IRO Adjustable Control Arms Install HELP!!....

[Hanna]

Hey all.

Finally got around to start installing my IRO adjustable control arms (front upper and lower and rear lower) when I ran into a bit of a snag. I started with the rears first as I thought they'd be easy and then realised that you need 6 spacers in total that come with the arms to make them fit. No dramas, I say - I'll use some of the spacers.

Then I realised that I was given 6 and that I needed all 6 just for the rear arms, leaving me none leftover for the front!!

Just as a sanity check, I measured the front mount spacing and sure enough, I need 6 for the front too.... Pissed off!!

Considering I was installing them mainly to deal with my uneven wheelbase issue and driveline angles up front, I'm now going to have to put the rear back together and start again at the front, or otherwise I'll have to wait until I can get some more spacers.

Anyone have any other suggestions before I put it all back together?

Also - can anyone confirm that IRO adjustable lower CA's are the same for the front and rear and also which way they should face? i.e. adjustment end on the diff or the body mount?

Cheers,
Hanna

[Hanna]

Anyone? Fester - you're usually up with this kind of stuff?...

[timbotrog]

IRO say they are the same, with the same part numbers but JKS say they are different and explicitly say they aren't interchangable.

I know yours are IRO not JKS, but there has to be a reason for it? Do you have 4 that are identical?

Also the fixed end of the adjustable arm goes to the chassis end of the vehicle, that way you can adjust the end onto the axle correctly.

Sort of sums up the question I had about your install.

[turbomart]

Yeah i put the adjustable ends on the diff.
I reckon the rears are a slightly different length although there would be enough adjustment to compensate.
I made spacers from heavy wall pipe cut to length with a drop saw. The spacer width isnt critical.

[fester]

Didn't jump in to answer as I Can't really answer your question fully unfortunately as I don't have IRO rears. I started with a second hand set of IRO non adjustable rears (which I felt were to long) then came across a cheap set of JKS adjustable rears. Not sure why the JKS ones are different (front to back) but could have something to do with the fact they can twist. Looking at the non adjustable IRO's I still have I see no reason why they have to be different.

I don't see how it really matters which way they face but as timbo indicated they are easier to set up with the adjustable end facing the diff and that's the way I have mine.

I didn't get any spacers with the non adjustable IRO's I got so I just made my own. Got some 6mm ally plate and holesawed the 6 disks out, think it was 50mm whihc was pretty close or same as the supplied ones. I think I reused them with the JKS arms as being second hand also they had no spacers. I think they use the same bush so pretty sure I needed spacers. I'll look tomorrow and if I didn't need to reuse them I'd be happy to post them down to you if you are still stuck.

I recall IRO forgot to send some fixings with my order too, I think it was the swaybar mounts. Contacted them and they send them at their cost no dramas but doesn't help with vehicle down time in the meantime.

[Hoobz]

What size spacers do you need, and how many Hannah?

I gots machines that turns stuff and cuts and burns and bends and shapes (and sometimes breaks bits just when you are nearly done ) and all that crap, and bits of tube and steel plate if its any good to you.

Just might be anough to get you done maybe.

Actually I'm low on plate but we could be lucky.

[Hanna]

Thanks for all the advice guys - much appreciated.

I ended up putting the rear back together and moving on to the front end instead. All good as far as the spacers go for the front as I have enough to get that part finished, however I have run into another problem now. I'm having a very hard time trying to install the front arms correctly and need some guidance from those whom have done this before.

My WJ has a 10mm shorter wheelbase on the passenger side which I want to correct. As I don't have any real handling issues, tyre/bumper rubbing or hint of Death Wobble my plan was just to install the upper and lower arms on the driver's side at standard length and passenger's side at 10mm longer and then make any necessary adjustments once I'd had the alignment looked at again.

Anyway, I attacked the driver's side first and based on previous threads I've read on here I jacked the front up, put it on chassis stands and then removed and replaced one arm at a time, starting with the lower one. When I was measuring up the lower arm I decided to lengthen it slightly (by only 5mm) before installing to suit my lift (3" IRO). I used a ratchet strap between the axle housing and the front sway bar to get the bolt hole to line up. All pretty straight forward so far.

When it came time to install the upper arm on the same side, I could not for the life of me get the axle housing to move enough to get the bolt into the new CA. I tried the ratchet strap trick and using the trolley jack to lift the axle up and down, but I wasn't getting anywhere, so I just installed the top arm at standard length instead.

By the time I moved on to the passenger's side I was tired, cold and pretty much over it, but I thought I'd check the ratchet strap trick to see if I could get the axle housing to move forward the now required 15mm and I could hardly get it to budge at all.

I know I will probably be able to think a bit clearer tomorrow when I'm not as tired and pissed off with it as I was this arvo, but surely there's got to be an easier way?

Wouldn't it be easier to drop both upper and lower control arms on the same side before trying to get them into place? It seems that when I'm trying to pull the axle housing forward with the ratchet straps it is the other CA that is preventing enough movement forward.

Any advice would be great.