So I have a newbie lift question. What's the difference between a short arm and a long arm lift? What are the arms? What's the benefit of one over the other?

I know engines real well, but lifts are a new world since I got the Jeep.

 

Love to know the answer as well..

 

From what I understand the JK has longer arms than the TJ and unless you are going over 4" there is no need for longarms.

 

That's what I believed to be the case as well although I do think my 3" short arm lift would see some on road benefits of longer arms.

I'll need to defer to PiginaJeep on that one however as he is operating with the same lift I am and has done the long arm conversion with just a 3" lift.

 

theres a big difference in the ride on the road. I can say this for certain. I'm using the same shocks and coils from my short arm kit on my 3" long arm.

On trail, its seems more stable to me, Not to mentions driving fast across the desert it was very smooth on the sand dips...

Ask Jack how nice of a ride it is, he drove it in moab

 

Long story short; long arms give you more flex offroad and a more comfortable ride on the road. Most folks agree that if you are lifting 4" or more you should consider a long arm lift. Some folks even say you don't need a long arm until you go 6" or more. For lift hights less than 4" you don't really need long arms.

 

With the unlimiteds you guys probley dont get as good as benefits as us two door guys on 3" lifts, the longer wheel base helps as well.

WOL said his JK rides better with the long arm and he's running coil overs

 

What are you going to use your Jeep for?

that should be the first question we asked.

 

With my 3" short arm lift on my 2 door I have no problems off road. At speed on the highway and when someone is putting on their make up or flipping open their laptop causing me to take emergency evasive action to avoid their loved ones needing to send flowers, the body roll and subsequent movement of the rear suspension geometry often drops my heart into my stomach. I don't need to do anything more than look at how my current suspension articulates and how that would be changed with long arms to know I would have a more stable platform to operate from.

That is why long arms are on the short list and as Pig said, because of the wheel base differences between the two door and unlimited, the 4 door guys just don't have the same nut shriveling experiences.

 

I'm running a 4" lift that gave me closer to 5.25" and I'm using short arms. I have an Unlimited and I have no problems with the ride on or off road.