Rubicon Express RE9905 User Manual

RUBICON MANUFACTURING INC. 3290 MONIER CIR., RANCHO CORDOVA, CA. 95742 916-473-4600

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR:

RE9900 XJ CONTROL ARM DROP BRACKET SET & RE9905 BRACE KIT

Safety Warning:

Suspension systems or components that enhance the off-road performance of
your vehicle may cause it to handle differently, on and off-road, than it did from
the factory. Care must be taken to prevent loss of control or vehicle rollover
during sudden maneuvers. Failure to drive the vehicle safely may result in
serious injury or death to driver and passengers. We recommend you always
wear your seatbelt, drive safely and avoid quick turns and other sudden
maneuvers. Constant maintenance is required to keep your vehicle safe.
Thoroughly inspect your vehicle before and after every off-road use.

Installation Warning:
We recommend that certified technicians perform the installations of our
products. Attempts to install these products without knowledge or experience
may jeopardize the safety of the vehicle. These instructions only cover the
installation of our products and may not include factory procedures for
disassembly and reassembly of factory components. Read instructions from start
to finish and be sure all parts are present before disassembling the vehicle.
Included instructions are guidelines only for recommended procedures and in no
way are meant to be definitive. Installer is responsible to insure a safe and
controllable vehicle after performing modifications. Do not perform test drives on
public roads with partially completed installations. Always double and triple
check your work before use.

RE9900 KIT CONTENTS:

1 RM21530 Left lower bracket
1 RM21531 Right lower bracket
1 RM21532 Left upper bracket
1 RM21533 Right upper bracket
2 RM42500 2” Long plastic spacer
2 RM42510 2.25” Long plastic spacer
1 Hardware bag kit with:
4 3/8 x 18 x 1.25” Hex bolts
8 3/8 Flat washers
4 3/8x18 Lock nuts
2 10mm x 75mm Hex bolts
2 10mm Top lock nuts & washers
8 ½” Washers
2 1/2”x13 Lock nuts
2 9/16x12 Lock nuts
2 1/2 x 13 x 3.5” Hex bolts
2 9/16 x 12 x 4.5” Hex bolts

RE9905 KIT CONTENTS:

1 RM21540 left bracket brace
1 RM21541 right bracket brace

REQUIRED TOOLS:

Basic mechanics' hand tools
Jack stands and floor jack
½” drill bit and motor

INSTALLATION:

Note: Installation of this kit will relocate the front control arm mounts

lower on the frame side of the vehicle to improve suspension
geometry. This will lessen the angle of the arms resulting in improved
handling and wheel travel characteristics. (If RE9905 support braces
are to be installed read steps 15 –17 before installing drop brackets).

1. Verify contents of kit before disassembly.

2. Properly support vehicle by frame allowing front axle to be
serviced.

3. Remove both upper and lower control arms at the frame one side
at a time (see step 5)

4. Remove alignment shoe and shims from lower control arm
bracket.

5. It may be helpful to install brackets one side at a time, because
the axle is hard to control with both right and left control arms
disconnected. If this kit is being installed with a suspension
system install brackets on both sides before installing control
arms.

6. Ream upper control arm mount to ½”. Use proper size drill bit.
This will allow use of a stronger bolt.

7. Place new lower control arm drop bracket in stock pocket so that
the “ear” for the upper arm is toward the center of the vehicle
(see photo 1).

8. Use 3/8” bolts to attach bracket to frame at the two holes used by
the previously removed alignment shoe.

9. Insert 2 1/4” long plastic spacer inside pocket of new bracket
where old control arm was bolted. Use 9/16” bolt to secure
bracket to frame. This bolt will be used to also attach the lower
side of the upper control arm mount (see photo 1).

10. Determine which is the appropriate bracket for the upper control
arm and attach using the 9/16” x 4.5” bolt you have just put
through the bracket and the spacer. This bracket can only be
installed one way (see photo 1). To attach the upper side of the
upper control arm bracket use a ½”x 3.5” bolt to secure the 2”
long plastic spacer inside the stock upper control arm mount.
Secure the bracket to the inside of the stock upper control arm
mount with this bolt; go through the uppermost bolthole.

11. Install factory alignment shoe in lower pocket of new lower
control arm bracket. Use of shims is not recommended. If you
must use alignment shims verify that bolts in alignment shoe are
sufficiently long. If not replace with longer bolts.

12. Using the factory bolt, install lower control arms in new brackets
in the same fashion as the stock assembly.

13. Install upper control arms in the pocket created by both new
brackets, use the supplied 10mm x 75mm bolts.

14. Torque all bolts to factory specs and check your work.

15. Note that the RE9905 support braces will not work on Comanche
pick-up trucks. Also, on some early model XJ’s, braces may need
the holes for the cross member re-drilled. If you are installing the
braces on your XJ Cherokee you will want to install them
simultaneously with the other brackets because they share 4 bolts
on either side.

16. Before installing control arm brackets attach brace to frame using
the 2 cross member bolts on either side of the frame (see photos
2 & 3). The brace will be located between the frame and cross

RE9900-9905A Page 1 of 1

member. Separate right and left brackets with the four-hole
section, that mates to the drop bracket, toward the center of the
vehicle. One bolt on either side of the cross member is a stud.
This will have to be removed and replace with a hex head bolt
(supplied in transfer case drop kit of main XJ kit). Remember to
support transmission before removing bolts at cross member.

17. Verify that the brace will align with the 4 punched holes in the

drop brackets on either side. If not, adjust accordingly. Make
certain brace is bolted through the factory mount to the new
control arm drop brackets at the top two holes. The bottom two
bolt right to the drop brackets.

PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

PHOTO 3

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