Short arm -- MAX height?

[zPike00EB]

I will be lifting my 97' this spring, and I am looking into some Rubicon lift kits. The Super-Duty Short-Arm design appeals to me for the price and the ease of install. I wish I could go long arm, but again, the cost and welding to the unibody is keeping me away.

Anyway, my plan is to buy the short-arm 5.5" (with 5.5" springs instead of 4.5") and use 1-2" spacers & shackle ontop of that lift. I realize that many may think 6.5-7" is too much lift for an XJ, but I assure you, for I'm doing, I'll be quite comfortable with my COG.

My question is, will the short arm design with Rubi drop brackets function properly with 7" of lift? The kit doesn't include UCA, do they have to be upgraded? With the Heavy Duty RE1660 track bar, (4" - 6") will I run into issues with 7"?

What manufacturers make a LA that has optional welding, while still being safe for my XJ and offer decent clearance?


Thanks a lot for your time and help, Have a great Holiday :thumbup:

 

[RCP Phx]

The RE LA kit doesnt require any welding!

 

[Crasher]

That in my opinion is a little much for short arms. I was at 5 1/2" on my ZJ and it gave me a pretty rough ride. I was also concerned about the control arm brackets on the unibody. I went to Claytons long arm kit and kept the same 5 1/2" springs and it rides like a new Jeep. I think you will find the same thing on an XJ.

FWIW, If you want to go that high, I will be removing a new Skyjacker 8" Rockready lift from my XJ in WI next spring. I just bought it from the guy that built it (it was his 7th build) and it is too high for us. It has been on two trail rides. It articulates great and flexes well, but too tall for me. I'm going down to a 5"long arm kit. If you are interested, PM me and I will give you the details. Less than a grand for everything.

Good Luck

 

[xcm]

what kinda terrain and tire size are you building for, that requires 7" of lift? most people will tell you thats waay too high to lift an xj, while retaining useability.

7" is waay too tal for a short arm front suspension. go long arm or dont go that high. in my eyes, short arms max out at like 5", im at about 4.5 w stock geometry, i wouldnt go any further w/o long arms at least. (drop brackets might be a possibility for you, theyre not for me)

 

[BigRed93xj]

So I'm not trying to highjack the thread but it's got me thinkin. I have a 4.5 inch now and I just got a 2 inch budget boost (coil spacers and shackles). So that should put me at 6.5 of lift with short arms. There's no way I have the cash for a long arm kit right now. If I do the rocky road CAD and they're new upper and lower control arms will my ride be ok? At 4.5 now my ride is really harsh. But I really want to put this other lift on so I'm trying to figure out how to make it work.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

So I'm not trying to highjack the thread but it's got me thinkin. I have a 4.5 inch now and I just got a 2 inch budget boost (coil spacers and shackles). So that should put me at 6.5 of lift with short arms. There's no way I have the cash for a long arm kit right now. If I do the rocky road CAD and they're new upper and lower control arms will my ride be ok? At 4.5 now my ride is really harsh. But I really want to put this other lift on so I'm trying to figure out how to make it work.

with just 10 minutes of your time. you can research and find that rocky road is one of the LAST companys you want to send a penny too!

Rubicon express or Rough country are both very reputable:wave:

 

[whatevah]

Yes, you will need new UCAs, otherwise your caster angles will likely be screwy. Adjustable upper and lower arms is the way to go. The drop-brackets will function as designed but I think they were intended for lifts in the 5" range, not pushing 7".

The RE and TNT/Treks longarm kits are bolt-on. Neither requires welding. On my XJ, I'm using the TNT bellypan/arms, RE 5.5" coils, 4.5" leaves with 1.25" shackles. It sits just a hair under 7" over stock, I did the install in July 2008, and it's still sitting up there. Bumper and winch up front, just a hitch in the back. The TNT bellypan is a high-clearance pan, I believe it raises the trans/tcase 1/2" closer to the floor.

A note to the ride height, 7" is way too tall for anything off-camber. I may get suckdown winches for next year to help out with that. I fit 32" tires with stock flares, but still needed to cut the fenders to fit 35s.

As for cost, long-arm vs short-arm... Eventually, you will want the full long-arm kit. Trust me. My advice would be to wait an couple months to save up the extra money for the longarm kit of your choice. Better to do it right the first time, especially since you won't get back anywhere near what you paid for the shortarm components when you sell them. Oh, and don't forget to order an SYE and driveshaft.

 

[redneck23ms]

i'm at around 6.5" of lift with short arms and drop brackets and i have no complaints. it wheels great and flexes as well as a longarm. i have banged the drop brackets on a few rocks but never gotten hung up on them and in reality the drop brackets don't hang down a whole lot lower than alot of the longarms that mount lower than the frame. now i wouldn't say that short arms are the best way to go but i already had a good set of adjustable short arms and i got a good deal on the drop brackets so that is the way i went.

 

[XTurboJ]

I've been using short arms with ~6.5 inches for the past couple years, and i like it alot, it actually flexes real well and the ride is not as harsh as you might think.

 

[ECKSJAY]

The RE LA kit doesnt require any welding!

The RE and TNT/Treks longarm kits are bolt-on. Neither requires welding.

Hmmm...

http://rubiconexpress.com/Images/Products/RE6300/RE6300.pdf

 

[zPike00EB]

Yeah -- I was under the impression that it had to be welded in.

From the installation PDF:

"G. Carefully skip weld the very front and rear edges of the control arm mounts along the bottom and side of the uni-frame."

?

I'll bite the bullet and go with the long arm now.

And for those saying it will be too high, I can always take off the BB if that's true. Mostly, it will be for mud/water, minimal off camber.

 

[srmitchell]

If you have to have 7 inches, but can't afford long arms, then you shouldn't go 7 inches.

And remember that RE isn't the only company that makes long arms. Treks makes a great kit that many people love.

I have about 4-5 inches on short arms and I hate it. I avoid bumps, because my dash pops and creaks horribly.

 

[93gc40]

At 7" Long Arms or CAD is the least of the worries. Long arm is best, and CADs work great also. Get a CAD now, Upgrade to LA sometime in the future. I'd be more concerned, with the drivetrain and axels..

 

[jeepcomj]

stock uppers should NOT be used over 4.5"...and I question how wise that is.

fixed arms set for 5.5" will NOT be long enough for 7".


short arms at 7", I can tell you, are crap. crap crap crap. I'm running that, with 35's and chopped wheel wells...I hate the ride. it's too hard of a ride, and no fun. my edelbrock shocks take away some of the strain and cushion a bit better, but it's still not nice enouvh.


if you're going 7" using 5.5" lift plus shackles/spacers, you're gonna need to also use wedges anyways to get the pinion angle correct. I HATE wedges, and will never use them..poor design, likewise with lift blocks. it's best to get new perches and weld everything @ the proper angle.


I'd recommend buying a 6.5" lift right off the bat, with longarms. I would look @ the rough country long arms (y-link, actually) over the RE longarms because they are extremely well built and MUCH less money.