TarboJK

So I'm pre-spending a bonus and trying to figure out what mods to do in what order. My husband and were talking about lift kits and which route to take. He said if we have the $$ the Long Arm kits would be best.

What advantage do I gain with that route vs. just a 4" coil suspension lift? Since this is my daily driver does it help in that regard?

Thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Piginajeep

it' should smooth out the ride a little bit, but the 4 door is stretched so it wont be as noticeable as someone with a 2 door.


Are you wheeling the JK?

wayoflife

while long arms are nice and will give you a great ride, they really aren't necessary on a JK with just 4" of lift the way they were on a TJ back in the day. JK arms are actually quite long right from the factory and i think you will find that you will be quite happy with them. i am currently running about 5" of lift with 37's and on short arms with off road evolution evo coilovers and can tell you that i have no desires to go long arm at this time.... maybe when i go to 6" and 40's, sure but up to 4" and 37's, you will be fine with short arms.

Ctimrun

I wanna throw my two cents in too. I totally agree with the above statements about it not being necessary (we all know WOL's Jeep kicks serious ass with the short arm setup), but if you are going to shell out a good portion of the cost of the long arm kit anyways, I think you should at least consider it. I have had many lifts on my two Jeeps (too many) and I will say that knowing what I know now (with my long arm lift) IMO if you are going to spend upwards of $2K on a lift, spend another $1K and get the long arm kit.

The stock JK arms are longer than the TJ arms which makes a difference. Keep in mind that with a long arm kit, the arms will be, well, longer than the stock JK arms, which also makes a difference. When you lift your Jeep the control arm angles will get steeper which contributes to a rougher ride when you drive over bumps, etc. With longer control arms mounted farther away from the axles, the control arms are able to remain flatter (or more parallel to the ground) which helps the suspension soak up the bumps, transmitting less road shock to your frame, and in turn to your body.

Just a few things to think about....

JKevbo

I am running the 4" Teraflex short arm kit and couldn't be happier. It is probably worht noting that breaking the welds on the exisiting control arm brackets and relocating them for the long arm setup will void portions of your factory warranty, as i understand it. Not a big deal to me or some other but you might want to consider this.

505JK

Nice set up so long as you don't mind that it will cost you almost double the cost of a long arm kit

[QUOTE=Ctimrun;753809]IMO if you are going to spend upwards of $2K on a lift, spend another $1K and get the long arm kit.

This is my first jeep but keep coming to this same conclusion. Heck, there are even some short arm kits that are 3k by themselves. I keep thinking that even a 4" long arm kit would be the way to go if you want to stay low to the ground. Then if you ever decide to go higher, no problem. This coming from the with a couple hundred dollar spacer lift

Ctimrun

The idiots will threaten you with a voided warranty for bigger tires, don't let that stop you from doing what you wanna do to it.

Piginajeep

I agree, thats why I'm just going long arm this time around

wayoflife

allow me to clarify that this is what i am running now but before it, i was running a teraflex 4" short arm kit and a full traction 4" kit before that. i have run them as a daily driver and on trails like the rubicon and can assure you that up to 4" of lift and 37's, short arms are more than adequate and will offer a great ride. the coilovers i have now just make my ride and flex outstanding.

as i said originally, long arms are nice and if you've got the cash to spend on it, by all means, i would recommend that you get them as they will offer a great ride and good flex on the trail. i just wanted to dispell the myth that they are somehow "needed" for 4" of lift. while this might have been true of the TJ it simply isn't on the JK. over 4" of lift, yes, long arms are something that you'll definitely want to help correct your suspension geometery.

TarboJK

I really want to start! I know my husband couldn't be happier!

This is a lot of good info. I really appreciate it. I will have a set budget and when I saw the price difference b/w the standard 4" and then Long arm, I about fell over! So I really wanted to know if all the extra money was worth it.

I have to remember that with all that, I would like tires, wheels, front bumper, winch....and the list goes on.

From what you all are telling me, on the JK, I'd be fine with just a standard 4" coil for the trail which leaves me $$ to maybe not skimp in other areas.

Then when I win that lottery I never play I can upgrade to the long arm kit!