Tural

i've never wondered what advantages you get from long arm kits. just curious now. it looks like it utilizes a sub-bracket on a longer lower control arm to bolt on the upper control arm.

schmaunty

mines got a drop bracket, i haven't got them caught on anything yet, but they could get in the way. i'd rather have a long arm

Tural

one more again. i know a lot of people run long arm kits. what's the advantage?

stumanarama

Having no actual experience with them, and basing the following statement solely on what I've read and deduced, the advantages with the long arm kits are 1. The front suspension travels up and down in a bigger radius arc meaning the axel doesn't move forward and back as much as it would if it had short arms i.e. the shocks/springs travel in a more vertical motion/less lateral. Did that make any sense? Another thing that long arms appear to help with is caster angle, meaning that the front axle doesn't have to twist as much while travelling through its range of motion, this helps with road handling and combats death wobble. And last(at least to my knowledge) it allows the front suspension to flex/articulate better. less binding of bushings than with short arms. Now, as far as I know, most of the benefits of long arms are only fully felt with the higher lifts, 5 inches plus.

Hope this helps, and someone with more experience let me know if the info I've extrapolated from my research is accurate, or if I'm just talking out of my you-know-what.

98 JeepJeep

yup...there just better........

Brad M.

Brings your control arm angles closer to stock, providing a smoother ride. Also, because the arms are longer there is more room for travel, increasing articulation.

Look at a stock cherokee and you'll notice the lower CA's are almost parallel to the ground. The angle absorbs bumps nicely. Now look at a guy running 4"-5" of lift with short arms and you'll notice his LCA's are probably at about a 40-45 degree angle. No bump absorption there, it travels straight up the arms and into the cab. Now look at the angle of a long arm kit. Better angle, and attachment point is further back along the body, making them absorb better. Complimented with the right shocks, it's the best riding setup for a lifted XJ. Drop brackets would be the next best choice.