Long arms on a TJ

DSM Turbos said:
For the price of off the shelf, I bet though somebody on here can build and design you a better working system for about the same amount of money.
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Good gawd I'd HOPE so

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DSM Turbos said:
Just a hunch but I bet most off the shelf long arms the geometry if you ran the numbers isn't that great. I'm not sure if you can find somebody that has done though them on the off the shelf kits.
For the price of off the shelf, I bet though somebody on here can build and design you a better working system for about the same amount of money.
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This.
The OG RE long arm was infamous for horrible and unpredictable cycling off camber and also on road at speed.
There's so many companies making the frame and axle mounts that allow a competent builder to make their own well functioning 3 or 4 link (with panhard).
 
DSM Turbos said:
Just a hunch but I bet most off the shelf long arms the geometry if you ran the numbers isn't that great. I'm not sure if you can find somebody that has done though them on the off the shelf kits.
For the price of off the shelf, I bet though somebody on here can build and design you a better working system for about the same amount of money.
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I can't speak for most but from what I can tell, Andy builds his setups to function. He atleast looks at the numbers.

As mentioned, I would do a setup where the mounts are inside the belly. I would also push out the axles a few inches in each direction, atleast, while I was at it.
 
CasterTroy said:
Good gawd I'd HOPE so

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Savvy isn't cheap, but their stuff at least works right and they have ran the numbers on their stuff and have proven it works. Some people don't have builders around them or the knowledge to build a kit themselves.

@paradisePWoffrd I wasn't referring to Andy as I put him in a more small builder custom stuff much like Savvy.
 
CasterTroy said:
For me, yes

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I'd love to know more

What are you thinking @shawn ?

I don't want to go 37's. nor 4+" lift, and I'm not considering a stretch (way too damn much involved)

I'd like more options though.
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Are you sure the arms were causing the issue? Not the sway bar, shocks, springs, etc?

Are you running a stock style 4 link or radius arm style lift now? Just like the configuration with long arms can vary things, so can short arms.
 
BigClay said:
Goals are to be able to keep up with the rest of CTBers that are going all out haha. Seriously, going from the ZJ to the TJ has been great for most things, but I miss the wheel travel of the long arms, and in all honesty, for the rear I think a stretch will be order to get a little more back to ZJ. As far as spend, @CasterTroy said he was footing the bill so budget is unlimited :D
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Clay just leave it alone. All the long arm kits will be rock magnets and gain you nothing as far as what trails you could hit. A TJ on 35's will do everything the bigger CTB rigs will do except Kenneth, good luck keeping up with him.

Now if you just want to fuck with stuff and be different I would run a link mid arm (<30") 3 link setup in the front and stretch the rear to 99ish" with a 3 link as well. That's the current plan for my TJ no matter the axle nor tire size.

CasterTroy said:
I'm not looking to follow Mosteller up bounty hill, but if I could get a little more stability, I'd take it. Not gonna just piss away money though, so that's where I'm hoping you'll share your thinking


Just curious if there are benefits to doing a mid/long arm

Sounds like more drawbacks to LONG arm if I stay low and on 35's
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If stability is what your after then your Jeep needs to get wider and longer. Or just wheel some crazy unstable ass shit and then your TJ will feel very stable.
 
CasterTroy said:
Good gawd I'd HOPE so

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If you try and build that same setup yourself your not off much. 700 in joints, 700 in control arms, 400 in springs, trusses 200, and maybe 400 for brackets. $2400 and you still have to fit brackets and figure out geometry. If I had money to piss away I'd have that kit under my Jeep.
 
CasterTroy said:
I'm no expert, but I think it's a combination of "YES"



I'm running Ironman front and Rear. In fact...:huggy:

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I am not an expert on jeep suspension, but the factory setup is over constrained. On paper it will bind up during articulation because of it. Not sure how that actually plays out in real life or with stock arms vs aftermarket.

I suspect that it falls between radius arm & 3 link for performance (short arms only).
 
