drop brackets or longarms

Ok, my control arms angles are steep. the arms are limiting my droop because the arm hits the axle mounting bracket before the coil drops out. Right now this is ok, because if it wasnt my arms it would be my brakelines or shocks, so i'm ok with it for the time being. Also, the steep angles make the ride harsher than it needs to be. RIght now i'm at about 5" in the front, and 4.5" in the rear.

I know the simple answer to this is longarms. However, i am about to start my senior year, and then i go to med school the year after that. Basically, i have one year to save up and build up before everything is put on about a 7 year hiatus. This is the only reason i'm thinking drop brackets, because i think that i can save up for them quicker and get them on quicker, and result in a smooth enough ride (its my daily driver). Long arms would be ideal, but i'm afraid i wont have time to save up and install them before i go to med school. Also, while i'm in med school there will be basically no wheeling, so the offroad flex isnt as important right now, which also means the rock anchor drop brackets arent as important either.

So, question is, if i go with drop brackets, do i need new upper and lower control arms? I can get the brackets cheap from a friend who is longarming the front. But he is reusing his uppers i believe. I have RE superflex lowers, and stock uppers. Besides the brackets and braces, are new arms absolutely necessary. My intuition is telling me they are. Eventually i'll also have to get new shocks and front brakelines too...

Second, this is the first time i've considered longarms. What is the cost...would it actually be cheaper in the short run and long run than drop brackets? I think i've seen some long arm upgrades for around $700...new crossmember, radius arms, etc.

So regarding my limitations of med school and money, which is going to be cheaper in the short term for me? i'm not worried about the long term, because long term wont happen for another 7 years or so, after med school

I'm running the drop brackets with 6.5" of lift, superflex lowers and uppers. I have the adjustable uppers and they are adjusted as short as I can make them. You'd probably be able to get by with superflex lowers and stock uppers, but every jeep behaves a little different.

I know a guy down in San Diego running more than 6" of lift, 44/60, drop brackets and 35's .. with stock upper and lower arms.. and he wheels it hard.

*shrug*

I'd grab the brackets and run with it. Worse case scenario, you need to source some uppers later, but it will still cost less than going with longarms.

I've seen both systems work, and drop brackets are cheaper, long arms w/crossmember seems to lower clearance at the middle.... I'm considering the same things you are, and I'm leaning towards drop brackets..

If there is someone who has had both, chime in here,,, does the long arm really provide a better ride and better flex over the brackets? I'm thinking it does some, but probably very minor amount?

i've got drop brackets, i'm happy with them. only got hung on them once or twice in the rocks.

I ran drop brackets for 3 years, and just recently switched to Clayton long arms. I believe the ride is a little better now, but not by much. It's all up to how much you want to spend.

Matt98XJ said:

I ran drop brackets for 3 years, and just recently switched to Clayton long arms. I believe the ride is a little better now, but not by much. It's all up to how much you want to spend.

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That's my question, are they worth the extra cash... I would love to do long arms, but with the difference in cost being around $500,,, the drop brackets look pretty good if you really can't tell much of a difference. :dunno:

So go with drop brackets. They are cheaper, and they perform just as good.

I've got drop brackets also, with stock uppers, and rough country lowers. Very happy so far, nothing to complain about. They've scraped, but thats what they're for

i think that is the way i am leaning, especially if i can get them cheap. Thanks for giving your opinions guys.

kenny

Drop brackets do really well, but if you have 32s or 31s you will scrape them pretty often and if you do rocks they will hang up. The supports are pretty important too and with those the price jumps to about the same as Long arms I think any way. I don't run the supports and I have broke the factory welds on the Uni-frame where the original brackets hook up. Lots of torque going to those brackets. You can use factory Control arms which have a little flex to them aleaviating some of the torque transfered to the bracket. I run Adjustables so they twist with the frame. If you don't get the supports I suggest you reweld the factory welds, they are pitiful. Stay away from the fixed Heavier Control Arms. That was how I broke my brackets. That and the Rocks I subject it to.
Drop Bracket Flex: