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Need advise on Long Arm Lifts..

B

BamBam1958

NAXJA Forum User
Location
WInston, Ga
Starting a 96 Cherokee build , and I'm looking for advise on long arm kits... I have been looking a the Iron Rock kits and RE kits just would like to hear from someone that has run either.. 6" range running 35's... Thanks
 
I have yet to lift my jeep, But searching on here has lead me to the final decision of what components I am going to use and now it's a matter of funding the build. I will tell you that you are asking a question asked hundreds of times before and you should start by using the search function also. Tons of great info on this site, you just have to look for it. Your question will quickly turn into a thread about a 10mm broken bolt. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you will after you search.

On the curious side, what do you plan to do with the jeep. DD or trail rig, both, rock crawler, weekend warrior? All pertinent to what you needs to run. 35's are not going to kill your jeep, lots of folks run them but they will require little extra money to address a few weak points. ie, axle truss, sleeves, alloys/chromos for the 30. Gears are a pretty sure requirement, especially if you will have it on road for any distances. Hope this helps, the knowledgeable members will provide better info and the flamers will beat you with a stick for asking stupid questions. Lol. Good luck.
 
Yeah I read the 10 mm bolt thread, just thought I might get a updated answer it looks like that thread started in 09.. I know there has been updates on products since then.. As for my build it will be multi purpose DD, mud and mountain trails... I will be updating axels gears over time .. I've run 35's on TJ's with short arms , and on various trucks over the years.. This will be my 1st XJ build , I've owned it since 98 and it's still going strong...
 
oh my god you want radius arms those dumb things will unload on you every two seconds then bind up and your jeep will flip over backwards. why don't you just fabricate the almighty 3 link like the rest of us



shaking.gif



my advice. get something with a belly pan
http://www.tntcustoms.com/Jeep_Cherokee_XJ/Suspension_Upgrade.aspx

http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...01-XJ-Upgrade-Kit-For-Existing-4-7.5-S-A-Lift

and if you plan on rock crawling, do yourself a favor and install these ASAP
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Fabricat...out&ppcfon=1&gclid=CNCp-6LZ9rsCFRGCfgodf3AAkg
 
I knew I forgot something, you would have figured it out once you were upside down. I WAS strongly looking at the IRO kit myself but have since changed my direction. The kit actually has not changed, Still the same setup and no worthwhile update to that carnage creating, unicorn killing bolt setup. There are so many different options out there and so many rainbows/ butterflies on one side of the rock and death/carnage on the other it's all about how much money you want to put into it.

As said before these guys like CAJ def have more useful info, I just need to raise my post count.
 
I plan on getting long arms from serious. Best deal to me.
 
Thanks for the info I'll keep lookin.. I want be doing a lot of serious rock crawlin but if the need arises I want to be prepared .. I went off half cocked in the early 70's with 4" blocks under a chevy learnt quick it's better to do it right the 1st time LOL...
 
I'd look at Full Traction, BDS suspension and Rock Krawler. My personal favorite is the Full Traction.
I've just got to suspect that Jeep knew what they were doing when they put a 4-link on the front of the vehicle back in '84 and, y'know, they are still doing it today and in a damned similar fashion. Hell, they even put that same suspension on the back of their vehicles in '93 - and still do. So I figure "yeah, four link. But better" is a good approach.
'Course, I've never heard of a radius arm lift falling off of a Jeep on the freeway, so maybe it isn't that big a deal.
Shrug.
 
Not to take anything away from the excellent Quadralink system but lots of factory vehicles came with radius arms: Ford Broncos, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80, Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen, Land Rover Discovery and Defender, Range Rover...

FWIW, my Jeep is built for overlanding which means lots of pavement pounding. ~4.5" of lift, 265/75R16, TNT Long Arms. Works great.
 
If I have my Land Cruiser's right, can you really call that a radius arm with a single arm going under the axle & mounted on two bushings? Doesn't seem the same.
Ford uses larger bushings / hardware than the after market for Jeeps seems to, but then the ones I'm thinking of are under heavier vehicles.
Anyway- your point is well taken, Moose, and it's a good one. Thanks for that.

Forgot to pimp out one of my other favorites: Froelich suspension. Smaller company, might be just the one guy, but his designs make a lot of sense to me and seem to be pure beef. Easy adjustment, 1 3/4" solid hex bar, 1/4 plate, 1.25" heims, Etc.
 
CAJJ93XJ said:
oh my god you want radius arms those dumb things will unload on you every two seconds then bind up and your jeep will flip over backwards. why don't you just fabricate the almighty 3 link like the rest of us
Click to expand...

Yup, read it on the interwebz it must be true.

CAJJ93XJ said:
and if you plan on rock crawling, do yourself a favor and install these ASAP
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Fabricat...out&ppcfon=1&gclid=CNCp-6LZ9rsCFRGCfgodf3AAkg
Click to expand...

I threw mini skids on mine in 2006, they're still holding up.

If anything, the first mod to do on any XJ is frame stiffeners.
 
Root Moose said:
Not to take anything away from the excellent Quadralink system but lots of factory vehicles came with radius arms: Ford Broncos, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80, Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen, Land Rover Discovery and Defender, Range Rover...

FWIW, my Jeep is built for overlanding which means lots of pavement pounding. ~4.5" of lift, 265/75R16, TNT Long Arms. Works great.
Click to expand...