Ok here is my theory on making it work.
Drop it off write down your contact info and wait for the call saying you have a badass jeep. After that all you gotta do is send the pics of the big cheesy grin you will have running 80 down the interstate with your pinky finger on the steering wheel or twisting it up on a rock ledge.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Now if you just want to fuck with stuff and be different I would run a link mid arm (<30") 3 link setup in the front and stretch the rear to 99ish" with a 3 link as well. That's the current plan for my TJ no matter the axle nor tire size.
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Chris is onto it here. If you go under and measure a >30" link and see how far it actually goes you can see how you will land your links on rocks constantly. Wranglers can set up links differently than XJs but "mid arms" provide a very reasonable upgrade. If you are going coil overs then sure have >30" link and use all that crazy droop to your advantage.
 
I'm not a TJ expert, but I think you would get the most bang for the buck with the typical 6-7" rear axle relocation/stretch.
 
@CasterTroy @BigClay - @Lee & @Cperry at ECGS hooked me up with some Clayton mid arms, Rock Krawler 3.5” springs, Bilstein shocks & a few other goodies. A huge improvement from the RC lift that was on there to start with. Unfortunately, the way 2017 went for me my Jeep saw the most flex in their parking lot and not on the trail. For the small amount of time I had it out this year I was thrilled! ECGS did an awesome job!

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BUCKEYE PERFORMANCE INC. said:
Ok here is my theory on making it work.
Drop it off write down your contact info and wait for the call saying you have a badass jeep. After that all you gotta do is send the pics of the big cheesy grin you will have running 80 down the interstate with your pinky finger on the steering wheel or twisting it up on a rock ledge.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
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Hit 90 in mine once after you did the 3 link front for me and it handled fine but that bitch was screaming at about 4800 RPM’s if I remember correctly.
 
tlucier said:
Unfortunately, the way 2017 went for me my Jeep saw the most flex in their parking lot and not on the trail.
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Bring it to Big Creek saturday and wheel so I can check it out:huggy:
 
@CasterTroy in the picture of you crossed up in the swale in your front yard, isn't the extended spring loose in the bucket?

Jody Treadway said:
Look at 99% of buggies out there with a subframe. They appear to be losing valuable clearance. But the trade off is substantially improved suspension geometry when the link mounts are moved off the "frame" rails and placed in such a manner the link angles improve climbing.
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I'll bet every one of them except for Winget has 20" to the belly at RH. A tummy tucked TJ with short arms and 35s is 18" or so. Put long arms on it, and it's 14". Gotta go to 42s to get the ground clearance back, or 38s and a bunch more spring.

tlucier said:
@CasterTroy @BigClay - @Lee & @Cperry at ECGS hooked me up with some Clayton mid arms, Rock Krawler 3.5” springs, Bilstein shocks & a few other goodies. A huge improvement from the RC lift that was on there to start with. Unfortunately, the way 2017 went for me my Jeep saw the most flex in their parking lot and not on the trail. For the small amount of time I had it out this year I was thrilled! ECGS did an awesome job!

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I'd be interested to see somebody do this with the Jeep on scales. How much weight is actually on that front right tire? There's probably some weight transfer due to the suspension geometry, but then? Maybe 200 or 300#?
 
shawn said:
I'd be interested to see somebody do this with the Jeep on scales. How much weight is actually on that front right tire? There's probably some weight transfer due to the suspension geometry, but then? Maybe 200 or 300#?
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I'd also consider making the front anti sway tighter. It looks like your rear tire can stuff another 2"-3".
 
shawn said:
@CasterTroy in the picture of you crossed up in the swale in your front yard, isn't the extended spring loose in the
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Actually no. I have pictures somewhere in the office for record. I was testing the bump stops. Ordered longer ones and trimmed until the tire almost touched but to my surprise the springs never came loose.
 
See now Shawn is onto the real problem with long arms on a tj. You may have more flex but a weightless tire does you no good for traction.

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Chris_Keziah said:
You may have more flex but a weightless tire does you no good for traction.
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Boy you sure know a lot for.someone who never wheels outside URE and Big Creek :flipoff2:
 
Chris_Keziah said:
See now Shawn is onto the real problem with long arms on a tj. You may have more flex but a weightless tire does you no good for traction.

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Well, and you spent $2k so that sometimes you don't carry a tire.
 
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