Personally I don't like lower control arms with the high clearance bends. They add a few inches of ground clearance only right behind the tire, while sacrificing arm strength. The bends give the extreme forces in a link suspension a place to pin point and act upon. It's easier to continue to bend and buckle a piece of tube that already has a bend in it...

 

That's a non-issue if the arms are DOM and have adequate wall thickness.

Beware of low-end kits that use thin walled tube.

 

Yes that is the other part I'm aware. is your 3 link a one size fits for all setups? I don't know much about the geometry but does a bolt-on 3 link always have better AS numbers and geometry etc?

If that is the case and the OP has the budget then yeah buy what you like

 

My 4 link and 3 link kits will fit jeeps with lifts from 4.5 to 8.5 inches. I can offer shorter or longer control arms upon request to accomodate lower or higher rigs.

Yes and no I guess. Each company that designs and builds 3 links and 4 links go about it different ways. Most kits on the market will be superior to a radius arm set up if the manufacturer has done their research combined with product testing. I know this is slightly off subject but an instance where geometry was sacrificed in place of packaging would be trail gears rear triangulated 4 link for the toyotas. Many dont like this kit because of the really high anti squat numbers. So yes, a 3 link or 4 link kit can have worse geometry then a radius arm set up.

In the case of building your own set up, one shouldnt just slap together a 3 link or 4 link. Lots of research, calculations, and testing should be made during the build process. A radius arm system takes some of the geometry "guess work" out of the equation which is why it is a popular choice. A decent designed radius arm is generally better then a poorly designed 3 or 4 link.

 

For the OP:

While there are Pro's and Con's to every possible control arm (L/A or otherwise) the overall effect is the same for all. Increased articulation.

What that means for you is smoother ride on road if you've paired your L/A choice with quality springs and shocks. Skimp on these and you won't get the full benefit of the L/A's.

Offroad performance is greatly enhanced since you can keep all four wheels on the ground. Although 3-wheeling may look great on the internet, it's pointless on the trail. It's 4 Wheeling 101:
4 wheels provide greater traction and control than 3 wheels.

Extreme articulation may be cool to look at but serves no real purpose. With little or no vehicle weight on a wheel there isn't as much (if any) traction available. A locker in the this case would help, but that's not a given.

Choose your kit/system based on your driving style and the terrain you'll use it on. Buy what will work for you and save your money until you can afford the kit that meets your needs.

Lastly...
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.

 

I'm gonna play devils advocate here and say more articulation is one of the last reasons to get longer control arms. Shortarms can make full use of a 10" travel shock if the right components are used.

As for flex, many of us choose to limit it, as the offroad capability can be hindered if a tire drops into a hole, or has to get up a ledge. And the further a tire is allowed to drop, the steeper the control arm angle, which is what we are trying to get away from in the first place. Picture coming up to a ledge and trying to get a tire up on it it one at a time. If you want the suspension to compress with a steep angle, the entire vehicle must travel backwards for that corner of the suspension to compress, and when one tire is up and you try to get the opposite side up, that side is already significantly at steeper of an angle resulting in the vehicle to have to slide backwards even more. Ive seen this on overlifted vehicles make for some sketchy situations. While it may seem a bit exaggerated, it is still a reality.

Flex is good, but there is a point where too much flex can be a bad thing.

 

No, this is the discussion I was hoping to get from my post. I'm getting wiser with how I spend my money and I want to do it right the first time. I want to avoid buying more than one kit because I wasn't satisfied with the first.

And that's what I'm looking for is the smoothest transition from 70mph HWY driving to big jagged rocks in southern Arizona. If it means spending a couple hundred more dollars on a 3 link because it's a better handling set-up then that's what I'll do. But if a good quality radius arm set-up will suffice then I'll just go that route.

I really like the kit you have put together on your website Serious, however I also like the design of the high clearance bend. It seems as though that would be effective in a situation like possibly having a straight LCA land on a big boulder and kinking or bending.

 

Personal preference will always play a part in anyone's purchase.

FWIW,
The added clearance from a bent arm is not that great.

I build my L/A's using .250 wall D.O.M. so they can take a severe beating and not bend.

 

nothing wrong with straight arms. Yea, they might drag slightly more often,but they are angled in a way where it wont hinder your forward progress. I would be more concerned with how far back they mount, and how low they mount on the chassis.

 

just installed this set up on mine very inpressed with the kit....

 

That's good to know Serious as I really liked the complete kit you put together on your website.

So based upon my description of daily driving do you think a radius arms set-up will suit me just fine??

I'm wondering how effective the mounting set-up is by using brackets instead of a cross member that RK uses. It seems as though the mounting points are about the same as stock for the LCA's but they must do it this way for a reason.

 

Absolutely!
My XJ is our DD and our trail rig all rolled into one. I drive it to and from the trails at the post speed limit without any issues at all.

Check out the product reviews on my site too.

 

Does a 3 link effect pinion and caster angle less than a radius arm? Does it make a diffrence whether the upper liknk is on the drivers or passengers side on a 3 link?

 

upper link location doesn't really matter. put it where it fits. (just don't use the factory dana 30 passenger upper mount)

a 3 link can be set up so there is zero caster/pinion angle change, though if there is any difference in link angle, or link length, it will change ever so slightly.

a radius arm has a much more radical pinion angle/caster change, but its not a huge issue, just dial it in at ride height, and you will be good to go.

 

I hate the radius arms on my Ford F350 superduty. They create a 0 or even worst caster angle while turning and hitting say railroad tracks, and induces a annoying wobble in the front. Of course it never gets to a death wobble cause once it settles down after the bump or turn, the caster comes back to 3.5deg.

I also do not see ANY new vehicle being produced by a auto manufacture using a radius arm design except the ford superdutys, nor does any race car building (jeep or otherwise) design a radius arm in to their front susp. It has been tested throughout the years, and even though its the cheapest to make, and no real geometry needs to be considered, it still is not used, and only a few offer it in the off road industry.

And before its said, that you dont have a race car, you may not. But why go back in technology and in R&D to a design that has been phased out and no longer used, especially in conditions that are extreme. You may not put it thru the conditions that a race car will, but hey you like those bling 2.5" shocks king or fox have out right? Who doesnt, but only a few will actually need them, over say a 2.0 5150 Bilstein.

But its knowing that you have better then you need, most of the time, and it is capable of more then you might push it to, so that you can push it harder and still not hurt anything and yet still perform as you want it to.