Can't decide

[BayouGold]

Hey again everybody
    I guess this is where I get to pic your collective brains for technical issues. Like I stated in my introduction, I have an '01 TJ that's about half civilized. Currently I have a 3" Teraflex lift sitting on 31" MT/R's. In the next 3-4 months I plan on having a winch, 33's & be another inch off the ground. That said, here's my dilema. I keep going back & forth on whether to go for a 4" long arm kit or just upgrade the springs on the short arm kit I already have. Obviously that's the cheapest route. If any of you would share your experiences with long arm kits or your overall opinions I'd appreciate it.

 P.S.  My nickname is The Dingus or just Dingus

[mallcrawl]

I'd go with this body lift (replaces the whole bodybushing instead of putting a silly little puck on top of it) http://www.quadratec.com/products/16053_401.htm
and a 1" Motor mount lift, that straigtens out the rear driveshaft a little for less vibes without losing any clearance. otherwise ae you cross the 4" mark you need to do things like slip yoke eliminators and cv driveshafts, if you still intend on driving on the street.

[Axle]

http://jt4x4.com/smf/index.php?topic=353.0


Geoff, check out Cnote tj's rig.  He has a 4" long arm and it looks pretty flexible.  Just my opinion, I would go with a long arm kit and gears/lockers upgrade before I went with a winch.  Since that's pretty much what I'm doing now, my opinion is kinda one sided.  It really depends on what you want your rig to able to handle.  There are plenty of guys in the club with the type of lift you have or are looking at, and I'm sure they can give you better advice.  I'm pretty new to the sport myself, and I'm still learning alot.

[Seabee_BUC]

 Here's my $.02. 
If you have a 3" lift already, you should be fine with 33x12.50 tires. Really. We run a 3.5" Rubicon Express lift and ours flexes real well and with 33's, we have zero rubbing problems with room to spare. With a long arm lift you will be adding a lot more adjustments that require constant maintenance (right Axle???  ). The benefit of a long arm kit is only really noticable if you are looking to go 5.5" to 6" and 35" tires. I'd keep the suspension where its at and see how a 33 moves in your wheel well. If you find at full flex you have some issues, a 1" body lift would cure it. But that too creates problems in itself. Remember too, the taller you go, there will be changes in how it handles, be prepared to deal with more body roll, more creaks and strange noises, and the ride really doesn't get any better. Again, just my thoughts...

[Doball]

It all depends on your budget. If you've got the extra $2500 go with the long arm. Any LA kit will give you better road stability, and better performance off road. If you're gonna go with a 4" I'd make sure it's the same arms as a 6" kit so if you want to go bigger later all you have to do is buy 6" springs and new shocks. I would avoid Skyjacker, and Pro Comp way too much $$$ when you can get as good or better product from other companies for a few hundred cheaper. There's more suppliers out there than quadrapetech. Sorry Brice, but I would avoid a body lift, unless you're just going for height and tire clearance. Body lifts do not provide any suspension performance upgrades = waste of money unless all you want is bigger tires.

As for brands I'm running a Full Traction Ultimate 4" short arm. When I  can afford an upgrade I'm going with their 6" Long arm. They both use a 3 link rear. Gets rid of the rear track bar and upper control arms.
My current lift   http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?partID=13115
My future lift  http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?partID=13091

[mallcrawl]

Sorry Brice, but I would avoid a body lift, unless you're just going for height and tire clearance. Body lifts do not provide any suspension performance upgrades = waste of money unless all you want is bigger tires.

no need to apologize the right course for the next upgrade has a lot to do with where you plan on ending up, for my jeep the endpoint will be 2.5" OME springs with the body lift a tummy tuck and some gnarly wide 33's for off road trips while keeping the BFG at's for on road/winter driving ect. but thats because the Jeep is ment more to take me camping and fishing than as a real heavy trail machine. when I want something meaner for the trails I'll build a sammi or similar buggy light enough to pull behind the jeep.

4" or more suspension lift does add a laundry list of new worries in the drivetrain though if thats the route you want to go plan on getting a slip yoke eliminator a longer CV style driveshaft and be ready to need a longer front driveshaft as well to be able to handle the extra flex. the other option is to use a transfer case drop to make the vibes go away but that steals a lot of the clearance that you're lift gained you.

by all means scott was right above about you being plenty high already for 33"s just put them on a rim with less backspacing and they'll stay well away from your fenders.

oh yeah and finaly if you do decide to go with longer springs make sure you talk with teraflex first and make sure that the short arm kit you have is good for them

[HOT-ROD]

i have a taco. lol

i would do an upgradeable kit. like mike said. also remember where you want to be as a rig, crawling, trail, mud, just having a lifted rig, it all depends. but for all around, 1) lift and tires, 2) safty gear and spares, tools 3) grears  4, lockers, 5) protection, 6) recovery gear

but that was my route for my mod's, i'm between recovery and protection right now.

[Erik]

If it's not a "hard core" trail machine, you really don't need a Long Arm kit.  What you will need is adjustable control arms, uppers and lowers.  Those will improve the road manners on a Short Arm kit.

As for the Motor Mount Lift and the Transfer case drop kit, you only need those if you are running a CV style driveshaft where you want the pinion to be inline with the driveshaft.

With the standard slip yoke that is on your TJ, you want the yoke of the transfer case and the pinion yoke to be parallel with each other to avoid driveline vibrations.  If you use the motor mount lift or a t-case drop, you will be causing vibes.

If your rig is only for casual wheeling, stay with the Short Arm.  Long Arm kits are cool, but the average wheeler doesn't need them. 

My buddy always puts it to ME this way: "Do your abilities as a driver exceed the abilities of the vehicle?  Then why do you need to make that mod?"  It's saved me money, and has made me a better driver in my vehicle.  BTW, he drove a Cherokee with a Short Kit for a long time, and went all the places the Long Arm kit TJs went.

Just my thoughts.  Save the extra cash.


Erik

[One-Eye]

I am running a 4" short arm Pro Comp with 2" Tera Flex coil spacers.  I can clear 35" tires now but without the coil spacers the flex that I got with the 33" tires rubbed on the bushwackers a little bit.  Hence the 2" coil spacers.  Here is what mine looks like all said and done.  By the way mine is a short arm.

     

[Seabee_BUC]

You just wanted to post those pics again One Eye...LOL  Our short arm kit flexes pretty good, too...

 

[Kral4me]

HiJack - DAMN I take good pics 

Ok - back to the pissing contest 

Is that what you are looking for Dingus?!

[HOT-ROD]

so, what are you gonna do? it took me a bout 4 months of deliberation before i just started going crazy. now i calmed down but it will soon start up.

[One-Eye]

The only reason it took you 4 months Hot-Rod is because they sent you the wrong shit!!! hahahah what a cluster FU**!!!  But it was fun.

[HOT-ROD]

no, a week later i got the camburg lift after i was snet the wrong lift.

but it took 4 months to decide what two different lift styles i wanted. superlift sent the wrong one. sotheni went for the other.

[Seabee_BUC]

no, a week later i got the camburg lift after i was snet the wrong lift.

but it took 4 months to decide what two different lift styles i wanted. superlift sent the wrong one. sotheni went for the other.

Jon, you been drinking???