*ROUGH COUNTRY LONG ARM* install With Pictures.

[muddeprived]

Are the four nuts holding the tranny mount protected from rocks? If not, I can not imagine them lasting very long sliding over rocks. Otherwise I think the kit looks good.

Nope they are as exposed as they can be. Pretty odd since even the stock crossmember covers the nuts. I REALLY wish RC would've used a raised mount where it bolts down instead of having the drivetrain lowered 1" or 1.5" whatever it is. If the drivetrain stayed at stock level then maybe the 242's will fit just fine.

 

[Doctor94R]

Ah hah, so that's what causes the 242's to not allow the skid plate? I have the 242 and bought this kit and am just going to modify what needs to be so I can use the skid.

I think, if what you say is correct, I'm just going to cut out the cross member around the tranny bolt holes, raise it however much it need be by boxing in the outer perimeter with some 3/16 and be done with it. That should give the extra room for the 242 and tuck the mounting bolts up higher out of harms way.


I have a plasma cutter and welder, doing this should be cake.

 

[muddeprived]

Ah hah, so that's what causes the 242's to not allow the skid plate? I have the 242 and bought this kit and am just going to modify what needs to be so I can use the skid.

I think, if what you say is correct, I'm just going to cut out the cross member around the tranny bolt holes, raise it however much it need be by boxing in the outer perimeter with some 3/16 and be done with it. That should give the extra room for the 242 and tuck the mounting bolts up higher out of harms way.


I have a plasma cutter and welder, doing this should be cake.

let us know how it works out. I wanna know if this is why the 242 doesn't work. It's my guess though.

 

[okie 1 ton yj]

I emailed rough country last week asking if they have plans to offer the kit for a xj with a 242. They said that a kit should be available in a couple of months.

 

[jeeperjohn]

Ah hah, so that's what causes the 242's to not allow the skid plate? I have the 242 and bought this kit and am just going to modify what needs to be so I can use the skid.

I think, if what you say is correct, I'm just going to cut out the cross member around the tranny bolt holes, raise it however much it need be by boxing in the outer perimeter with some 3/16 and be done with it. That should give the extra room for the 242 and tuck the mounting bolts up higher out of harms way.


I have a plasma cutter and welder, doing this should be cake.

I suggest countersinking the holes and using countersunk allen head bolts.

 

[Doctor94R]

I suggest countersinking the holes and using countersunk allen head bolts.

And not modify the crossmember by raising the mounting point to try and get the 242 to fit?

As well, since I havent looked yet, does the tranny attach to the crossmember with bolts going through the crossmember into the mount, or with nuts on studs from the tranny? In the pics it looks like nuts on studs... so your suggestion doesn't help me in any way.

 

[muddeprived]

And not modify the crossmember by raising the mounting point to try and get the 242 to fit?

As well, since I havent looked yet, does the tranny attach to the crossmember with bolts going through the crossmember into the mount, or with nuts on studs from the tranny? In the pics it looks like nuts on studs... so your suggestion doesn't help me in any way.

It uses the factory tranny mount studs. You put the nut on just like stock.

I look at the xmember and i can imagine making the same crossmember but about 1" higher, giving more clearance and keeping the driveline at stock height. I still fail to see the purpose of the built-in driveline drop. It kinda screws up the t-case linkage. My only thought on to why is to lower the control arm mounts to gain more clearance between the arms and frame rail.

 

[SWelte]

The crossmember drop works for me (I may be the only one). The reason being when I built my cage and mounted suspension seats to the cage I had to cut the tunnel, box it in so the seats could be set at the right height. This in turn made it a must for the transfer case to be 1" lower for clearance. When I called RC and found out it dropped the drivetrain I was stoked to find this out because it is the only long arm kit on the market that will work with my set up. Also if you are not running a SYE the drop will keep vibs to a minimum. As for the trans mount studs being exposed, I am looking at fabing up a skid plate (box) to protect from rock damage. I can't wait to up grade to this kit.

Rough Country customer service is second to none. I have used there kits on two rigs and when I had questions or issues they stepped up and made it right. So this was the second reason I was excited it was Rough Country that came out with this up grade kit for my current 4" kit.

 

[Doctor94R]

Here's what I did. Pics are from my camera phone, but you get the idea. I do kick myself for the welds looking like shit. Went to weld it up and discovered I left the regulator on last time I welded. So I was left with my cheap-ass HF 220V flux core welder. It worked, penetrated fine, but like any HF welder it popped, paused, stalled out etc, though it worked fine for the most part.

