Rough Country drop bracket install w/ pics

Resurrecting this thread from the dead here, but I'm leaning toward picking up a set of RC DBs. I'm currently at about 5" and feel I'm kind of on the edge of needing them (or at least a height where they are a good idea) but I'm concerned that at only 5" the loss of ground clearance would be significant. Can someone who has installed them take a measurement from the bottom of the uni-rail to the bottom the bracket so that I can get a better feel for how far they would hang down on my XJ?

This is predominantly a daily driver/road trip vehicle/dog hauler that gets the occasional trip to Rausch Creek. The DBs seem like a good solution over the cost of long arms, at least at this time. Plus I feel more confident about the higher speed highway manners of DBs over long arms (at least until I get some experience with long arms).

TIA!
 
Blaine B. said:
It drops the hole about 4" so I'd think it sticks out maybe a half of an inch further down than the hole.

Your control arms would be nearly horizontal if you're at 5"!
Click to expand...

Thanks! So it sounds like I might be a bit short for the DBs then.

I have to measure my lift again to verify the height. I'm on RE 3.5s with 1 3/4 spacers and the factory isolators removed in the front and RE 3.5 in the rear with 1 1/2" RR shackles.
 
No, the control arms are horizontal when stock.....so at 5" you're control arm angle would be pretty much at stock with the drop brackets. Which would smooth things out significantly, with the exception of if your coils have a different spring rate than stock. I didn't mean they wouldn't work for you!
 
Blaine B. said:
No, the control arms are horizontal when stock.....so at 5" you're control arm angle would be pretty much at stock with the drop brackets. Which would smooth things out significantly, with the exception of if your coils have a different spring rate than stock. I didn't mean they wouldn't work for you!
Click to expand...

The control arms are perfectly horizontal at 4".
DSCF5755.jpg


DSCF5756.jpg


I know it says 4.5" is required but I ran it with 4". It's working out ok. Drives like a freakin dream. :yelclap:

These should give you an idea how far they stick down:
(first is 32" tire, last two are 31" tire)

DSCF6135.jpg


DSCF5528.jpg


DSCF5529.jpg
 
garr said:
Where would you slip the Nutserts into the unibody?
Click to expand...
Instead of self tappers or nutserts, just drill holes and bolt it on.theres a access hole just back of oemlca bracket.wrap a piece of wire around bolt head, drop it in,tighten nut by hand and pull wire out. did it for my t/c skid works great!
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

muddeprived's pics are worrying me a bit though. They are hanging lower than I was expecting. I may need to rethink this and hold out for long arms.
 
They don't stick down that far. You'd hit something else before hitting the brackets themselves!

Also those arms at 4" aren't perfectly horizontal if you want to be technical! But pretty damn close....... You're right it says 4.5" lifts and above but if it drops the holes down 4" and you run a 4" (measured) lift, that brings the angles back perfectly to stock.
 
Blaine B. said:
They don't stick down that far. You'd hit something else before hitting the brackets themselves!

Also those arms at 4" aren't perfectly horizontal if you want to be technical! But pretty damn close....... You're right it says 4.5" lifts and above but if it drops the holes down 4" and you run a 4" (measured) lift, that brings the angles back perfectly to stock.
Click to expand...

I went out and measured. They are 2 degrees from being parallel. So technically you are right, visually I am right. :looney:
 
Ok so i know this is a newb question... but i will ask anyways even if i look stupid:wave1:... I am currently running a RE 3.5 lift. and the ride is already killing me and from what I can see on my lift is that it already runs higher than spec. So its running arouind 4.25 to 4.5 of lift. So i really want to order these for a better ride. I am thinking about going bigger later but maybe only a inch or 2.
 
jonesinxj said:
Ok so i know this is a newb question... but i will ask anyways even if i look stupid:wave1:... I am currently running a RE 3.5 lift. and the ride is already killing me and from what I can see on my lift is that it already runs higher than spec. So its running arouind 4.25 to 4.5 of lift. So i really want to order these for a better ride. I am thinking about going bigger later but maybe only a inch or 2.
Click to expand...
i don't really see a question. but if it is will this help my ride. then yes it will get you to a near factory ride. and it will get you some extra flex out of the front as well.
 
Funny how things always repeat themselves. Y'all know these are simply EXACT copies of the old TrailMaster brackets from the late 80's early 90's right? I put these on back in 91', besides Rancho's 3" lift these were it! There was no RE, BDS, long arm this or that. Then around 93' -94' Tomken Machine showed up with some actual CA's and whala, an Industry was born.

BTW- These hang up like nobody's business. It doesn't matter they arn't any lower than the rear shocks, these brackets arn't on the same line as the tire, they are behind the tire. So when you come off a rock, BAM! Whereas the rear shocks ride up and down with the rear tire along the same line.

One more thing, why do you think you have to run the support brackets in the rear of the CA brackets? Because of the leverage and beating these things will put on your frame.
 
I have had them for over a year now, and I wheel mine hard, and I don't think I have landed on mine or gotten hung up by them yet yet. I have buddies who wheel with me on long arms that have hit on their long arms where I didn't hit with my drop brackets. Yes they do drop down a lot, but they are pretty much directly under the rear of the front fender well. How many times have you ever high centered or drug in that area? Most of the time if you hit it will be further towards the center of your jeep or the rear.
 
I know we don't have the rocks here on Ohio like you do out west, but I've run mine over a year, probably a dozen wheeling trips, and I've never hung up on em.

Anything that would hit the dropbracket will hit the axle-side mount first, then slide up the arm.

I also know they do hang down some, but I'd still like to see any real measurements compared to longarms:
(1) I'd have to think a longarm is going to run at least 3-4" below the framerail, just to allow for uptravel, and
(2) the LA crossmember is going to hang down, too, and back in the center of the jeep, where you're much more likely to drag, like elite said.

Just my opinion, but I've been thrilled with mine.

Robert
 
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