I’ve got a TJR with a long arm kit.
I’ve got a TJR with a Clayton short arm kit.
I have had 3 other lifted, short arm TJ’s.
I have driven up, through over or around about everything I can find.
I have driven over 75,000 road miles in 4 years in them.
So, what do I think?
First, the long arm “lesser arc theory“ is a joke. Sure, looks good in theory- but axles really don’t move enough at highway speed for that to begin to matter.
At trail speed, even if they move that much, the arc swing of the axle is irrelevant to comfort or anything else going over babyhead rocks.
Technically- and I’m talking about the hard core rock guys that wheel stuff most of us can’t make it 25 feet in - they aren’t going to touch them. They hang up and can actually negate the critical geometry the rig needs to work.
So why do they exist? Because we live in a world where people that are supposed to know often don’t, all the way up to the manufacturing level. And jeep owners are often suckers for anything they looks unique they can stand around and brag about...and long arms really fit the bill for that.
So what matters?
Good connections under the vehicle, geometry, proper cycling and clearances, caster, toe and the ability for things to move without stressing the mounts matter a lot.
I have my long arm kitted 03 in my shop with the rear axle on the floor- jeep has 75,000 miles and bad lift design was part of what happened.