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Setting up adjustable CA's with tummy tuck

4K views 35 replies 6 participants last post by  Bryand82487 
#1 ·
For all those who have a Tummy tuck when you dialed in your control arms did the lowers end up being close to stock length or less? I've been struggling for 2 days to get mine setup correctly without clearance issues. I've tried starting my lowers at around 16" like most write ups suggest but after setting the pinion angle to roughly 21 degrees my trackbar is slighly touching the top lip of the gas tank skid, and at full stuff its obvious that my wheels are a little to far back in the wheel well. I've also started with the lowers at roughly 15 7/8" with the same result. I believe I need to start off with my lowers at 15 3/4" which is stock length or less, I was just hoping some of you could chime in and tell me if you remember what length your lowers ended up being after it was dialed in. I've got a 3" SL and I know everyone's lengths will vary I just feel like if I knew a good starting point I could save a lot of time. I've just put in a SS SYE, UCF skid, removed D35, put in a D44, and now I'm trying to get my new rear MC CA's and track bar dialed in. Then I will be ready to order new rear drive shaft, and install rear brakes, brake lines, parking brake cables, and UCF engine skid. I haven't had a second set of hands to help with any of this so it's starting to wear me out and I'm beginning to get frustrated since I'm not able to move forward lol. My goal is to get this finished and any bugs worked out before my clubs big ride on May 5th. Any info. that would be helpful would be greatly appreciated!
 
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#2 ·
I dont remember my measurements from eye-to-eye but try and get your bump stops centered on the perch at full bump. IIRC stock lengths are over 16". Your axle will be a hair forward at ride height. If you are hitting the gas tank skid with the track bar, then try to cut a little off the tank skid. I had to cut off around a 1/2" on my savvy skid in order for the track bar to clear it. And even then its still darn close to touching at full stuff. Set your pinion angle with the uppers. WHich will be much longer than stock when its all said and done.
 
#4 ·
The only reason I haven't cut anything off my Savvy skid is because when the track bar was hitting the skid my track bar bracket was also hitting the steel gas lines. If I get to a point where my trackbar is hitting the skid but my trackbar bracket isn't hitting the gas lines then I'll definitely cut the skid.
 

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#3 ·
For all those who have a Tummy tuck when you dialed in your control arms did the lowers end up being close to stock length or less?
It's irrelevant. Set them to get your pumpkin as close to the gas tank skid without interference issues. Your goal is to maintain as much driveshaft length as possible.

Set your pinion angle with the uppers.
You use both uppers and lowers to set pinion angle because you still need to get the wheel placed where you want it in the wheel well.

The axle does not rotate on an exact center when you adjust your control arms. In order to compensate for that, you have to adjust both uppers and lowers to keep your axle centered where you want it.
 
#6 ·
It's irrelevant. Set them to get your pumpkin as close to the gas tank skid without interference issues. Your goal is to maintain as much driveshaft length as possible.



You use both uppers and lowers to set pinion angle because you still need to get the wheel placed where you want it in the wheel well.

The axle does not rotate on an exact center when you adjust your control arms. In order to compensate for that, you have to adjust both uppers and lowers to keep your axle centered where you want it.
Does my pinion angle look about right? Assuming my pinion angle is good and my axle is square, but is too far back all I should have to do is adjust the lower and uppers the same amount on each side until I have no interference issues right? As long as I bring in the uppers the same amount as the lowers the current pinion angle should stay the same right? Then I would verify axle is still centered on bump stops and that the axle is still square. Even though the pinion angle stayed the same I may need to raise it a degree or two since the pinion angle was set previously when the axle was slightly further back from the TC yoke.
 

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#5 ·
Same situation with my lines.

A few zipties solved that problem. They are up on top of the frame now, tank cut, and been running it that way for almost a year now.
 
#9 ·
It is alot of trial and error. But you are definitely close!
 
#16 ·
Hey guys!! I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around measuring for a new drive shaft with out a drive shaft installed. I guess I can't see it in my head and the 90 degree thing is throwing me off. So if you put an angle finder on the pinion yoke, it reads 90 to the left and if you put it on the TC yoke it reads 90 to the right??? The TC yoke points straight out with no angle and the pinion is rotated upwards so it is at an angle. That's where the CV driveshaft comes in.

I know I can get the pinion angle but I don't understand how to get the drive shaft angle with it not being there. Can I just measure from center yoke to center yoke??? I would like it as accurate as possible for ordering correct driveshaft length. Any insight would be helpful. Or just help me understand a little better.

I would like to use more than one method to double check my measurement!!
Thanks.
 
#17 ·
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#20 ·
You can eyeball first. Once you think it is close you can take a piece of PVC and mock that up as a shaft, if the angles are right, go ahead and order your driveshaft. A driveshaft really only has about an 1" of travel between full bump and droop. Companies like mentioned above, will know the exact length you need once they have your initial measurement from yoke to yoke.
 
#26 ·
The aluminum should be ok. If I recall I cut it while everything was buttoned up too. Maybe have a hose nearby just in case....
 
#34 ·
Your uptravel, especially in the rear, will almost certainly be limited by the compressed shocks. You need the shocks in place to help determine your uptravel and to set your bumps.

As it sits right now at bump, what is the measurement between the shock mounts? That will be a good starting point to figure out what you need.
 
#35 ·
to answer the question you PM'd me -
yes, indeed, I fab'd my own track bar to fit....but I'm on 2.5" of lift and have 10" more wheelbase, so my brackets aren't nearly as off as a SWB TJ.

Your best option is to do what we did with hosejockey61's rig and tworley's rig....cut the shock mounts, spring perches, track bar mount and control arm mounts off the axle and the spring perches off the frame. Buy new brackets, fabricate what you have to, then align everything, measure a bunch of times, tack weld in place, cycle the axle a whole bunch of times, repeat the measure/align/tack weld process to make sure, and then once everything fits - call it good and burn the brackets in.

Takes about 2-3 days with 2-3 people. Order two meat-lovers pizza's and have plenty of water/cola/beer available. Hosejockey and I did his rig in a weekend, but there was a lot of prep work ahead of time. tworley's took a little longer because we didn't have the prep work and there was more questions to answer with his setup.
 
#36 ·
Thanks for the great info! I knew Tworley had done this for the coil pads, but I didn't realize it was also done for all the other brackets as well. So this should allow my track bar to clear the cross member since the TB bracket will be rotated back up on top of the axle after the pinion angle is already set right? Would I still use the TB CV relocation bracket or get a non CV relocation bracket?

Unfortunately I don't have any friends that weld. I'm probably going to have to use bump stop for the moment and come back to this.
 
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