Help!!! - Long Arm vs. Short Arm Lift....
#21
JK Super Freak
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Massachusett
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I assume you have a 4 door based on your pic (avatar)?
Recommended Driveshaft change and why -
When you lift a jeep you need to understand that the point where the driveshaft meets the axle vs where it meets your T-case increases into a steeper angle. To understand this it easiest to grab a pencil and put a dot on a piece of paper. Now lay the pencil down where one side of the pencil is touching the dot. While still touching the dot with that end of pencil raise the other end. notice there is an angle that has developed. Well like a lift you lift 1" and the angle changes. This is also called pinion angle on vehicles. The point of the pencil that touches the dot is the same point of a driveshaft that is connected to the axle. The point you are raising is the point that touches the T-case.
Fro 2 doors the drive shaft is not as long and because of this the angle that is created is greater than on a longer 4 door. To illustrate, break 25% off the pencil. Now raise it the same height as with a full length pencil. The angle is slightly steeper. driveshafts can be changed to cure ths issue to a certain point. For a 4" lift you will find a good alignmnet shop will explain that you pinion angle is to great and that you need to get a custom driveshaft to adjust for the change in angle. Each manufacturer publishes the acceptable ranges for this angle and you more than likely will be beyond it.
For what you described for your wheeling you might be just fine with a high quality Short-arm kit. I believe for the 4 door, AEV published a statement that a long arm is minimal value for the general purpose of increased articulation. The Jk control arms are much longer than the previous TJ models so the gain is not substantial.
For most wheeling 3.5" - 4" lift is great and everyone has them so your options are endless. Teraflex has some good systems and so does Clayton, Rubicon Express and Rancho. If you have a budget dollar amount you are trying to fit into it is sometimes better to wait for a full kit before jumping out there on a package. At these heights your kit should include at the minimum:
Complete control arms (8 total)
Springs
Shocks
Adjustable track bars (Front and Rear)
Track bar relocation brackets (buy the kit with the c-clamp style bracket for front and back)
extended brake line
sway bar links
bump stops
Or you could go get the airrock system )
Recommended Driveshaft change and why -
When you lift a jeep you need to understand that the point where the driveshaft meets the axle vs where it meets your T-case increases into a steeper angle. To understand this it easiest to grab a pencil and put a dot on a piece of paper. Now lay the pencil down where one side of the pencil is touching the dot. While still touching the dot with that end of pencil raise the other end. notice there is an angle that has developed. Well like a lift you lift 1" and the angle changes. This is also called pinion angle on vehicles. The point of the pencil that touches the dot is the same point of a driveshaft that is connected to the axle. The point you are raising is the point that touches the T-case.
Fro 2 doors the drive shaft is not as long and because of this the angle that is created is greater than on a longer 4 door. To illustrate, break 25% off the pencil. Now raise it the same height as with a full length pencil. The angle is slightly steeper. driveshafts can be changed to cure ths issue to a certain point. For a 4" lift you will find a good alignmnet shop will explain that you pinion angle is to great and that you need to get a custom driveshaft to adjust for the change in angle. Each manufacturer publishes the acceptable ranges for this angle and you more than likely will be beyond it.
For what you described for your wheeling you might be just fine with a high quality Short-arm kit. I believe for the 4 door, AEV published a statement that a long arm is minimal value for the general purpose of increased articulation. The Jk control arms are much longer than the previous TJ models so the gain is not substantial.
For most wheeling 3.5" - 4" lift is great and everyone has them so your options are endless. Teraflex has some good systems and so does Clayton, Rubicon Express and Rancho. If you have a budget dollar amount you are trying to fit into it is sometimes better to wait for a full kit before jumping out there on a package. At these heights your kit should include at the minimum:
Complete control arms (8 total)
Springs
Shocks
Adjustable track bars (Front and Rear)
Track bar relocation brackets (buy the kit with the c-clamp style bracket for front and back)
extended brake line
sway bar links
bump stops
Or you could go get the airrock system )
Last edited by NE Wrangling; 07-31-2008 at 09:47 AM.
#22
At these heights your kit should include at the minimum:
Complete control arms (8 total)
Springs
Shocks
Adjustable track bars (Front and Rear)
Track bar relocation brackets (buy the kit with the c-clamp style bracket for front and back)
extended brake line
sway bar links
bump stops
Or you could go get the airrock system )
Complete control arms (8 total)
Springs
Shocks
Adjustable track bars (Front and Rear)
Track bar relocation brackets (buy the kit with the c-clamp style bracket for front and back)
extended brake line
sway bar links
bump stops
Or you could go get the airrock system )
I was under the assumption that the Track bar relocation brackets were not needed if using adjustable track bars . ?
#23
JK Junkie
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: 5280 CRAWLORADO
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why did u take it out
and also you went down to a 2" Rubicon Express
why? if you don't mind me asking
#25
Sponsoring Manufacturer
#26
JK Junkie
I like teraflex a lot. I had a long arm kit in my tj and it was great. the only reasson I didn't go with teraflex was that it was very hard to get here in mexico. hey teraflex do you know a distributor around here? I plan to change just the arms in a near future. thanks.
#27
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Atlantic Enterprises
1-956-585-9139
experton4x4@hotmail.com
#28
JK Junkie
http://www.teraflex.biz/pages/teraINTLdealers.htm
Atlantic Enterprises
1-956-585-9139
experton4x4@hotmail.com
Atlantic Enterprises
1-956-585-9139
experton4x4@hotmail.com
#29
JK Freak
hey tommy, i rec. a short arm lift unless you want to run 37's and > 5'' of lift. i beat the hell out of my 4'' stadard lift and havent had 1 prob. yet(10,000 miles) and maybe 20 excursions. also it flexes along with the rest of them. i think you could consider long arm to be extream. i also have a 2 door.
#30
JK Junkie
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: 5280 CRAWLORADO
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It’s as good as stock I would say
Depending on the tire you are running pressure makes a difference. And I’m running a 37" tire
The only thing that I would say is every now and then I go under her and retighten everything because I wheel my Jeep Pretty hard
Depending on the tire you are running pressure makes a difference. And I’m running a 37" tire
The only thing that I would say is every now and then I go under her and retighten everything because I wheel my Jeep Pretty hard