Savvy Mid-Arm and Tummy Tuck Questions
- Thread starter TJ1014
- Start date
This question seems to come up a lot. Everybody says you don't need it and you'll know you need it when you know. Well, for the sake of discussion, can you tell us what your particular issues were that you were trying to solve by installing the mid-arm kit?
I have a replacement frame sitting in the garage next to the Jeep and if I'm ever going to do any modifications that require cutting and welding, I'd just assume do them while I have easy access to everything and then swap the tub over.
I didn't install it, it came already installed.
Had I started over with a bone stock TJ, I likely would have just went with Savvy short-arms, wheeled the hell out of it, and if I got to the point where I thought I needed it, I would install a mid-arm.
I wheel with @starkey480 quite often, and I've watched him do everything I do on my Savvy mid-arm with his short arms. That being said, a built short arm rig is very, very capable.
If you have a replacement frame sitting in the garage, I'd focus on outboard shocks over anything else at the moment.
That's not to say you can't install a mid-arm, I totally get wanting to do something just to do it. The mid-arm will definitely help with the steep climbs and the wheel hop that might come along with it.
I guess the bigger question is....what is the downside other than the labor and the initial cost? The full mid-arm kit is $3950. The 4" Savvy short arm is $2735. I'm not going to spend $1200 for the sake of just spending it. I'm going to outboard the rear shocks and relocate the rear spring perches anyway (one is already damaged). With that said, if there are significant advantages without many downsides, I'm up for the challenge. If I'm not going to notice anything different, I'll save the money and time.
Honestly, there is no downside other than the cost and the labor to install it, that's it.
If you have the money to spend, I strongly encourage you to install a mid-arm and outboard.
If you are going to go broke trying to do it, that's when I would encourage you to stay with short arms and just wheel the piss out of them.
It sounds like you aren't afraid of the costs, so I would say go big or go home in that case.
You have to understand that the typical person on this forum would gawk at spending $4000 on a mid-arm kit, another $2000 or so to install it, and then nearly $3000 for an outboard shock install (including shocks and towers).
$9000 is a hard pill to swallow for many
If I had that kind of access, plus time and money to do it, I would do as many modifications as I could prior to installation.
I personally would raise all the body mounts to eliminate body lift pucks, extend the front shock mounts, outboard the rear shocks, install mid-arm brackets, raise the rear crossmember, and maybe even go for a mild stretch.
If you have the time and the money, it may be worthwhile in my opinion.
Fortunately, I'm not going to go broke.....at least with this Jeep anyway. Did I mention my wife owns a horse? You think Jeeps are expensive?Honestly, there is no downside other than the cost and the labor to install it, that's it.
If you have the money to spend, I strongly encourage you to install a mid-arm and outboard.
If you are going to go broke trying to do it, that's when I would encourage you to stay with short arms and just wheel the piss out of them.
It sounds like you aren't afraid of the costs, so I would say go big or go home in that case.
You have to understand that the typical person on this forum would gawk at spending $4000 on a mid-arm kit, another $2000 or so to install it, and then nearly $3000 for an outboard shock install (including shocks and towers).
$9000 is a hard pill to swallow for many
Also, I can weld, so I should be able to do the install myself I believe. I've seen a few of the guides on the forum and I think I could pull it off. The rear shock mounts shouldn't be too bad either. The parts are fairly reasonable. It will take some patience and time, but I think with my own labor, I should be able to do it for a good bit less.
We own a pool, so I feel your pain
If you can weld and have the shop space, I don't think it's terrible difficult to do yourself, just time consuming and tedious in that you want to constantly be cycling the suspension with each step you make (notably with the outboard install) to make sure everything works as it should.
If you have the time and resources to do the midarm then do it. And do it at the same time as the outboard. That way you can set the outboard to accommodate the midarm as far as uptravel and pinion angles and all that fun stuff that all has to play nicely together.
Doesn't matter. Do the belly height adjustments first, then the mid arm and outboard can be done at the same time or different times as long as the belly isn't going to change. A raised belly skid won't bother the mid arm or when you do it but it is less adjusting. The raised belly skid does affect the lower shock mount though so the outboard needs to be done after.
Here is my $.02 based on my recent experiences.
1) Go with UCF for the skids.
2) Get double adjustable control arms. Savvy or Clayton would be my suggestion.
3) I wheeled with short arm, mid arm, and long arm TJs a few weeks ago. They all were able to tackle the same obstacles fairly equally. I didn't notice much of a difference.
4) Take your budget, double it then add $1500. lol
1) Go with UCF for the skids.
2) Get double adjustable control arms. Savvy or Clayton would be my suggestion.
3) I wheeled with short arm, mid arm, and long arm TJs a few weeks ago. They all were able to tackle the same obstacles fairly equally. I didn't notice much of a difference.
4) Take your budget, double it then add $1500. lol
Your number four is pretty close to my rule of Pi. I usually say take the money that you think it will cost, and take the time you think it will take, and multiply both by 3.14.
Absolutely on the time. I actually came out under budget at first. Then I blew it up. My timeline was shot quickly. I started on my birthday 9/22 with the goal of finishing by Halloween. Then I moved that goal to Thanksgiving. Now I am simply waiting on rear UCAs to finish it. Hopefully they are in transit.
More people need to realize this and also realize that this is true until it isn't.
I don’t think the bolt holes align up too well for the factory skids... which would make it harder for any mods.
B00mb00m
The Church of Cutting Brakes of Atlas-Front Digs
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I honestly cannot understand what you are saying. Crossmember bolt holes? Skid to frame holes? And what mods where?
The frame holes are in a different location make it more of a challenge and the transmission mount holes are not in the same location either.
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