Long Arm or Short Arm

G

GooniesForLife

New member
Okay my friends, this is a topic that’s been drilled into the ground and repeatedly over killed ten times over. But hereeee we gooo again. Really just looking for a push in a certain direction.

I have a 2011 2 door and am in “phase one” of the build if you will. Currently purchased Tera 60 semi float front and rear with 5.38 and arb lockers both with big brake upgrades, 1350 Adams drive shafts front and rear which I have not gotten yet because I’m waiting on suspension decision hence the post here, and 37” MTZ P3 tires.

I will be upgrading the transfer case and will be adding hydro assist as well but my indecision thus far has been regarding suspension. I will be sticking with shocks and springs for now, coil overs and all the Gucci stuff can come later.

Essentially, I am torn on lift height and long or short arm. I know there are pros and cons to both as I’ve read and researched until my eyes have bled. I am leaning toward a 4” long arm and running my 37s. Thing is though, if you can comfortably (I use the term loosely because I know that it’s subjective depending who you ask) run 37’s on a 3.5” short arm lift, am I really going to see a noticeable improvement/difference adding the half inch and running long arms? Anyone out there with experience? Apologies for the long post here but I really want to try and get this as right as I can. It’s a lot of money collectively as you all know if you own a Jeep.

Side note, I understand the implications of doing a long arm when it comes to welding on brackets, potential tummy tuck, etc. basically just looking for a push in a certain direction. Thanks again guys. Cheers.


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Welcome. Sorry about your purchase of teraflex axles. Better luck on your next set.


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Long arms are affective at speed over bumps and turns on the trail or driving on the roads and taking corners. It helps keep the Jeep flatter in turns and smoother over bumps.

A wise man once told me think of like pushing a wheel barrel over a bump. If you hold the wheel barrel handles at a steep angle as compared to the ground you have to use a lot of force to get it over the bump. If you hold the handles parallel to the ground, the wheel barrel will float over the same bump.

So they really do make a difference at speed. For crawling down the trail they will make no difference at all. In fact, depending on which long arms you go with, the rear lower control arm mount can and will grab when breaking over a ledge and has stopped me from making it over. Evo high clearance LAs solve that problem. More complex, but won’t get hung up.

One more thing to keep in mind with your set up as listed above. When you combine 37s, hydro, and a stock front wheel bearings, It will wear them out fast if you wheel it a lot, so check for play in the front wheels after each run.

Good luck


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler
 
GooniesForLife said:
Okay my friends, this is a topic that’s been drilled into the ground and repeatedly over killed ten times over. But hereeee we gooo again. Really just looking for a push in a certain direction.

I have a 2011 2 door and am in “phase one” of the build if you will. Currently purchased Tera 60 semi float front and rear with 5.38 and arb lockers both with big brake upgrades, 1350 Adams drive shafts front and rear which I have not gotten yet because I’m waiting on suspension decision hence the post here, and 37” MTZ P3 tires.
Click to expand...

Thor's Angry Red Balls!! When I hear "phase one" and Tera 60 semi float, expensive thing 2, 3, 4, and 5.... I'm thinking that I must be in "phase -3"!!!

I will be upgrading the transfer case and will be adding hydro assist as well but my indecision thus far has been regarding suspension. I will be sticking with shocks and springs for now, coil overs and all the Gucci stuff can come later.

Essentially, I am torn on lift height and long or short arm. I know there are pros and cons to both as I’ve read and researched until my eyes have bled. I am leaning toward a 4” long arm and running my 37s. Thing is though, if you can comfortably (I use the term loosely because I know that it’s subjective depending who you ask) run 37’s on a 3.5” short arm lift, am I really going to see a noticeable improvement/difference adding the half inch and running long arms? Anyone out there with experience? Apologies for the long post here but I really want to try and get this as right as I can. It’s a lot of money collectively as you all know if you own a Jeep.

Side note, I understand the implications of doing a long arm when it comes to welding on brackets, potential tummy tuck, etc. basically just looking for a push in a certain direction. Thanks again guys. Cheers.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Click to expand...

You are way outta my league on upgrades and planned upgrades, but I can tell ya one thing if it's not too late already.. I have 35's and 3" coil/shock lift. I cut my fenders flat. My tires still cram up into my fenders during certain maneuvers offroad. example: if I am on a decline and must turn at the same time, then even with my 4.75" backspacing offset the tire will rub fender and inner fender lining. I feel like if I was going to 37's I'd want at LEAST another inch of clearance if not more. maybe longer bumpstops with 4" would be okay.

my $0.02 cents for what it's worth..
 
Hey, I have a 2014 2 door on 37s with a 2.5” lift and flat fenders and it works great. I stacked it on a 37” tire no problem. I could probably stack it on a 40” tire too if I had the chance. Lift is the Metalcloak gamechanger. I’ll be upgrading to coilovers, but this lift does alright. I’m not a huge fan of the gold, but that’s just personal preference. For wheels, I went 4.5” backspacing and had to put on 1.5” wheel spacers. Still mad about that one!! So I’d recommend 3.5” backspacing. I think you should go 3.5” lift to sit a little taller, but not too tall, and take advantage of that extra camber that comes with your aftermarket 60

A0D75B7E-BD77-420C-A793-A76B8C2968B1.jpg

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