WHHHYYYYYY???!!!! :cry:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:06 pm

Quote:

It was the CASTER that is difficult to set.

The guy that did your alignment was a idiot then or you have something bent on the cradle.There is no way to make the UCA's adjustable and all is set from the 4 cam bolts holding the LCA's on.My alignment is almost zero'd out with my Al's arms(GENII),meaning right in the middle of the safe zones.Doing a front alignment on a KJ is not fun,if the place has a alignment rack worth a darn it will tell them exactly how to do the alignment and is pretty idiot proof.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:09 pm

Prospect62 wrote:

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

Al's Arms Rock. I bought them when my stock UBJ's failed and wish I had done it sooner!

If they were just cheaper...why do they cost so much? Why Jeepin Al??!! WHHHYYYYYY???!!!! :cry:

HMMMM.......They are not that much more expensive them OEM UCA's,the cheapest I have ever seen OEM UCA's is about $165 each,it's only $70 more for AL's arms.How many times do you see a better product sell for cheaper then the not so great product that serve the same function? Same goes for UCA's.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:20 pm

I just odered a set a few minutes ago and the price was $398.99 with shipping.

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:31 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

There not that more expensive then a pair of OEM UCA's.

They are darn near double the price of two new UCA's I can get at my neighborhood Advance Auto ($102 ea)!

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDeta ... ber=FA4092

I just wish they were a bit more comparable in price. I'm not asking for them to be cheaper than OEM. And I'm not trying to diminish their worth. Al's arms are the cat's booty! They are a superior design and craftsmanship. I'm not arguing that at all.

I know...you got to pay to play, and all that. I know, I know. Just saying.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:35 pm

Supply and demand is what it is, plenty of places have stock, how many have them for a Lifted KJ....still counting? :wink:

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:37 pm

I know. I get it. Wishful thinking out loud is all. Sorry, I'll stop doing that.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:40 pm

Prospect62 wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

There not that more expensive then a pair of OEM UCA's.

They are darn near double the price of two new UCA's I can get at my neighborhood Advance Auto ($102 ea)!

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDeta ... ber=FA4092

I just wish they were a bit more comparable in price. I'm not asking for them to be cheaper than OEM. And I'm not trying to diminish their worth. Al's arms are the cat's @$#%! They are a superior design and craftsmanship. I'm not arguing that at all.

I know...you got to pay to play, and all that. I know, I know. Just saying.

Just to let you know those are cheap knock-offs of the OEM UCA's,hence the lower cost.Probally made by the same place that RRO gets there junk ones from.OEM UCA's are made by TRW(MOOG) and can be had at places like Napa,Carquest where they sell TRW/MOOG parts and are about $165(last I had seen,ask USAFCOP,he bought 2 a MOAB last year from Carquest).

ANOTHER Rocky Road warning

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