Rubicon Express Long Arm Replacement?

[Temecula TJ]

So I have an old Rubicon Express Long Arm kit, installed in 2008. It's totally clapped out and no repair parts are available so I'm thinking just replace it completely. I considered MC replacement arms for a minute but it seems expensive for more of the same. I've read all the debate about the flaws of long arm kits. Honestly mine has performed well for a long time but it's time to upgrade. Most of my wheeling is open desert, ocotillo, glamis, havasu. Like to have a smoother ride at speed in rough terrain. I do some rocks and have been to moab. I have about $12k to spend. I don't have the time space or skill to do any fabrication myself. Suggestions?

 

[MightyJoe]

So I have an old Rubicon Express Long Arm kit, installed in 2008. It's totally clapped out and no repair parts are available so I'm thinking just replace it completely. I considered MC replacement arms for a minute but it seems expensive for more of the same. I've read all the debate about the flaws of long arm kits. Honestly mine has performed well for a long time but it's time to upgrade. Most of my wheeling is open desert, ocotillo, glamis, havasu. Like to have a smoother ride at speed in rough terrain. I do some rocks and have been to moab. I have about $12k to spend. I don't have the time space or skill to do any fabrication myself. Suggestions?

Man with $12k I'd load up on some Kings Colilovers and double triangulation.

Academically, have you loaded your suspension numbers into a 4-link calc? IF not I would love to load up the numbers and see what youre working with. I've been collecting and comparing data from different brands.

 

[mrblaine]

Man with $12k I'd load up on some Kings Colilovers and double triangulation.

Academically, have you loaded your suspension numbers into a 4-link calc? IF not I would love to load up the numbers and see what youre working with. I've been collecting and comparing data from different brands.

Sounds like something a GR shill would say.

 

[MightyJoe]

Sounds like something a GR shill would say.

Ya too bad that don’t make anything for Toyota and they’re the only ones in the whole world that like double -tri. Haha

 

[Mr. Bills]

Following.

 

[mrblaine]

Ya too bad that don’t make anything for Toyota and they’re the only ones in the whole world that like double -tri. Haha

Footprint in the rocks is not something to be ignored unless the rocks are little.

 

[MikeE024]

So I have an old Rubicon Express Long Arm kit, installed in 2008. It's totally clapped out and no repair parts are available so I'm thinking just replace it completely. I considered MC replacement arms for a minute but it seems expensive for more of the same. I've read all the debate about the flaws of long arm kits. Honestly mine has performed well for a long time but it's time to upgrade. Most of my wheeling is open desert, ocotillo, glamis, havasu. Like to have a smoother ride at speed in rough terrain. I do some rocks and have been to moab. I have about $12k to spend. I don't have the time space or skill to do any fabrication myself. Suggestions?

I’d hands down get a Savvy Midarm with your budget. I hope to have a midarm installed down the road now that I better understand the benefits.

 

[MightyJoe]

Footprint in the rocks is not something to be ignored unless the rocks are little.

Yup we all ignore rocks smaller than 40s

 

[mrblaine]

I’d hands down get a Savvy Midarm with your budget. I hope to have a midarm installed down the road now that I better understand the benefits.

The mid arm will not smooth out his ride.

 

[MikeE024]

The mid arm will not smooth out his ride.

Wouldn’t the ride potentially improve with the outboarding? I was under the impression that a mid arm kit involved outboarding the shocks as well.

 

[jjvw]

Wouldn’t the ride potentially improve with the outboarding? I was under the impression that a mid arm kit involved outboarding the shocks as well.

The mid arm does not require a shock outboard. And outboarded shocks do not inherently change the ride quality.

 

[jjvw]

Man with $12k I'd load up on some Kings Colilovers and double triangulation.

....

Your answer to everything is coilovers.

...

Academically, have you loaded your suspension numbers into a 4-link calc? IF not I would love to load up the numbers and see what youre working with. I've been collecting and comparing data from different brands.

If you understood that these calculators were deriving their numbers based on static loads and a nebulous CoG, then you would know this is useless information to collect.

 

[mrblaine]

Wouldn’t the ride potentially improve with the outboarding? I was under the impression that a mid arm kit involved outboarding the shocks as well.

You can outboard Rancho 5000's. Now what?
But no, outboarding has zero to do with the mid arm and you know this because you have outboarded shocks and don't have the mid arm.

 

[L J]

set aside $4000 to $6000 for shocks depending on how fast and go from there

 

[MikeE024]

The mid arm does not require a shock outboard. And outboarded shocks do not inherently change the ride quality.

Thanks for setting me straight on that

 

[jjvw]

Thanks for setting me straight on that

I did my own outboard after the mid arm and another mid arm after the outboard. There can be a minor insignificant difference in the angle of the upper shock mount depending on when the mid arm goes in, but it has no real impact on anything.

 

[MikeE024]

So I have an old Rubicon Express Long Arm kit, installed in 2008. It's totally clapped out and no repair parts are available so I'm thinking just replace it completely.

What you you guys suggest if he wants to move on from the long arm? I figured a mid arm would make more sense than fabbing the rig up for a SA.

I’m genuinely interested in learning about the best ways to go for this situation.

 

[MightyJoe]

What you you guys suggest if he wants to move on from the long arm? I figured a mid arm would make more sense than fabbing the rig up for a SA.

I’m genuinely interested in learning about the best ways to go for this situation.

For open desert and more high speed stuff he would benefit from the long arm but would recommend King, ADS or Fox shocks. For ride quality and comfort I recommend researching Progressive, Linear and Digressive Shock valving. I prefer Linear, many prefer progressive but high speed stuff a lot prefer digressive. King, ADS, and Fox are typically progressive by default while Bilstein, Icon etc are digressive. Shock valving will directly translate into both control and comfort.

Shock fade is an issue at speed as shocks begin to overheat so a 2.5 with remote reservoirs is generally a good recommendation.

 

[jjvw]

What you you guys suggest if he wants to move on from the long arm? I figured a mid arm would make more sense than fabbing the rig up for a SA.

I’m genuinely interested in learning about the best ways to go for this situation.

There is a practical argument to move to the mid arm because the overall project to eliminate the existing long arm would require new brackets and arms.

 

[MikeE024]

There is a practical argument to move to the mid arm because the overall project to eliminate the existing long arm would require new brackets and arms.

That was my reasoning as well. But I messed up by assuming the mid arm required outboarding.

And I’ve learned that saying “outboarding,” assuming folks would go with Fox 2.0 shocks or coilovers, also isn’t the correct way to communicate that message.