Rubicon Express - thoughts?

[punisher660]

Hi all - I did quite a bit of searching, but I couldn't find the info I was looking for.

I recently purchased a 2020 Rubicon that came with the Mopar lift that I am slowly upgrading as funds allow. The first step was track bars (Icon) to center the axles. This centered the axles, but then it drove like crap.

Next step...control arms...I was pretty set on doing a MC Gamechanger kit, but I wasn't ready to drop the coin for that yet. Unfortunately the Mopar lifts short control arms are causing me to chew through front tires (they have been ground bald in less than 3000 miles) so I have to make the fix now.

I haven't heard a lot of good things about Rubicon Express, but I found some deals on Amazon piecing everything together through various sellers:

Rubicon Express Super-Flex Control Arm Adjustable Front Upper RE3723: $78 per set
Rubicon Express Super-Flex Control Arm Adjustable Rear Upper RE3725: $117 per set
Rubicon Express Control Arm Adjustable Front Lower RE3722: $147 per set
Rubicon Express Control Arm Adjustable Rear Lower RE3724: $300 per set (only one I couldn't find a great deal on)

So $642 for all 8 adjustable control arms. When comparing to Clayton or MetalCloak, are the Rubicon Express really that bad for the money? The Front Lower Control Arms are already on, and they seemed pretty beefy, so what am I missing out on by not spending 2x or 3x the price?

Next question...if I switch out the Mopar 2" lift springs for a 3.5" spring...what would pair up well with these arms for a flexy rig with good road manners? Or should I have just bit the bullet and gone with a single kit for everything?

TIA

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[AcesandEights]

How are the control arms impacting tire wear, which is typically a toe or camber issue?

Sounds like ball joints or tie rod issue(s).

 

[Roky]

Hi all - I did quite a bit of searching, but I couldn't find the info I was looking for.

I recently purchased a 2020 Rubicon that came with the Mopar lift that I am slowly upgrading as funds allow. The first step was track bars (Icon) to center the axles. This centered the axles, but then it drove like crap.

Next step...control arms...I was pretty set on doing a MC Gamechanger kit, but I wasn't ready to drop the coin for that yet. Unfortunately the Mopar lifts short control arms are causing me to chew through front tires (they have been ground bald in less than 3000 miles) so I have to make the fix now.

I haven't heard a lot of good things about Rubicon Express, but I found some deals on Amazon piecing everything together through various sellers:

Rubicon Express Super-Flex Control Arm Adjustable Front Upper RE3723: $78 per set
Rubicon Express Super-Flex Control Arm Adjustable Rear Upper RE3725: $117 per set
Rubicon Express Control Arm Adjustable Front Lower RE3722: $147 per set
Rubicon Express Control Arm Adjustable Rear Lower RE3724: $300 per set (only one I couldn't find a great deal on)

So $642 for all 8 adjustable control arms. When comparing to Clayton or MetalCloak, are the Rubicon Express really that bad for the money? The Front Lower Control Arms are already on, and they seemed pretty beefy, so what am I missing out on by not spending 2x or 3x the price?

Next question...if I switch out the Mopar 2" lift springs for a 3.5" spring...what would pair up well with these arms for a flexy rig with good road manners? Or should I have just bit the bullet and gone with a single kit for everything?

TIA

Yes…….it’s really that bad…..longevity, quality, and strength to name a few things you’ll be missing out on…..don’t you think that if they were that great for that price that everybody on this board would be running them…? My opinion of course…….

 

[Mocopo]

How are the control arms impacting tire wear, which is typically a toe or camber issue?

Sounds like ball joints or tie rod issue(s).

I was trying to wrap my mind around the same thing, but I assumed I was just ignorant about something. Glad you asked the question, looking forward to the responses!

 

[AcesandEights]

Control arm length determines caster, which does not contribute to tire wear. I think the OP would just be throwing parts at the issue and if there was a change in tire wear it would be random and coincidental. An alignment should be able to show what is off that's causing the wear, then replacing those parts, not the control arms, would be the fix.

 

[Mocopo]

Maybe tire wear is just the excuse given to the wife to get new control arms?

But to provide a serious response, I would put up more money and do the MC arms. All things considered, I'm more and more in the boat of buying right the first time (I say that while fully intending to upgrade my spacer lift and Fox 2.0s I'm currently running lol)

 

[punisher660]

My thoughts are that the short lower control arms on the Mopar lift are causing the castor to be off significantly (measured 86 degrees on the machined flats on the front diff with a digital angle finder) which based on the info from another thread here translates to 8 degrees of castor if I understood the thread correctly.

If the castor is off that much, isn't that causing extra friction when turning thus wearing the tires? It is tracking strait, but probably still needs an alignment.

I don't mind spending the money if it really makes a difference, I just don't like doing so for the sake of marketing hype. I guess that is why I'm questioning the difference between the high-dollar stuff and budget. I'm not a mechanic, I don't see what fails and why, so I have no real frame of reference as to why brand-x joints are better or worse than brand-z....only the fact that a Johnhy Joint is going to have more flex than a standard bushing and the RE arms do have that.

The only reason for changing the other 3 sets of arms other than just the Lower Front is to make sure the geometry is properly set on both axles before going in for an alignment.

So is the consensus that control arms aren't really going to help much in this case?

 

[Roky]

My thoughts are that the short lower control arms on the Mopar lift are causing the castor to be off significantly (measured 86 degrees on the machined flats on the front diff with a digital angle finder) which based on the info from another thread here translates to 8 degrees of castor if I understood the thread correctly.

If the castor is off that much, isn't that causing extra friction when turning thus wearing the tires? It is tracking strait, but probably still needs an alignment.

I don't mind spending the money if it really makes a difference, I just don't like doing so for the sake of marketing hype. I guess that is why I'm questioning the difference between the high-dollar stuff and budget. I'm not a mechanic, I don't see what fails and why, so I have no real frame of reference as to why brand-x joints are better or worse than brand-z....only the fact that a Johnhy Joint is going to have more flex than a standard bushing and the RE arms do have that.

The only reason for changing the other 3 sets of arms other than just the Lower Front is to make sure the geometry is properly set on both axles before going in for an alignment.

So is the consensus that control arms aren't really going to help much in this case?

90 is 6 degrees, so if you’re at 86, then you need to subtract 4 degrees from 6 which is 2 degrees of caster. That won’t make a difference in tire wear, but it will drive night and day better if you get the caster closer to 6……..

 

[AcesandEights]

No, caster doesn't affect tire wear. Caster is essentially forward or rearward rotation of the axle, so the tire is still in the correct position for rolling. Caster effects steering, but not tire wear. Replacing the control arms will not change the toe (front of the tire facing in or out...think of your own toes pointing in or out, pigeon-toed), or the camber (top of the tire in or out at the top). Toe and camber are the wear positions, not caster.

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