JK Unlimited 3.5 Inch Short Arm VS Long Arm
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
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From: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
JK Unlimited 3.5 Inch Short Arm VS Long Arm
I'm going to be buying a 3.5 inch lift in the spring and was wondering if anyone experimented with a long arm vs a short arm kit. How is the ride/handling and is it worth the extra money?
JK Freak
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 876
Likes: 0
From: Boulder County, CO
My 2 cents:
I (mine, my wife's, and my kids) have 2 JKU's with long (43" and 40" rubber), and 2 with short, a JK and a JKU (37"and 35" rubber). I think the answer is: it depends on what you are going to do with it.
I am a big fan of 2.5-3.5" lifts either way. With the right lift, either can ride well up to about 37" rubber. Over 37" then long arm. The downside to long arm with higher lifts is that you have to do something about drive shafts, steering etc. I like the approach of keeping the COG as low as possible.
Don't forget that keeping good geometry on the steering will be important no matter what you do--if you want good road behavior.
All our rigs drive nice on the road, both long and short arm. Both work well on most trails. I would not take the short arm 35" on say Carnage Canyon, I would take the JK on 37's short arm though (wheelbase and breakover would probably be ok on that trail).
I (mine, my wife's, and my kids) have 2 JKU's with long (43" and 40" rubber), and 2 with short, a JK and a JKU (37"and 35" rubber). I think the answer is: it depends on what you are going to do with it.
I am a big fan of 2.5-3.5" lifts either way. With the right lift, either can ride well up to about 37" rubber. Over 37" then long arm. The downside to long arm with higher lifts is that you have to do something about drive shafts, steering etc. I like the approach of keeping the COG as low as possible.
Don't forget that keeping good geometry on the steering will be important no matter what you do--if you want good road behavior.
All our rigs drive nice on the road, both long and short arm. Both work well on most trails. I would not take the short arm 35" on say Carnage Canyon, I would take the JK on 37's short arm though (wheelbase and breakover would probably be ok on that trail).