FT Ultimate Lower Control Arms - With OE Rubber Bushings - SOLD
09-28-2010, 06:46 AM
#1
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
FT Ultimate Lower Control Arms - With OE Rubber Bushings - SOLD
EDIT: 10/14/2010 - This item is SOLD. Thank you!
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Take-offs from a 3" ultimate Full Traction Lift Kit. Fully adjustable lower control arms, with old poly bushings JUST replaced with new factory style rubber bushings (No Maintenance!) Update: Pics Below
__$400__ for all four, SHIPPED (UPS ground), from Fort Collins, Colorado. As far as I know, you can't buy FT arms like this unless you buy the new "silent" kit from FT. I've had them for just over two years, they're in great solid shape, with one or two small rock marks. Photos in the post below.
Checking northridge4x4.com's website, a full set of four lower adjustable control arms from Full Traction (with the less-than-perfect polyurethane bushings) is $840. Clayton's lower arms go for $680, Currie's go for $620, JKS's go for $787, and Teraflex wants $642 for theirs.
I saved all the packaging from my new lower control arm kit so they will be packaged VERY securely: each arm in its own box, all four boxes in a larger box, with padding. I'm guessing all packed up, this will weigh 35 to 45 pounds. These are heavy arms!
These arms come with a long story, because I want you to know why you should buy these arms while I've gone with a different company.
*** story begin ***
In May of 2008 I bought a Full Traction Ultimate 3" lift kit for my JK. This was the kit that has poly bushings and must be greased regularly, which I did religiously, at every oil change. WOL himself ran this kit and posted a great write-up on the install on project-jk.com.
This kit flexes like MAD!
These adjustable lower control arms came with huge heim joints on the axle end of the arms, and poly bushings with a grease zerk on the frame ends of the arms. But these arms no longer have the poly bushings...
I was on a wheeling vacation in August of this year and in spite of my maintenance the polyurethane bushings cracked and split open, which was known to happen with Full Traction (for full details, see several posts on this forum).
Since I was in the middle of a vacation and on extremely tight timelines, I had to have an immediate fix. I needed either new poly bushings for my FT arms, or whole new lower control arms. David at Northridge4x4 didn't have any replacement FT poly bushings at the time, but he had TeraFlex lower control arms that have the factory/OE style rubber bushings on the frame ends in stock and could ship them to me 2-day, so I bought them just to be able to finish my vacation. Contacting FT and hoping that they would ship me new bushings in time was a gamble, but David always ships when he says he ships. For this, and to get the OE style rubber bushings, it was an easy decision.
Once I finished my vacation, I worked with Full Traction to see what kind of replacement bushings I could get. They suggested I buy their "FB Series" OE rubber bushings, if I could get access to an H-frame Hydraulic Press, since these bushings are press-fit into the arms. No Problem, my friend and neighbor has one!
Last night I finally got around to pressing in the new bushings. These things are just like the ones in my teraflex arms, and apparently just like the ones in the new FT "silent" kits. They were a perfect fit.
They are great heavy duty, adjustable arms, and will flex like mad. Plus, no more greasing!
*** end story ***
(Photos will be posted tonight)
---------------------------------------------------------
Take-offs from a 3" ultimate Full Traction Lift Kit. Fully adjustable lower control arms, with old poly bushings JUST replaced with new factory style rubber bushings (No Maintenance!) Update: Pics Below
__$400__ for all four, SHIPPED (UPS ground), from Fort Collins, Colorado. As far as I know, you can't buy FT arms like this unless you buy the new "silent" kit from FT. I've had them for just over two years, they're in great solid shape, with one or two small rock marks. Photos in the post below.
Checking northridge4x4.com's website, a full set of four lower adjustable control arms from Full Traction (with the less-than-perfect polyurethane bushings) is $840. Clayton's lower arms go for $680, Currie's go for $620, JKS's go for $787, and Teraflex wants $642 for theirs.
I saved all the packaging from my new lower control arm kit so they will be packaged VERY securely: each arm in its own box, all four boxes in a larger box, with padding. I'm guessing all packed up, this will weigh 35 to 45 pounds. These are heavy arms!
These arms come with a long story, because I want you to know why you should buy these arms while I've gone with a different company.
*** story begin ***
In May of 2008 I bought a Full Traction Ultimate 3" lift kit for my JK. This was the kit that has poly bushings and must be greased regularly, which I did religiously, at every oil change. WOL himself ran this kit and posted a great write-up on the install on project-jk.com.
This kit flexes like MAD!
These adjustable lower control arms came with huge heim joints on the axle end of the arms, and poly bushings with a grease zerk on the frame ends of the arms. But these arms no longer have the poly bushings...
I was on a wheeling vacation in August of this year and in spite of my maintenance the polyurethane bushings cracked and split open, which was known to happen with Full Traction (for full details, see several posts on this forum).
Since I was in the middle of a vacation and on extremely tight timelines, I had to have an immediate fix. I needed either new poly bushings for my FT arms, or whole new lower control arms. David at Northridge4x4 didn't have any replacement FT poly bushings at the time, but he had TeraFlex lower control arms that have the factory/OE style rubber bushings on the frame ends in stock and could ship them to me 2-day, so I bought them just to be able to finish my vacation. Contacting FT and hoping that they would ship me new bushings in time was a gamble, but David always ships when he says he ships. For this, and to get the OE style rubber bushings, it was an easy decision.
Once I finished my vacation, I worked with Full Traction to see what kind of replacement bushings I could get. They suggested I buy their "FB Series" OE rubber bushings, if I could get access to an H-frame Hydraulic Press, since these bushings are press-fit into the arms. No Problem, my friend and neighbor has one!
Last night I finally got around to pressing in the new bushings. These things are just like the ones in my teraflex arms, and apparently just like the ones in the new FT "silent" kits. They were a perfect fit.
They are great heavy duty, adjustable arms, and will flex like mad. Plus, no more greasing!
*** end story ***
(Photos will be posted tonight)
Last edited by isuadam; 10-14-2010 at 07:16 AM. Reason: to mark as sold
10-04-2010, 12:53 PM
#5
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
If you have stock suspension you'll still get great flex by disconnecting your front sway bar. These adjustable lower links are best for someone who has done a budget boost and wants to be able to adjust pinion angle and/or axle position (front to rear), or who is doing a full 3" lift and wants to piece together components at the best price. Also for someone who wants to replace maintenance-requiring components with maintenance-free ones.
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10-10-2010, 10:59 AM
#8
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
re-bump.
New price: $400 includes UPS Ground shipping from Fort Collins. I need this heavy steel out of my garage and I need the money to (partially) cover the other arms I got...
$100 per arm shipped is an insane price for these adjustable lower control arms!
New price: $400 includes UPS Ground shipping from Fort Collins. I need this heavy steel out of my garage and I need the money to (partially) cover the other arms I got...
$100 per arm shipped is an insane price for these adjustable lower control arms!
