- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
rsprman said:Yeah, but can I just make the Long arms out of my Short arms. By cutting off the ends on both and welding it to some tube. That wouldn't really cost me all that much. I mean, I kinda of understand the differences with the flex in long arm and short arm. But I am on a budget. A REALLY SMALL one. I still need a SYE ,new rear driveshaft, tires, wheels, bumpers, rock rails, and skids before I think I can get serious in this thing.
You could look for other reasons why you have such a bad ride.......it isn't just the length of the arms. Are you running your tires with too much presure? How about the shocks....they can make a big difference in the ride quality. Are the rear springs too stiff? In many XJ's they are, with add-a-leafs and shocks that are too stiff.
You should be able to lengthen your arms like you're thinking, but you'll also have to do something with your upper arms. It's not simple to make mounts for a long arm that don't sacrifice too much ground clearance. Since you're talking about stuff that's going to require welding and some fabrication, and since you're on a really small budget, why don't you consider decreasing the angle of your current lower arms by adding two inches of bracket (welded on) to the bottom of your existing LCA frame mounts and moving the holes down two inches, and then move the axle end LCA mount up about an inch. This would give you the same benefits as a 3" drop bracket with a minimum amount of welding, and better ground clearance than long arms. Once you get the other items that you mentioned, you can come back and address the suspension again later, and then you'll likely have a better idea what you'd really like to do. Just another alternative.........but if you have the money and can get them cheap, you'd be happy with the RE drop brackets.