Long Arm vs Geometry Brackets

[Zandcwhite]

LOL I agree LA are easy on the butt.

Me I was hard core I would have gone LA if it offered an advantage and it never did.

You best bet is the AEV drop bracket, I love that its parallel to the road surface, that REALLY makes a major difference.

I did look HARD at trying to fab up along the lines of the AEV above. But the frame on a TJ back in those days, you would need to cut into the frame and we talked about it and thought I might be able to box out the frame, but in putting chalk on it I just did not think the frame was strong enough even with box it even on 3 sides, but would have required lifting the body off the frame to get the 3 rd plating and just too much for what we gain...

GO AEV!

I've never run drop brackets personally, but I have driven and wheeled a few buddies rigs. I have owned several long armed rigs over the years. It's surprising how good the drop brackets are for the cost. Likely going to pick up a set from metalcloak as our next upgrade for the 2022 XR with 3.5" springs. Partial to metalcloak as they are local and the gold zinc will match the belly skids.

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[Old Jeeper]

I've never run drop brackets personally, but I have driven and wheeled a few buddies rigs. I have owned several long armed rigs over the years. It's surprising how good the drop brackets are for the cost. Likely going to pick up a set from metalcloak as our next upgrade for the 2022 XR with 3.5" springs. Partial to metalcloak as they are local and the gold zinc will match the belly skids.

I think the Drop Brackets are a great idea (that said never had or wheeled with) but out of my engineer's eye, I see it as a benefit. 1) parallel to ground optimizes the Suff/droop. 2) the length is not too long or too short and a minor chance of incurring landing on a rock which impedes your forward progress. Something that the LCAs were often at a major disadvantage in places like Moab. I may do it even tho little chance of me wheeling (due to living in Flat/Mud/Sand) Florida.

My background is R&D so I find myself chasing a 'better way' often.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

I went with the budget friendly front Rancho geometry correction brackets on stock front lower arms.. and cheap-o adjustable front upper arms (only because I bent the stock ones while being a dumbass.. LOL) .. I think for the low cost of the geometry correction brackets is worth a shot.. it won't make the ride worse.. if anything it should make it better.. and better off-road manners and flexing also

Rancho Jeep Wrangler Geometry Correction Brackets for 2 to 4.50-Inch Lift RS62118B (18-23 Jeep Wrangler JL) - Free Shipping (extremeterrain.com)

 

[Tech Tim]

It all comes down to suspension geometry.

A properly designed short arm will work decent enough for many. But once they've driven a similar Jeep with drop brackets, they realized the difference better geometry makes. Same goes for a long arm.

EDIT** In general, the higher the lift, the steeper the control arms become, wreaking havoc with your geometry. Drop bracket or long arms help that by reducing the angle of the arms (though suspension geometry is a real deep subject and it isn't as simple as flat arms).

That said, a short or long arm with bad geometry or a short arm that has been lifted too much and that previous statement all goes out the window.

 

[firedude]

For your driving I would and did go with brackets. I recommend Metalcloak. Very well built. I am a big fan of long arm set-ups and have been in a jeep with long arms. The ride was very nice. I went to a long arm on my truck 10 years ago and love it. I was going to do it on my jeep when I found the set-up I liked. Now that I have time on the brackets I am not changing anything (famous last words). The ride is so nice. Anyone who is lifted 2.5 or more would benefit. The lower hanging bracket is a non issue for me. Very little loss of clearance. Bet its a non issue for most.

 

[Crowbar]

Best thing I’ve done to my rig so far….The on road ride difference was more than the off road difference with the long arms. A lot of misconceptions that they’re just for extreme off-roading which is simply not true……. So much smoother over rough roads and there’s a more planted feeling… also I was able to dial back my caster from mid 6s to 5.8-5.9 ish which gives better pinion angle, not for driveshaft but more for my bump stops lining up better at full stuff, shit like that….

Off road is pretty sweet too……less binding, clunking and clanking. And with the 3 link rear, flexibility is awesome……..

Which long arm kit did you use? What coils and height? What shocks did you pair with it. Who is the 3 link rear by? Thanks. Awesome flex!

 

[Roky]

Which long arm kit did you use? What coils and height? What shocks did you pair with it. Who is the 3 link rear by? Thanks. Awesome flex!

Hey man, thanks…… The kit is the Rock Krawler Adventure X long arm w/ 3 link rear.
I was already running the Rock Krawler 3.5” Xfactor No Limits kit with Fox 2.5 DSC reservoir shocks so I just needed the upgrade kit which is just the arms and brackets……here’s link, and a couple links to my build thread……

https://rockkrawler.com/jl-adventure-x-long-arm-upgrade/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/crystal-rubi-build….61821/post-1667766

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/posts/1717490/

 

[fasteddie760]

chance of incurring landing on a rock which impedes your forward progress

I read this a lot. But have yet to find a person that has had this problem.

Ed

 

[Gorilla57]

I read this a lot. But have yet to find a person that has had this problem.

