OP
Back in the Saddle
- Thread starter NicKnack
- Start date
Yes there is that possibility just like damaging the front driveshaft is it is usually running a very similar angle. When they are built well they will take a beating and keep on going. I have plenty of scars on mine but they are still going strong. Some lifts like the RE have straight arms while others have a bend in them keeping them higher and bend down closer to the axle.
When they are well built they are strong and can handle what you dish out.
When they are well built they are strong and can handle what you dish out.
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Here is a pic of my arms and you can see the front driveshaft angle a bit steeper then my arms
Don't get suckered into this one and start believing the hype that a long arm is vastly better than a short arm. Nothing could be further from the truth, honestly. First off, I think that arguably one of the best lifts for a TJ is the mid-arm lift. It combines the best of both worlds. Having said that, if you're just comparing a long arm lift to a short arm lift, there's a lot to take in.
Most people assume a long arm rides better than a short arm. This is nothing more than internet bullshit that has been spread like a wildfire, by talking parrots who simply repeat everything they hear, based on no real life evidence of their own. I suspect where this whole thing started was people comparing equally shitty, low budget lifts.
Let's take for instance a long arm Rough Country kit and compare it with a short arm Rough Country kit. Rough Country is widely regarded as a very low quality (but cheap) lift kit. I don't want to offend anyone who has a Rough Country lift, but there's a reason they are as cheap as they are. Anyways, when comparing a RC long arm versus a RC short arm, the RC long arm kit is likely going to ride better. That's not saying a lot of course, because a short arm RC lift with the stock RC shocks (the RC shocks being the worst part of the lift) rides very terribly (especially when compared with a higher end, quality lift), which I know from firsthand experience. So, you're not really comparing much there.
Now, let's compare a RC long arm lift with a Currie 4" short arm lift. Hands down, no question asked, that Currie lift (paired with some nice shocks) will blow that RC long arm lift out of the water in terms of ride quality, not even a question about it at all.
The idea that a long arm lift will ride better than a short arm lift is mostly an unfounded myth. However, there gets to be a point where you have no choice but to run long arms. Short arm lifts are really only good for around 4" of suspension lift. Anything over that, and then you get to a point where you are going to be forced to go with long arms. So, a long arm lift does have a purpose, I just don't think it's on a TJ with 4" or less of suspension lift.
Let's also not forget the fact that long arms bind easily. Ask someone like @Jerry Bransford who has run both long arm lifts and short arm lifts in the treacherous rocky terrain of Johnson Valley. He'll testify firsthand about how much his long arm lift would bind up on the rocks. Hell, he's even got photos to prove it as well.
So, if you're doing a lot of rocky terrain, a long arm lift is not going to be a good thing. A short arm or mid-arm lift would be better suited for that sort of thing. Of course everything changes if we're talking about a TJ with 8" of suspension lift or something wild, but almost none of us are running that sort of lift.
The bottom line is that in my honest opinion, if you're going to stay at 4" or under of suspension lift (as most of us do), you want a short arm lift, and a high quality short arm lift (i.e. Currie, Savvy, etc.). Waste your money on a 4" short arm lift from Rough Country or Skyjacker, and it's going to ride like shit. The shocks they include in those lifts are no better than a seized pogo stick.
Another thing to take into consideration is the type of terrain you wheel in.
Don't fall victim to the never ending internet myth that a long arm lift is better than a short arm lift. The people who are spouting that nonsense, generally don't know what they're talking about.
Again, everything has a purpose. I'm not dismissing long arm lifts entirely. I'm simply saying that for the majority of us, they're completely unnecessary.
Disclaimer: This post is not meant to offend anyone with a long arm lift. I've owned both long arm and short arm lifts, and I've also owned everything from Rough Country, to OME, to Currie. I'm basing my opinion off of my own experiences, and the experiences of some of the veteran members of this site who wheel in some of the toughest spots in the United States. As I always say, "to each their own".
OP
OP
@Chris just for the record I would never give anyone my opinion based on any internet hype. My opinion is based on my own personal experiences with my own TJ as well as others I have driven or have been a passenger in.
I won't deny good shocks will go a long way which is why I have always run quality brand name shocks like Bilsteins.
I also agree with 4" or lower there is no real need for long arm.
I won't deny good shocks will go a long way which is why I have always run quality brand name shocks like Bilsteins.
I also agree with 4" or lower there is no real need for long arm.
OP
@Chris @JeepNWilly both of your posts were very helpful, Chris just happened to nail down the 4" lift aspect which I don't plan on passing. I live near Rausch Creek so there's not really a need for more than 4" to have fun there. Although...... we are talking about Jeeps. 
One thing to remember is arm movement and axle front and back movement. The steeper the angle the more the axle will shift forward and backwards during suspension travel.
Personal example comparing my wife's completely stock 2014 JKU and my 6" long arm TJ. I cross poorly maintained railroad tracks everyday to pick up my son from school. Some days with my TJ other days with my wife's JKU. At 45mph my TJ takes on the tracks a lot smoother than my wife's JKU.
Personal example comparing my wife's completely stock 2014 JKU and my 6" long arm TJ. I cross poorly maintained railroad tracks everyday to pick up my son from school. Some days with my TJ other days with my wife's JKU. At 45mph my TJ takes on the tracks a lot smoother than my wife's JKU.
OP
I wish the engineers had thought of the JK control arms when they were designing the TJ, though.... it is a JK though
I know you wouldn't. My post wasn't in any way directed at you. RC lifts can ride good once you get rid of the shitty shocks they include with them. I was simply trying to dispel a rumor that I see a lot of people spread. You know, I hear people all the time ask what kind of lift they should get, and the first thing that most people say in response is "go with a long arm".
At 4" or less, I don't think you need long arms. When you get higher than that, I have no doubt they become advantageous.
I also use Bilstein shocks and swear by them.
Either way, I wasn't trying to harp on long arms or attack you in any way. I was just putting it out there since he had asked about long arm versus short arm.
Go figure!
That's why I still think that the best lift setup for the TJ is the mid arm lift that Savvy sells. While I haven't run it personally, everything I have heard from everyone who is running it, says it's the best thing since sliced bread.
It makes sense that it would be too. They wouldn't have added mid arms to the JK of there wasn't some sort of advantage.
They are bent to allow more ground clearance (lowers), plus they are square tubing, not stamped steel. This is a photo of a Crown replacement arm, but same thing: