Short arm vs long arm stretch

[mattcogdell]

There's a huge thread on the never ending debate of short arm vs long arm but what about short arm vs a longer length arm due to stretching the Jeep? (Say the front)

Visually the arm would appear to still create the same issue of hanging up in the rocks but I've never heard a guy whose Jeep is stretched complain about its performance rock crawling.

 

[AndyG]

The one hump vs. 2 hump camel debate rages on.....a stretch likely will be even worse.

I love the drive my long arm kit has, and I think TJ’s get more axle stability and track better with a properly triangulated long arm kit WITH STRONG BUSHINGS. I also think every lift kit made is worthless if installed poorly. We have a ton of really happy short arm pilots on here, long arms are the minority.

Frankie and Dan at Rocket City off road in Huntsville , Alabama are great with TJ and all Jeep model set up configurations.


Jerry Bransford, the most interesting TJ owner in the world, has pics showing long arms in rock gardens....it ain’t pretty.

 

[Mike_H]

Longer arms aren't necessarily the problem...

I think its more a matter of where the typical bolt on long arm kits locate the mounting points on the frame. If you look as some of the weld on Long arm kits, they are better received. If you are doing a stretch, you have more flexibility in where your arms mount...so you can control the positions of all the crap that ends up ruining your break-over angles on the bolt on kits (like the Rubicon express one).

 

[jjvw]

My thinking is that a stretch and longer arms are two separate topics that have some overlap.

What is the purpose behind the stretch? Once you justify that, there will be some control arm work that will require moving mounts around.

Personally, I don't think I would want to stretch a typical bolt on long arm.

 

[mrblaine]

My thinking is that a stretch and longer arms are two separate topics that have some overlap.

What is the purpose behind the stretch? Once you justify that, there will be some control arm work that will require moving mounts around.

Personally, I don't think I would want to stretch a typical bolt on long arm.

If it helps, I just finished a stretch on a TJ out to 104" with a mid arm. The rear arms are the same length as it came it with. I moved the mounts back when I cut the frame. I did not make the arms longer.

 

[mattcogdell]

If it helps, I just finished a stretch on a TJ out to 104" with a mid arm. The rear arms are the same length as it came it with. I moved the mounts back when I cut the frame. I did not make the arms longer.

Blaine how busy do you stay with installs and any other Jeep fabricating?

 

[mrblaine]

Blaine how busy do you stay with installs and any other Jeep fabricating?

Pretty busy.

 

[fuse]

What is the purpose behind the stretch?

I've seen a few stretched Jeeps around, but I don't understand it. Why would you want to stretch the wheelbase?

 

[pcoplin]

I've seen a few stretched Jeeps around, but I don't understand it. Why would you want to stretch the wheelbase?

Tire size and the larger lift to make room for the tires has a direct relation to suspension geometry (how it performs on accel, decel, and cornering). The larger tire you it'll perform better when you stretch the wheelbase also.