A basic short arm kit can get you pretty far too. I would consider my suspension to be a "basic short arm kit" but I don't see it as leagues apart from a long arm. Long arms may flex better by allowing for more articulation and ride (subjectively) better on road, but for those of us on a budget who want to run a 4" lift effectively, adjustable short arms are fantastic.

Just looking at TeraFlex as an example - their short arm upgrade kit is about $1200, the long arm upgrade is about $2000. That's a lot of difference, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that $800 can go a long way for mods. I'm thinking $800 affords driveshafts or a winch or a tire carrier bumper or flat fenders or a locker (maybe 2 if you get creative) or armor or a whole host of other things.

 

LOL!! please don't misunderstand what i was trying to say. my specific point in saying that they are leagues apart is that unlike a basic short arm kit that bolts on to existing mounts, a long arm kit requires a lot of hacking and drilling and welding to install.

as far as performance goes, i have both setups on my white JK and with coilovers and i can tell you that on road, the long arms offer a much better ride - no questions asked. it's all a matter of geometry and unless you lower your control arm mounts like the rancho and now aev kits do, you simply cannot lift your jeep 4"+ and expect it to ride like a long arm kit. on trail, the long arms can actually be a hinderance as they sit low and are prone to hitting rocks. in this case, short arms are nice to have and they would still offer a lot of flex. where long arms are nice on the trail is that with them, you can get the same amount of flex or more without them influencing the position of your axle as much.

FWIW, i still run a short arm kit on my orange JK and love it. hell, if you do a search, i think you will find that i often recommend a short arm kit over a long arm unless you are planning on running a lift greater than 4"

 

If you have any concerns about this kit, please give me a call. How large of tires are you going to run?

I'm running a 4" TeraFlex Long Arm on mine for over 37,000 miles. I've only had one bushing fail on me so far. So if you want a great kit with excellent reputation and Customer Service to back it up, take a look at TeraFlex. Feel free to call me or send me a PM.

 

True, true. Yeah, I think I had misinterpreted. As far as the install and everything they sure are worlds apart. I have only ever ridden in TJs with a long arm and one JK out here that has the 3" Teraflex LCG Long arm and a hemi from Burnsville. It's the chromey/Jeep Green Jeep that is on Burnsville's website. It did ride better than mine, but then again just about anything rides better on road than mine (because of the Superlift base shocks, I'm assuming). Riding in an OME equipped Jeep was probably one of the biggest shocks I've had in a Jeep just because of the difference in ride quality. Simply put, it was amazing. I am sort of wondering how awesome an Old Man Emu HD lift with Long Travels would be with Long Arms...could it be the best on-road kit ever???

WOL - You have the Nitro Long Travels? Will using those shocks with my Superlift springs give me the ride quality I am looking for? Or do springs do more? I feel as though the springs are nice and "plush" so to speak, so I am thinking my mine issue is with shocks... I've posted stuff about this sort of change on here before and I am thinking I may be getting shocks real soon to resolve my ride issues. That and possibly a different front track bar unless I rebuild the heim on my SL track bar

 

i have ridden in/driven several JK's that had a superlift kit installed and i totally know what you mean regarding the ride quality they offer. unfortuantely, it's hard to make stiff coils feel better and while installing good shocks can help, it's usually not that much.

 

keith, a 4" lift means a lot of things man, you'll have to do a LOT of changing underneath your rig. and besides the fact that 37s are wicked expensive, especially for someone whos only gunna hit the beach, non of the beaches on long island allow 37s on the sand. its 33s for the state beaches and 35 for county, although people do sneak there bigger rigs on.

 

plus you have a stick so what is your gear ratio?? 3.21 right? you are deff going to need to re-gear your jk with 37s. my friend is running 35s with the 3.21s and cant go any higher then 4th gear because of it. re-gearing = $$$$