Raised the mounting position about 1.5". Should take care of the driveline drop and hopefully allow the 242 to fit. If not I can modify the TC skid.

I only used a plasma, air grinder, and welder. So I didn't smooth the rough plasma edges, just ground off the powder coat. It's not going to be seen, only has to be functional I also welded the inside of the mount around the bottom for full welds top and bottom, just no pics of the underside.

Since this isn't my thread I'm only gonna post the result pics. I'm not gonna do another install thread since there's now enough so this is the next best place.

 

[muddeprived]

I hope maybe rough country will see this. Maybe they will change their crossmember and put the drivetrain back where it should be.

 

[jeeperjohn]

And not modify the crossmember by raising the mounting point to try and get the 242 to fit?

As well, since I havent looked yet, does the tranny attach to the crossmember with bolts going through the crossmember into the mount, or with nuts on studs from the tranny? In the pics it looks like nuts on studs... so your suggestion doesn't help me in any way.

My point was whatever mounting configuration you end up with, countersunk bolts will not get hung up on the rocks etc.

 

[Doctor94R]

John, I got your point, but telling me that, with the way our tranny's bolt up, doesn't apply.



Kit is on. Raising the mounting position helped with keeping the tranny/TC higher for sure and it did allow the 242 to fit. However, since I have stiffners I had to be creative with a few things. For instance, I couldn't use the flag nuts and bolts so I used the self-tappers from the TC skid plate for that, which means I'll have to find some more self-tappers and mount the TC skid later.

Oh, and the quality control with the hardware for the kit was somewhat lacking. I had bolts I didn't need, and one bolt I needed but didn't have. Then there was nut for one of the frame brackets that was either metric and the bolts are standard, or vise versa (I didn't verify), but it sure as hell was the wrong threads.

 

[muddeprived]

I've been running this kit for a while now and stumped on this issue I have with it. I've been over every single bolt twice with the torque wrench but i'm still getting this banging noise underneath the center console/rear seat everytime I hit a bump or dip in the road. My shocks were hitting the mounts on the axle so I had to chop them up some but I can't see anything else hitting anything. This clunk is driving me nuts.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

is the exhaust hitting the crossmember?

 

[muddeprived]

is the exhaust hitting the crossmember?

Nope. That's the first thing I thought of. It clears everything all the way back.

 

[DirtBound]

Nope they are as exposed as they can be. Pretty odd since even the stock crossmember covers the nuts. I REALLY wish RC would've used a raised mount where it bolts down instead of having the drivetrain lowered 1" or 1.5" whatever it is. If the drivetrain stayed at stock level then maybe the 242's will fit just fine.

some beadlock dome washers would work great to keep those bolts protected... :]

 

[praetorian]

I've been running this kit for a while now and stumped on this issue I have with it. I've been over every single bolt twice with the torque wrench but i'm still getting this banging noise underneath the center console/rear seat everytime I hit a bump or dip in the road. My shocks were hitting the mounts on the axle so I had to chop them up some but I can't see anything else hitting anything. This clunk is driving me nuts.

How are you engine and transmission mounts? Did it start after you installed the kit or did it just get worse?

 

[muddeprived]

How are you engine and transmission mounts? Did it start after you installed the kit or did it just get worse?

I noticed it after the kit was installed. There were loud bangs on every bump and i found that my shocks were hitting the shock mounts on the axle due to the pinion tilt so I shaved down the shocks so they clear now (and also put on some bpe's up top) but i still get that annoying bang. It feels like a shock with a bad bushing, metal to metal feeling. It won't do it on simple bumps or going slow but is noticeable on harsh bumps with speed. I can't imitate the noise unless i'm driving it on a bumpy road so I can't really figure out where it's coming from when i'm under there looking. I feel it very strongly when my arms on the center console. It comes up through there so I'm thinking it's coming from the xmember or rear.


I peeked at my engine mounts the other day and they looked solid. Tranny mount looked fine when I unbolted the stock crossmember.

 

[96sport]

Look at your crossmember where it's knotched out for your front driveline. My front driveline yoke was hitting when I would hit bumps in the road. So I knotched it out a little more. Here is the pic where I was hitting.

 

[muddeprived]

Look at your crossmember where it's knotched out for your front driveline. My front driveline yoke was hitting when I would hit bumps in the road. So I knotched it out a little more. Here is the pic where I was hitting.

Hmm i'll take a look at it tomorrow.