bly109

I think when that pic was originally posted, somebody pointed out the coil and he said they put limiting straps in after that weekend. I'll se if I can find it.

Edit: Here is the original thread. He said he threw a coil because the lower retainers busted, thats why he added limiting straps.

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-show-tell-33/full-traction-long-arm-kit-action-pics-49840/

NGINIER

you guys are incredible...

I understand where WOL is coming from in the design of a 4-link versus the Radius arm. It is easy to design a radius arm that wont flex as well. However, depending on the geometry of these arms, it is very possible that you could get a radius arm to flex extremely well before the arms bind up. This seems to be what RE has done. Their kit flexes very well as I have seen it in person, and even longer shocks would not bind up this suspension as ERACER has said. They also have rear mounts that mount higher than other 4-arm kits and this is why I purchased this kit over others. That and that I have seen many users express their concern with FT customer service(I hear that TF does a very good job though, hope to see TF in MOAB over Thanksgiving) The coil over evo kit seems to flex very well and looks great on that ramp...

WOL mentioned that TF has bent arms in the rear that give better clearance but I am more concerned with the mounts.

I also talked to plenty of local shops and for some reason, they all loved the RE kit...

Nice comment on the neutral debate, this is crazy guys...

chuck45

[QUOTE=NGINIER;663824]I also talked to plenty of local shops and for some reason, they all loved the RE kit...
QUOTE]

I encountered the same thing from shops relative to RE. I was told that the kits were complete, they installed nicely, didn't cause comebacks that cost them money and that customers were happy with them. A further reason from several shops was that they handled the weight of bumpers, winches etc very well. I'm happy with my 3.5" RE lift.

505JK

I found a decent counter pic with an RE LA kit.


Flex is pretty good. The spring is still seated and it's hard to tell how much further that front tire would drop had it not been contacting the ground but it looks like it flexed below the pinch seem. I'd say 35" tires but that's just a guess.

Edit - It's Joemauma's rig with 37's.

SouthSideSteve

I can't believe there are 11 pages of people trying to suggest a radius arm setup will flex as well as a 4 link given all things equal. RE's kit is good, and will flex. Just not as well as a similar 4 link system. There really isn't any room for arguement here, its pretty much obvious fact.



Awesome kit Mel, coilovers give me a stiffy. The flex is insane, as it should be.

Can't hide money, Eddie.

wayoflife

i'm not 100% sure what you are wanting me to address. clearly, his long arm kit is not preventing him from "dropping out" as RE states they do not want to happen and "limiting straps" would address this - again, something that RE states they do not what to use on their kit - i.e. why their long arm is a "constrained system". remember, these are their words and not mine.

well, maybe possible but as i have stated time and time again and what you can hear for yourself, NOT what RE did and on purpose. please watch the video below and hear it directly from them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40RReTuJJto

yes, it does flex and way more than stock but from what i have seen, not as much as a 4-link setup and not as much as i am seeing with my short arms and coilovers. this was something that i found surprising and why i felt the need to comment on it and that's it. as i have said time and time again, after seeing what I, as in ME, could get out of my short arms and coilovers, i simply didn't know if long arms were really something that i felt was necessary especially being that i can currently get more flex (something that is important to me) than a long arm kit with radius arms like RE makes. certainly, i already had good adjustable short arms and for the cost of the RE kit, choosing to go with the EVO coilovers simply seemed like a better options. of course, this is just my opinion.

and that is a perfectly good reason why someone like yourself should have made the decision that you made. however, just because a company has customer service that concerns you, it doesn't change the fact that a 4-link design will offer more flex than a radius arm setup.

have you seen their mounts? up front, the lower control arm mounts sit no lower than the stock cross member just like the RE kit. in the rear, they may be welded on the bottom of the frame but they at least they don't require you to hack the body mounts on the frame. in some cases, maybe these mounts aren't needed but being that jeep put them there, i would have to think they do serve a purpose.

the RE kit IS a quality product and i have never stated otherwise and of all the long arm kits, it's probably one of the easier ones to install. having said that, what does a local shop loving this kit have anything to do with the amount of flex it offers?

the 3.5" kit is a great kit. i have seen it on the trail and would recommend it to anyone interested in it. however, as great as it is, it still doesn't change the fact that the long arm kit with its radius arms simply does not flex as well as a 4-link setup or as well as a JK with short arms and EVO coilovers. now, just to be clear, this does not mean that the RE kit doesn't offer a lot of flex, just not as much - or, at least, not as much as i, personally would prefer.

it's a great shot and from what i can see, it looks like he's using a set of longer fox shocks to achieve the increased amount of flex. again, my original point, the one that got this discussion going is that after i had my EVO coilovers installed and got to test them out on the trail, i simply started to question the necesity of a long arm kit especially being that i could achieve just as much flex if not more than an RE long arm kit which has radius arms. certanily, i already had good adjustable short arms and the cost of an RE kit with longer fox shocks is considerable. for the money, i personally think that maybe, just maybe, going coilover might be the better way to go. but hey, that's just me.

thank you. i was just to give up on this thread and let people believe whatever it is they want to believe.

as mentioned, the RE kit is a quality product and will flex - just not as well as a smiliar 4-link setup and from what i can see, right out of the box, not any better than a short arm setup with the EVO coilovers.

User 12721

I'd just like you to address how the flex had from this kit, and which is shown in this pic, can be beneficial when his coils are about to fall out of the upper perch/bumpstop tower. If here were sticking his drivers side tire in anything deeper or his passenger rear were resting on anything lower, it would mean bad things if his spring fell out and he drove forward. Ok..another member mentioned he finally added on limiting straps, but if he had done so beforehand and had gone through the exact place as shown in the picture, wouldn't his drivers side tire then be in the air? That's what I mean by the picture seems a bit deceptive when you say "now that's FLEX!!!" without the kit showing everything it needs (limiting straps or coil retainers) to function properly and safely while comparing it to a kit such as the RE which doesn't need any add-ons.

wayoflife

"deceptive"? LOL!! i'm sorry but my point was that the 4-link long arm setup will ALLOW you to do this at all. in my mind, i'm thinking if he had coilovers, he could flex this much and still have it function properly and safely. i keep hearing from others that the RE kit would do the same given the same circumstances but i have yet to see it - this is the reason why the RE kit doesn't need any add-ons - their kit is a "constrained system" and designed to limit the amount of flex you can get and on purpose.

wayoflife

BTW - WOLette just added Part-2 here:

Off Road Evolution Rear EVO Lever System

505JK

I think the point is that the 4 link long arm suspension doesn't bind on it's own and so it's limits are further than the radius arm setup. So if you want to put in extended travel shocks, like was done on the pictured your asking about, then you can and the suspension will let you take advantage of that. The trade off is what you see with the coils almost falling out.

Of course I'm just trying to figure this out like you are.

It would be good to see at what point the radius arm suspension does bind up at. If you put the same shocks on the RE fit, the coils might fall out too?

Edit - Man, I must type really slow. WOL's post wasn't there when I started typing.