Short Arms VS Long Arms for TJ’s and JK’s

Short arm or long arm, which one is better? Why should you choose one over the other? In this article we will go over the pros and cons of both, to help you decide which one is better for you.

After a Jeep has been lifted past a certain height, ride quality and handling issues may be noticed. There is no set height as to when these issues may occur and will vary from Jeep to Jeep. At this point the owner may choose either long arms or short arms to be put in place of the stock control arms. The higher a jeep is lifted, the more the axle end of the control arm is pointed to the ground. The steeper that angle is, the harsher the ride and the worse the handling can become.

Cost, installation, and benefits are some of the comparison points. (Please refer to the TeraFlex Control Arm Comparison for more detailed information on the different types of control arms.)

Short arms: Generally a full set of eight control arms may be installed within a few hours. No welding is needed because the short arms use the factory brackets. One benefit of short arms is that you can now adjust the caster angle, which is the correlation between upper and lower ball joints on a vertical plane. Alignment angles are very touchy so please don’t try to adjust your caster, take it to a well known off road shop that deals with alignment angles on lifted vehicles. Another benefit to adjustable short arms is that you can also adjust your pinion angle. Pinion angle is the angle of your pinion to the drive shaft. You want your pinion angle to be in straight line. Short arms can be installed and purchased in pairs at a time. This can help keep the owner from a larger up front cost by purchasing the front lowers first, then rear uppers. Followed by the front uppers and rear lowers. Higher lift jeeps will not have as nice a ride compared to shorter lifts. This is due to the angle of the control arms.

Long Arms: Typical installation of a Long Arm upgrade kit or complete Long Arm kit can be up to 19 hours if installed by a qualified technician. Installations may involve cutting off factory brackets, cross members, drilling new holes, welding and grinding. Some kits are a bolt-on design. The installer will have to drill multiple holes for installation. Other kits are a weld-on kit, requiring a skilled welder. Either case can lead to higher installation cost and labor times vs. a Short Arm installation. Generally a long arm kit is installed all at once. However it is possible to install either the front or rear at different times. The big benefit of Long Arms is that the control arms are more horizontal, this makes ride quality and handling improve greatly for higher lifts. A jeep with a long arm kit can travel faster off-road. The street ride is not compromised but enhanced. This is a major benefit over a Short arm kit when on any trail. With a Long Arm, you can get more flex and travel out of your suspension.

For further information or if you have any questions call us at (801) 288-2585.

Share