Daily driver...long or short arm

[TRAILREADYXJ]

First, thanks everyone for the entertainment party1:

understood about shocks, they will be decent ones at the very least. i can choke down long arms if i have to, but was just hoping that someone would come on here and say that short arms ride fine at that lift height in a Cherokee cause of the longer wheel base.

Wheelbase has absolutely nothing to do with control arm geometry.
Picture a flat control arm, such as they are stock. When you hit a bump, the arm travels upward with little resistance. Now when you increase the angle of the arm, such as a lifted Jeep, more of the force is transmitted into the joint at the frame, and less is absorbed by your spring shock combo. This creates a rough ride, and the best shocks in the world won't help, since they aren't allowed to absorb the shock.

All Long arms and drop brackets do is change the mounting points allowing less angle on the arms. The actual length of the arms doesn't effect the ride.

 

[JESSE A]

I have not run mine without the sway bar but im sure it will be very stable, and so far im very pleased with the kit.

 

[jpcherokeekid]

I have not run mine without the sway bar but im sure it will be very stable, and so far im very pleased with the kit.

been running mine with no sway bars for 2yrs now and it still handles great.

 

[Nomercy]

First, thanks everyone for the entertainment party1:


Wheelbase has absolutely nothing to do with control arm geometry.
Picture a flat control arm, such as they are stock. When you hit a bump, the arm travels upward with little resistance. Now when you increase the angle of the arm, such as a lifted Jeep, more of the force is transmitted into the joint at the frame, and less is absorbed by your spring shock combo. This creates a rough ride, and the best shocks in the world won't help, since they aren't allowed to absorb the shock.

All Long arms and drop brackets do is change the mounting points allowing less angle on the arms. The actual length of the arms doesn't effect the ride.

i know i understand this, i just thought that maybe the slightly longer wheel base of a cherokee would have a little effect on the ride thats all.

 

[Nomercy]

I have a XJ with 6" of lift on short arms and it rides like a tank. I also have one with 8" of lift on long arms and it rides like it is on air. Get long arms if you are concerned with the ride. The difference is night and day. My wife won't drive my short armed XJ cause it hurts her back, but then again she carries a little more weight up top. Your options are:

Long arms: Look BA and ride great, but is more money and more work.
Short arms: Will ride like a tank and just suck it up and like it.

Just my .02

those were the type of statments i was looking for, thank you, not the smart ass ones i was getting earlier:soapbox:

Go FT. I love my kit! Great off and on road. 80mph with confidence. I don't think you will be disappointed. To be honest, I barely connect the sway bar.

i loved my FT LA on my rubicon i was able to drive it 90mph on the high way and have no worries (which i did quite often but 8 mpg sucks...) and throw it into the curves and have very very little body roll but i had the sway bars hooked up and the FT adjustable one in the rear set onthe hardest setting.

 

[yossarian19]

Where in MD can you do 90 on the freeway? You must be out towards Fredneck or west of Cumberland somewheres...
I still remember the sheriff pulling me on I-270 coming home from college one time...

 

[jerseyjeep01]

I know long arms are a little pricy, but it will be worth the wait for them. With this Jeep I'm doing things once and doing it right! There can be alot of asshats on this site but most hear have a great amount of knowledge and will help and guide you.

 

[Nomercy]

Where in MD can you do 90 on the freeway? You must be out towards Fredneck or west of Cumberland somewheres...
I still remember the sheriff pulling me on I-270 coming home from college one time...

im in Cow county (carroll)

did 90 all the way to Mansfield and back, usually a 5 hour one way drive did it in 3 one way gets a little windie and narrow on some spots of US 15 that are less traveled.

also going up 81 to Rousch creek...thats a hell of a loud ride with just a Manifold and a straight peice of exhaust tubing tacked on to end just after the tcase skid on a wrangler. :roll:

 

[Darky]

(which i did quite often but 8 mpg sucks...)

Prepare for suckage at 5.5-6.5" on 35s. I'm at about 6" on short arms no drop brackets and I have to crawl the speed bumps my Focus takes at 20 mph. I'd go DB or LAs.

 

[yossarian19]

Carroll county has a lot more space and 1/2 the cops of Montgomery county. After five years of driving around MoCo I just gave up on getting anywhere quickly. Liking the west a lot better - you can do 85 on the freeway and get shoved out of the fast lane some places out here...