Yup, and lots of factory radius arms are super non-flexy. My buddies 84 defender has absolutely no flex. Have another friend with a first gen bronco, same problem, no flex. The TNT kit is nice, have a friend running it, super flexy, but it's radius arm so everyone knows it unloads. :) Ended up with the Rock Krawler 3 link upgrade kit since I was already running the RE 5.5" drop bracket setup.
 
yossarian19 said:
If I have my Land Cruiser's right, can you really call that a radius arm with a single arm going under the axle & mounted on two bushings? Doesn't seem the same.
Click to expand...

There is no hinge at the axle end of the radius arm, just bushings for comliance/NVH. Still a radius arm.

markw said:
Yup, and lots of factory radius arms are super non-flexy. My buddies 84 defender has absolutely no flex. Have another friend with a first gen bronco, same problem, no flex.
Click to expand...

Yep, G-wagen is probably the worst of the OEM setups as far as lack of flex is concerned.

However, factory systems are always low flex to keep soccer moms and PHBs on cell phones from rolling their SUV going through the McDonalds drive through. With a little bit of aftermarket tuning all these OEM systems can be made to work well.
 
Just to add to the thought, how much flex is enough flex? A lot of it depends on the intended usage of the Jeep.

I've never ramped my Jeep but from wheeling it I know it is a lot more flexible than it was stock. I'm not using my Jeep to generate ramp numbers so I don't really care beyond that. Maybe it ramps 800, maybe it ramps 1100. Dunno.

Between being triple locked and having the capability to go where I realistically will point the Jeep it's all good. That's all I care about.

For my setup I'm more worried about reliability, good handling and smooth ride while towing my ~4k lb tent trailer on four lane highways. For the off-road usage I need to be able to deal with roads washed out into rock gardens and that sort of thing. I off-road to go places and see & do things, not to beat on my Jeep.

Everyone has different needs and desires.

All that said, if I was building a new Jeep I'd be looking hard at a four link setup (A WJ with the Clayton 4L setup may be in my future). But radius arms are not nearly as bad as people make them out to be and a lot of it depends on what you are doing with the Jeep.

2¢
 
the statesmen below is without any fact or knowledge. and is just repeated websaid nonsense. all longs arms on the market are in use by thousands. and they all work. buy in your budget and go wheeling. its not that complicated. i run the R/C long arms for years and it works great. i know a few other running same systems and they like it and have no issues with wheeling hills or any other terrain
here is a vid of me doing some climbing,and my bud Nick..yup has same long arm...look no flip !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AjN42llOldE#t=6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=U5YJuBMsk7Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUSdPAvLfx6gs8IlFjo0ecLw&v=N6Xx8WICZtU&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUSdPAvLfx6gs8IlFjo0ecLw&v=0JxuaWN8V9k&feature=player_detailpage
my 2cent

CAJJ93XJ said:
oh my god you want radius arms those dumb things will unload on you every two seconds then bind up and your jeep will flip over backwards. why don't you just fabricate the almighty 3 link like the rest of us



shaking.gif



my advice. get something with a belly pan
http://www.tntcustoms.com/Jeep_Cherokee_XJ/Suspension_Upgrade.aspx

http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...01-XJ-Upgrade-Kit-For-Existing-4-7.5-S-A-Lift

and if you plan on rock crawling, do yourself a favor and install these ASAP
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Fabricat...out&ppcfon=1&gclid=CNCp-6LZ9rsCFRGCfgodf3AAkg
Click to expand...
 
Any aftermarket longarm will flex more than enough. Be it radius arm, 3 link, or 4 link.
The whole binding "issue" is blown out of proportion. There's binding with a radius arm, but that's why the bushings are there, to deflect to allow the suspension to move. With that said, you will probably ultimately bend or break your passenger side UCA tower if not braced, and UCA bushings will eventually need replacement.

As for "unloading" its there, but also blown out of proportion. Put 95% of wheelers behind the wheel of a rig with a radius arm then a similarly built rig with a 3/4 link and they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Another difference thats not often talked about between the two suspension styles is joints used. A radius arm requires bushings to work properly which results in less road noise transmitted into the cab and might ride a little more favorable to some people. Where a well built 3 link will use solid joints all around resulting in increased road noise, but feels more solid when offroad.

With all that said, if I were to put my money down on a long arm kit today, the clayton 3 link takes the cake.
 
CAJJ93XJ said:
oh my god you want radius arms those dumb things will unload on you every two seconds then bind up and your jeep will flip over backwards. why don't you just fabricate the almighty 3 link like the rest of us


my advice. get something with a belly pan
http://www.tntcustoms.com/Jeep_Cherokee_XJ/Suspension_Upgrade.aspx

http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...01-XJ-Upgrade-Kit-For-Existing-4-7.5-S-A-Lift
Click to expand...

Got Contradiction?

Both of your links are for setups that effectively function like a true radius arm.

Any properly designed long arm setup, including 3 link, should include shocks which are long enough to take full advantage of the available suspension travel, with limit straps to keep the shocks from being damaged due to over-extension, as well as to keep the long arms from unloading while flexing/climbing, resulting in the loss of ground pressure to the tire and traction loss.

Proper length bumpstops should also be incorporated to keep the tires from contacting the fenderwells and damaging the shocks upon full suspension compression.

I've been very happy with the TnT Y-Link setup, no complains in 5+ years. Lots of hwy travel, high speed two track, dunes, slickrock, etc.
 
Last edited:
I think he was being sarcastic.

Besides, everyone knows radius arms unload, it's true, I read it on the internet. :)
 
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