Ed

I have. If you land on the LCA frame mount on the upslope of a rock, it will definitely impede your forward motion. Hell, I've even hit the new RK LCA mounts that are up on the side of the frame. AZ has some wicked trails with BIG rocks. But, cutting off the LCA mounts means you can't easily return it to stock in the future. It's all a trade off.

 

[Mikester86]

Second Jeep with Geometry correction brackets. First were Rancho’s on 2020 JLUR. Now TeraFlex’s on my 2022 JLR. They do what they are supposed to do at a minimal cost. Yes they hang down about 2” or so. But I don’t play on the big rocks so it’s never been an issue for me. As my daily driver, it was a no brainer going with the brackets.

 

[Old Jeeper]

I read this a lot. But have yet to find a person that has had this problem.

Ed

LOL I have seen it more than once, more than twice... Long arm is not new, like so many things in the Jeep world they are constant items that are called a panacea and if ONLY you will buy this, you will be king of the hill, Top of the world just give us your $$$$!

It was big back in the TJ days, for a while and it too faded like that fender lizard you picked at closing time and when you woke up with her in the electric light bulb sunrise...as you ran out of the NoTell Motel said to yourself, never again!

Does it look cool YEP, kinda like those Resivor Shocks, do they look cool? You betcha. Do they serve a purpose, YEP as long as your are racing the Baja 1000, you gonna need them.

Remember in the TJ days, CAI, Cold Air Intake, GOOD GRIEF, 4 Wheel Parts Inc could not keep them in stock they sold so fast. Looked KOOL, but they were not. The only way you can get an improvement is to intake outside air. As long as you intake inside the engine bay its hot air and nothing has changed.

Remember the Full Air Suspension back in the TJ days? I wheeled with them in Moab. They had invited the first guys who bought it to meet them in Moab. JP (Jeep) Magazine wrote about as if it was the 2nd coming, of course, they said about the Long Arms and the 10 In lift Kits. Like Long Arms Caddy ride and improved performance, Air Lifts was the Answer.

As for Long Arms, from the drawing board, they make a lot of sense, GREAT IDEA and in a mock-up ohhh boy it works. Look at the benefits: IMPROVED RIDE, Caddy ride in a Jeep. Then for wheeling in the rocks, this has got to work great look at the articulation they is going to give me among other things.


Everything above was featured in JP Magazine and JP Mag make a lot of folks real rich, real fast and as long as they took the money and ran real quick they would have it at the end of the day. But if bought into their own hype and JP Mag write-ups, Chap 11 Bankruptcy came sooner rather than later.

A lot of folks worked hard and had great ideas that sounded and look good on paper, but then the rubber hit the road.

The Concept and testing of the 5.56 Ammunition for the M 16 was extensive and it was hailed at a boon to the soldier. Weighed less, more accurate more knock down. Then we wondered WHY do we shoot a 5 foot 100 lb Viet Cong 7 times before he drops. We adopted a different tactic. 3 Hs, Head, Heart, Hips if you don't get a hit there they keep coming.

All the testing said that would not happen, but a Gel Block is NOT a human body that is STOKED ON DRUGS and that is why they kept coming!

All that said! You want Long Arm, CAI, I don't care its YOUR Jeep, YOUR wallet and I personally back you every how you build, Job well done and let go wheeling, run what you bring. To be honest I crawled up a TJ with a Long Arm and spent helped the owner fixt that Long Arm. It took us about 3 hrs. Since he paid to have done and I owned a Jeep shop I knew what I was doing and got to where he could go own. Its not for rme to Judge your Jeep...see ya on the trail!

 

[1996cc]

I ran drop brackets with 3.5” lift for over 2 years and 30,000 miles on my JL and similar on my JK before that. Ran the Rubicon twice a week in Moab, etc…. I’ve absolutely beat the brackets to hell: landed on them, drug them over many rocks, etc… I left them off when I swapped everything to my 392. I miss them. Now my jeep dives more under braking, steering doesn’t feel as good, etc…

I will likely go to long arms, but I wheel much more and harder than you’ve said your plans are. Drop brackets sound ideal for your situation.

 

[Zandcwhite]

My drop brackets ship this week from metalcloak. I'll report back initial impressions once they are installed. As appealing as long arms are, gaining a lot of the benefits for a couple hundred bucks sounds like a win in the current economy. I've built and run long arms on a half dozen rigs over the years so the differences and similarities should be pretty obvious.

 

[Buddy Lee]

I have the same brackets on my JL with the 3.5" game changer. I felt a noticeable difference in how the vehicle handled on road and off road. On the street I felt a big change in how much the jeep would nose dive forward under braking and a much smoother feel to it general handling characteristics. Off road, it made a noticeable difference in the small bump compliance when paired the the Metal cloak suspension. I have been to Utah and Death Valley multiple times and have rarely hit the brackets. I actually like having them because the bracket takes the hit instead of the frame. The front upper control arm brackets are a huge rock target and the brackets protect them. I think you will like them.

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