Rear pinion angle

Jesse_01 said:

What did everyone adjust their rear pinion angle to when they lifted their JLU?

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wayoflife said:

Unless you installed an aftermarket u-joint style double cardan drive shaft, there's is no need to set your rear pinion angle. IF you did, you would need to adjust your rear upper control arms so that your pinion sits in line with your drive shaft.

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Jesse_01 said:

I had all the rear arms off putting new arms in. So 0* is stock?

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wayoflife said:

No. Stock would have the pinion at the same angle as the output shaft. However, it doesn't really matter with an rzeppa and so setting it in line with your shaft would be okay to do.

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LauraRose said:

Can someone please direct me to where I can learn about exactly what purpose is served by upper and lower, front and rear, adjustable and fixed control arms. I know where they go, but I just don't understand the effect they have on the axl vs. stock.

I'm just trying to make an educated decision before I buy a lift. I am looking at EVO, but there are soooo many combinations of components. Their entry level kits don't come with control arms, some come with only front, some come with all 8. I emailed EVO for advice and they were nice enough to offer to talk to me over the phone to discuss my needs...but I am the type of person who needs to understand how things work, so I want to do some research first.

- My JLUR is my daily driver, only 16 miles round trip to & from work.

- I plan to run 37's with a 2.5" lift, and add longer shocks instead of extensions.

- 99% of my wheeling will be in PA, which means a lot of mud, streams and trails in the woods, not so many rocks to climb. But I will be making a trip to the Promised Land at some point over the next few years and would like to be prepared for anything that I feel I can safely attempt. I've been casually off-roading for nearly 3 decades, so I'm not a newbie.

- I don't ever plan on trying to wheel in anything crazy like (what was) "Little Sleuse", but I just want to buy what I need, no more, NO LESS.

Thank you in advance for any help & guidance!

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wayoflife said:

Honestly, you really don't need adjustable control arms with just 2.5" of lift. IF after you install your lift, you feel like your Jeep tends to feel flighty at highway speeds, a set of adjustable lower arms up front will allow you to dial in a bit more positive caster and that will help tighten things up. IF you install an aftermarket u-joint style double cardan drive shaft, you will NEED to install adjustable rear upper control arms so that you can set your pinion angle in line with your drive shaft. Aside from that, the other arms really aren't necessary.

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LauraRose said:

Thank you for the information!

Stupid ?: why would I need an "aftermarket u-joint style double cardan drive shaft"? Is that for a bigger lift to correct the drive shaft angle?...sorry...

Laura Rose from PA

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wayoflife said:

Yes, mainly would need it up front after installing a taller lift and in the rear if you have a 2-door. Being that both shafts are on the short side, a tall lift - basically, anything 3" or taller would leave your rzeppa joints in a constant state of pinch. This will cause the CV boots to fail prematurely and that in turn will allow the bearings inside to fry.

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