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long arms... too long?

Clayton recommends 36 1/8" - 36 1/2" for a six inch lift.
 
I'm running 34.5" with between 10" and 12" and it works fine. Also ran 33" with 7" and it was good. I wouldn't go over 36" though.
 
Don't have the lift on yet, but here's what the components are:
RE 5.5 Coils, ACOS for adjustability

BO 6" rear leaves, with JKS Shackles... looking to be about 8" all said and done.
 
Just to clear up the RE long arm legnth they are 37 3/8" eye to eye totaly collapsed. I am in the prosses of cutting mine down. :looney:
 
pfogle said:
Anyone's thoughts on the lenght with those components?

Well, I've been trying to be a good boy and stay out of this, but since you keep asking... :D

I think anything over 20-24" is a waste of precious ground clearance.......so 36" is WAY too long. If you're fabbing anyway, and not using a bolt on kit, there's no need to make the arms so long.....there's no advantage to it and there are some disadvantages. Why do you want long arms? Better street and high speed performance? Better trail performance? Or just because they're percieved to be cool and you want them? BTW, long arms aren't cool anymore.....way too many people have them now. If you're fabbing anyway, be really cool and design a well thought out mid-arm setup that will provide good control arm angles with better ground clearance than long arms.
 
Well, with as much lift as I'm going to get with those components, I'm trying to strike a fine line between on-road driving, and trail performance, and believe that long arms are better then short arms for those conditions.

A good mid arm set-up could prove to be just as good, but I'm not much of an innovator, and prefer to go with tried and true.

Posted this same question on Pirate 4x4 and the general consensus there seems to be that 36" is just about perfect...
 
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These are Full-Tractions from their 6" long arm system. They measure right at 32" from center to center and they mount just in front of the tranny cross member.
 
Goatman said:
Well, I've been trying to be a good boy and stay out of this, but since you keep asking... :D

I think anything over 20-24" is a waste of precious ground clearance.......so 36" is WAY too long. If you're fabbing anyway, and not using a bolt on kit, there's no need to make the arms so long.....there's no advantage to it and there are some disadvantages. Why do you want long arms? Better street and high speed performance? Better trail performance? Or just because they're percieved to be cool and you want them? BTW, long arms aren't cool anymore.....way too many people have them now. If you're fabbing anyway, be really cool and design a well thought out mid-arm setup that will provide good control arm angles with better ground clearance than long arms.

Keep it down in the peanut gallery!


:rolleyes:

I have the RE TJ arms and had to make a custom crossmember that incorporates the tranny mount. As much as I hate to say it, richard has good points. Don't be getting a big head now Tricky Dicky.
 
I knew he was ganna pop into this post, he always does! Its ok, he turned me over too.

But to the post. IIRC I ran the claytons, and I pushed mine to 37". That was a while ago, but 36" doenst sound TOOOOO long. Maybe FarmerMatt will correct me for my crappy memory.

MATT
 
Longer is better :)

mine are like 34 inches or so. The only disadvantage is ground clearance, which is actually better than the RE drop bracket setup. Just make the crossmember mounts smooth and it will slide over just about everything. If your ride is better on the street it means your ride will be better offroad also. Even in the rocks, your tires will want to climb and go over stuff easier also.
 
pfogle said:
Well, with as much lift as I'm going to get with those components, I'm trying to strike a fine line between on-road driving, and trail performance, and believe that long arms are better then short arms for those conditions.

A good mid arm set-up could prove to be just as good, but I'm not much of an innovator, and prefer to go with tried and true.

Posted this same question on Pirate 4x4 and the general consensus there seems to be that 36" is just about perfect...

Prefer to go with tried and true, eh? How about following Mark Hinkley, Paul Sinclair, and me down the trail, and afterwards you can try to beat us back to camp........we'll show you tried and true. :D

The real issue, and we've been over this many times, is the control arms angle, not so much it's length. IF you are going to be fabbing anyway....building mounts, crossmembers, etc....a mid length arm with good angles can give you the same benefits of longer arms but with better ground clearance.

Not capping on long arms.....many run them successfully, and many don't (but they would never say so).....I just don't think they are the best solution, and since you asked about length, this is another opinion. Of course, if you've already asked on Pirate, and the consensus is that 36" is ideal, then what else matters? :dunno:

:D :D
 
My" way to long"arms are 37 ".

How about following Mark Hinkley, Paul Sinclair, and me down the trail, and afterwards you can try to beat us back to camp...


Now that sounds like a good time Richard :) . How about two weeks in JV?
I need to try out the new rear suspension.
 
David Taylor said:
My" way to long"arms are 37 ".

How about following Mark Hinkley, Paul Sinclair, and me down the trail, and afterwards you can try to beat us back to camp...


Now that sounds like a good time Richard :) . How about two weeks in JV?
I need to try out the new rear suspension.

Yeah, I'm up for it anytime. :D It has to be Mar 27-28, though, I work the following weekend.
 
Got any pics of your "mid" arm setup? The day I go to lift it, I'm thinking of having a extra set of threaded tube ends, in case I do decide to chop em, and make em shorter. Biggest factor is, I don't really know for sure how much lift I'm going to net, and angles will have to be adjusted from there.
 
pfogle said:
Got any pics of your "mid" arm setup? The day I go to lift it, I'm thinking of having a extra set of threaded tube ends, in case I do decide to chop em, and make em shorter. Biggest factor is, I don't really know for sure how much lift I'm going to net, and angles will have to be adjusted from there.

Sure, here's a few pics. I'm at 8" of lift, BTW.

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