Clayton Off Road
- Thread starter RamP
- Start date
StrizzyChris
New member
They have a great lifetime warranty, and are good guys. I was looking at their kit a few years ago for my old jeep. If you are wanting a long arm kit, just know that their kit is a radius arm kit. There's nothing wrong with a radius arm, I just prefer 4 independently moving control arms.
If you're looking for big flex, there's plenty wrong with radius arms. The kit I installed was their short arm kit and it was a quality kit.
This may be a dumb question, but I see people say radius arms do not flex well and never really get a solid explanation. What it is about the radius arm set-up that doesn't allow it to flex as well as 4 independent control arms?
GCM 2
New member
Just do an Internet search, there is a discussion on practically every forum of why radius arm set ups are typically not going to be able to out perform 4 link set ups. This topic can get really heated and out of shape by advocates of each side :icon_crazy:
StrizzyChris
New member
That's EXACTLY why I made my very well thought out first response. I wouldn't use it, but wont say anything bad about it
munstie
New member
Quit beating down the radius arms
I'm going to a four link setup soon less than a year and the axle housing bushings are trashed. Good to see ya got to bring Moby home :thumbup:2011 JKU 3.5 R.E. Longarm lift.
radius arms are great on vehicles like desert race trucks where you have big vertical travel of the axle. however, by it's design, radius arms are in a state of bind the moment you try to force them to articulate. if you were to disconnect the radius arms at the frame, they would stand straight out like a diving board. see image below:
in fact, if you were to grab each end of the radius arms and try to push them in opposite directions, you would find it very difficult to do as your axle holds them firmly in place. think of your sway bar - not the links but the actual sway bar itself - it is basically a torsion bar that wraps around with 2 arms that the links are attached to. that's essentially what your front axle and radius arms are like only, your axle is no torsion bar and it will not twist. believe it or not, there are companies that have made axles that allow for this kind of rotation on the axle but without it, you have bind. now, having said all that, you can force radius arms to flex but in order to do so, an enormous amount of stress is placed into your bushings as they get squashed and stretch and in time, these bushings will fail.
LOL!! that's a polite way of putting it but, you know as well as i do that there really is no debate here - just guys like me who present facts and truth and angry guys who don't want to hear it. :crazyeyes:
That's EXACTLY why I made my very well thought out first response. I wouldn't use it, but wont say anything bad about it
Pointing out facts and telling the truth does not equal saying bad things.
munstie
New member
Quit beating down the radius arms
2011 JKU 3.5 R.E. Longarm lift.
I hope you guys realized that there was sarcasm in this post, and Eddie is correct flexing a radius arm suspension definitely trashes bushings. Ask me how I know.
2011 JKU 3.5 R.E. Longarm lift.
:cheesy: I totally missed your other post but yeah, I know you would have been kidding.
StrizzyChris
New member
I know...but this is the internet and people get all butt hurt if you state something they have purchased wasn't the best or was a bad choice. This is your palace and you have a more respected view than mine, so I'll let you be the bad guy
WAL is a place I enjoy talking with you and the regulars on...for that reason I usually stay PC and only state my personal preference or experience and leave it at that.
RamP
Member
I would never begrudge someone giving their opinion. After all, I asked. You guys know more about these things than I do an I value your knowledge.
Just to get back to it.
I also found a shop 20 min. from my house called Extreme Vehicle Builders in Danbury, CT that is a Clayton and Evo dealer. Time to start getting a build list together.
Just to get back to it.
I also found a shop 20 min. from my house called Extreme Vehicle Builders in Danbury, CT that is a Clayton and Evo dealer. Time to start getting a build list together.
GCM 2
New member
Haha! Yes my friend, you are correct! I was just hoping RamP's original post was not going to get lost in the sea of possibly increasingly angry posters trying to prove the benefits of radius arms, just seems to go down that road. However, like Briguy114, there is nothing wrong with asking a legitimate question of why are they better/not better than 4 traditional control arms. The slightest bit of research and you quickly learn how few people actually run radius arm set ups, now ask yourself why and it's apparent. Also, in your earlier post you commented on the square tubing used by Clayton on their control arms, absolutely nothing wrong with that......I believe both you (on Moby) and I (on EVOJEEP) are currently running square control arms :rock:
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Skid_Kid
New member
Just a note on the square tube vice round. The squares will take more of a beating and have less chance of bending then round tubes. We did flight testing for our new crosstubes on our helicopters and found that square one will take more of an impact when crashed then round. Just a thought.
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Chairokey
New member
Could a jeep apply the same amount of force on the trail that the helicopter applied in a crash? I'm just asking because I've always been fond of round and I'd hate to settle for square unnecessarily.
jeeeep
Hooked
I have the 3.5" short arm premium lift on my 2010, 35" tires, I installed the lift without any problems other than it was the hottest temps on record in Texas and I was like an egg on the driveway...
The first few times on the rocks I was not so finessed at getting around and they took a beating but the arms did not fail.
The guys at Clayton always responded to questions (which is more than I can say about others, even when I was trying to spend $$$ with them!)
The first few times on the rocks I was not so finessed at getting around and they took a beating but the arms did not fail.
The guys at Clayton always responded to questions (which is more than I can say about others, even when I was trying to spend $$$ with them!)