xj long arm setup

[Greanbeans]

Anyone every built bought or could reccomend a good 3 or 4 link long arm setup for a cherokee. Unless you can talk me into a good radius arm style kit and just a mount and the arms. Been looking and looking and found Clayton 3 link or the BDS 4 link. Only think I like about the Clayton kit is the crossmember. They say you need 6.5 inch lift to run it but I want to stay at 4.5 or so lift so I can sit lower to the ground. The BDS kit looks good but the one piece cross member kinda turns me away from it. Anyone recommend a good kit or has built one and wouldn't mind building another for a price would be nice. I just want more flex out of my jeep and I'm being limited by my arms. If anyone has any links to builds or anything that would be cool as well. And I did look around on here but everything was for tjs or jks and barely any xjs or at least long arms other then Nathans xj which is sweet looking.

 

[skippy]

I have been fairly impressed with the rubicon express kit, PM mesha on here he can get you a smoking deal on one

 

[Greanbeans]

I was looking into that kit awhile ago but there's just too many to choose from

 

[kmboren]

I have a Rock Krawler 3 link long arm kit. Very beefy and strong. Flexs great too.

 

[gertsch]

I can get u a rk kit.

 

[N-Smooth]

I built a "true" 3 link midarm for mine. Love it. Very predictable and has loads more flex than my shocks will allow. Didn't build it for flex though, built it for strength, stability and better climbing characteristics. (6) 7/8" heims, 2" sq tubing .25" wall and the axle side mounts were all I had to buy. Built all the other parts so it was pretty cheap.
Radius arms are no bueno if you ask me. I've seen a lot more hopping and unloading from them. Also, you don't need arms that are 3 miles long. Mine are like 19" from center to center but the angles are much better than stock. Even with how low the jeep is I hardly hit them.

 

[Greanbeans]

I've looked at you build a bunch Nate but I don't have the tools or the time to build one. Even though its usually cheaper. I may just get the Clayton kit I'm looking at and just bumpstop it to keep it from destroying the floor

 

[skippy]

Radius arms have there place, but a true link set up is mucho better.

With that said i build a radius arm set up for my dads XJ and it works amazing. We had to add some limiting straps to help with the unloading going up steep climbs.

I would build another radius arm set up for an XJ in a heart beat I am happy with it.

 

[N-Smooth]

A center limit strap would really help for radius arms. I have one anyways because I think they're amazing

 

[thenag]

I don't have any thing to compare my Clayton 3 link to but it works great. Clayton is expensive but usually includes a lot more of the little bits and pieces than the other kits.

I have the 3 link, the upper link has smashed in the floor a little. I have had to bump stop the driver side sooo much to keep the front d60 yoke out of the exhaust, it doesn't hit the floor anymore. You could put the upper link mount lower on the axle. (I have a d60 and could have dropped it almost an inch and it would have made the floor clearance better) but usually with a 3 link more separation on the axle side is better. The clayton lowers are behind the axle tube, not bellow like some kits so you lose some separation due to that.

I would think a clayton could work with 4.5 inches, you may just have to restrict up-travel on that side (well the floor may restrict it for you)

I am sure you looked at how I tied my clayton cross member into ruff stuff frame stiffeners, I would recommend spreading the load out a little more than clayton kit does by itself.

Nathan

 

[skippy]

I don't have any thing to compare my Clayton 3 link to but it works great. Clayton is expensive but usually includes a lot more of the little bits and pieces than the other kits.

I have the 3 link, the upper link has smashed in the floor a little. I have had to bump stop the driver side sooo much to keep the front d60 yoke out of the exhaust, it doesn't hit the floor anymore. You could put the upper link mount lower on the axle. (I have a d60 and could have dropped it almost an inch and it would have made the floor clearance better) but usually with a 3 link more separation on the axle side is better. The clayton lowers are behind the axle tube, not bellow like some kits so you lose some separation due to that.

I would think a clayton could work with 4.5 inches, you may just have to restrict up-travel on that side (well the floor may restrict it for you)

I am sure you looked at how I tied my clayton cross member into ruff stuff frame stiffeners, I would recommend spreading the load out a little more than clayton kit does by itself.

Nathan

Why do you say that?

 

[Greanbeans]

I looked at your build too nathan. I've looked around at just about every kit offered and I'm leaning towards the BDS kit cause I've got just about everything else short of a drop bracket for the track bar which my new 4 door body has on it. That and I can get the BDS kit through my work for a decent price so I'm working on saving for it now and I'll provably just run it as a 3 link instead of a 4 link unless I want to go fast.

 

[thenag]

Why do you say that?

I guess I should have added "vertical" separation.

I also could be wrong, but I thought when building a 3/4/tri-4link, the more vertical separation between the axle end links the better. Since I bought a kit I didn't get into link geometry too much on my build.

Nathan

 

[Anchor_Mtn]

Synergy front 4 link kit from polyperformance. They work amazing on and offroad.