Might be easier to just make your own lower control arms out of round tube at that point  If I remember, the A-arms are kind of odd-shaped. I'm a total noob at metal fab though, and could be talking out of my donkey.

I was referring to the rear, not the front. Long arms in the rear

Oh.... 

Has anyone sleeved the control arms before  I'm wanting to stretch the wheel base (I'll figure something out with the gas tank), and was wondering if I could cheap out by sleeving what's there.

Oh.... 

Has anyone sleeved the control arms before  I'm wanting to stretch the wheel base (I'll figure something out with the gas tank), and was wondering if I could cheap out by sleeving what's there.

You could, if you are going to do that though you will want to have your new sleeve go all the way to the mounts on both ends.  Instead I would pick up a Johnny Joint and build a new link using one of your original end on one side and a bung in the other going to the JJ.

I believe someone on the board went through and updated their links with JJ, someone might link to it.

*crosses fingers*

JJ's are kind of expensive & big (heavy) compared to heims aren't they? I was hoping to cheap out for now, and come back with other (less binding) joints down the road when I've got the $$$.

They aren't that much heavier.  The main problem with Heims is wear over time and the fact that they get chatty once they do.  The JJ is basically a poly bushing around a Heim joint, so it is a little bit softer and it's not as noisy (not metal on metal).

If your just looking for longer joints, you can just stick with rubber on both ends.  But you won't gain much flex.  You can also just weld large bolts onto the back side of one end and put a bung on some tube, you will gain some flex at lower speeds as the tube will be able to rotate.  Then you just have to worry about your weld shearing off.    There is an older post on a Tracker that did this, looked great and supposedly worked great as well.

A fully forged JJ with 3/4" thread is only $40, http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/Product.aspx?id=1262 and a good set of heims are going to cost you around 20-30 per joint so your not saving a lot.  If you want to re-do your rear suspension expect to spend at least 300 in tubing, joints and bungs.  If your looking to build a full long arm kit, especially for a DD, I would plan on spending the money up front for solid hardware no matter what links you decide to use.

Or you can just go with the middle paragraph and run it until it breaks. 

I still can't find anything about lowering the front differential.   What kind of work is involved with that?  What problems would I create by lowering the front diff?  How hard is it to do?   Assuming I can get a bracket custom made from angle iron or steel.  Do I have to do anything special with the front driveshaft if I only lower it a few inches?   

Oh.... 

Has anyone sleeved the control arms before  I'm wanting to stretch the wheel base (I'll figure something out with the gas tank), and was wondering if I could cheap out by sleeving what's there.

I did some frame mods and with a Calimini 3" lift, lanthened the rear arms 12" and moved the pivot forward so that the axil stayed in the same spot.  That was about 6 years ago.  I've driven on sand, mud, trail...  Done it all and havent had any problems. 

Good luck

I still can't find anything about lowering the front differential.   What kind of work is involved with that?  What problems would I create by lowering the front diff?  How hard is it to do?   Assuming I can get a bracket custom made from angle iron or steel.  Do I have to do anything special with the front driveshaft if I only lower it a few inches?   

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=22395.msg190043#msg190043

Send BRD HNTR a PM, I know he ended up modifying one of the drop brackets later.

I still can't find anything about lowering the front differential.   What kind of work is involved with that?  What problems would I create by lowering the front diff?  How hard is it to do?   Assuming I can get a bracket custom made from angle iron or steel.  Do I have to do anything special with the front driveshaft if I only lower it a few inches?   

Lowering the drivers side is just a matter of lengthening the mounting arm how much you want to drop.  (More than 1 1/2" means rotating the diff up in the back, or dropping the cross member.)  The passenger side is more complex because it hangs at an angle, and just lengthening it moves it over as well as down.  Take an angle guage and slide under your rig and get the angle it hangs (or use paper and approximate the angle).  draw it on paper and mark the position it is in, and also where you want it (strainght down how much you want it to drop).  Make sure the two of the three bolt holes are lined up and down.  Now you have a template of how it should look.  (When you lengthen it you will also rotate the end slightly because the angle will decrease as you drop it.)

I haven't had any drive shaft issues since changing mine.
Usually lowering the diff is not required until pushing 3" or more lift.  There are lots of wheelers with 3" lifts who have never had CV issues.

Doesn't the Calmini drop just tilt the front down while keeping the rear mount the same? That would change driveline angels I think... but is it enough the cause vibration...?

The high end Calmini kit would be more than a grand with shipping....and it's only a 3" lift.  That's quite expensive.  That's at least 300 dollars for an inch, if you compare it to the OME kit for 700, which is a 2" lift I think.



*EDIT*   -  I just looked at Calmini's 3" kit....and I may not have been very fair in that comparison.  They do offer quite a lot more hardware in their kit.  So it may "only" be an extra inch above what OME can offer for $700....you get a lot more travel and articulation...supposedly.....for $950.

I don't know.....I don't really need to make up my mind right now....because I can't afford either one anyway.      

Doesn't the Calmini drop just tilt the front down while keeping the rear mount the same? That would change driveline angels I think... but is it enough the cause vibration...?

Yes, the Calmini angles the front diff, this allows them to avoid cutting up the cross member.  It shouldn't cause any additional vibrations in the front end though.

Doing that...will prevent any CV joint failure....right?         I can only assume that's why they've done that in the first place.....   

The drop is to reduce the angle of the CV joins due to the lift.  If you take a look at the drop done by BRD HNTR earlier in the thread he shows a before and after shot of the angles of his CV's.