Aluminum Knuckles vs. Cast Steel Knuckles & Clearances

[CarbonSteel]

After upgrading my stock front suspension (trackbar, tie-rod, and drag link), I had light rubbing against the tie-rod ends on the inside of the wheel at full lock. I initially installed spacers, but eventually replaced my OEM wheels with Icon Alphas with 0 offset.

Metal Cloak attributed the rubbing to variances in FCA's manufacturing processes, but I can say that adding 4 washers to the steering stops did not stop the rubbing, so it is a pretty mean variance. I have seen others with Teraflex installed state the same thing about rubbing so it is not unique to MC.

Fast forward and I have re-geared, trussed, gusseted, replaced the aluminum knuckles with Mopar cast steel and installed a MC GC 2.5" lift kit.

I said all of that to ask--(without pulling the front wheels and installing OEMs to test which may be the only way to know)--does anyone think that with the changes I have made that enough clearance exists to run OEM wheels?

I am thinking about grabbing a set of take-offs to run in the winter to keep my Icons in better shape than they would be otherwise.

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[CarbonSteel]

Interesting. Aren't OEM 5.77 ? I run 5.71, +25 AEV wheels and 37x 12.5 MT tires, have alum. knuckles and do not rub on the Tie-rod ends. I did rub on the Synergy LCA's and 1/4" turn out on the steering stops worked. I do have a Mopar lift which does not flex as much as a 2.5 M.C. lift. Maybe the flex is the issue.
A Mopar lift really doesn't flex more than a stock Rubicon. Mopar did a pretty good job engineering their lift IMO. Center the axles under the body, get more castor and you are good to go.

For clarity--the rubbing happened before the lift kit was installed; only the MC trackbar, drag-link, and tie-rod and Mopar longer LCAs were installed. It was otherwise a stock Rubicon (at that point),

AFAIK - all OEM wheels are +44 offset, so your +25 offset AEVs move the inner rim of the wheel about 19mm further away from the tie-rods.

With the spacers I was running with the OEM wheels the offset is the same as my current wheels with no spacer--0 offset or 44 mm further away from the tie-rods.

 

[BeachPilot74]

For clarity--the rubbing happened before the lift kit was installed; only the MC trackbar, drag-link, and tie-rod and Mopar longer LCAs were installed. It was otherwise a stock Rubicon (at that point),

AFAIK - all OEM wheels are +44 offset, so your +25 offset AEVs move the inner rim of the wheel about 19mm further away from the tie-rods.

Why not just change wheels? Spent all that money and probably would have been cheaper to change wheels with a 3.5" BS. ? Just curious.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Why not just change wheels? Spent all that money and probably would have been cheaper to change wheels with a 3.5" BS. ? Just curious.

??? I did change wheels because I did not want to run spacers indefinitely and I sold those wheels and tires when I did upgrade.

My question is more around whether or not I can run OEM wheels now without rubbing since the entire front suspension has been upgraded.

Cheap wheels for the winter and my Icons for the summer. Guess I'll find a local Jeeper around here with a set of take-offs and try them.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I have to wonder why would a stock tire and wheel combo rub on replacement tie-rods.

It was Metal Cloak equipment not OEM and they are much larger--they are 1 ton tie-rods. Not everyone has this issue and at the time that it happened, @Metalcloak stated they had only heard of a handful of others with it. I just happened to draw the next lucky card...

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