JKU mid arm or long arm

Swanson121

New member
Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and quite haven't figured the search out yet. I am looking to lift my 12 JKU Sahara. I'm thinking 3.5-4.5 lift. I'm after suggestions on which brand to go with as well. I've been looking at rock krawler. Also curious about having to change the front driveshaft? I've seen that on a couple of the lifts.
 

TheGrendel

Active Member
Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and quite haven't figured the search out yet. I am looking to lift my 12 JKU Sahara. I'm thinking 3.5-4.5 lift. I'm after suggestions on which brand to go with as well. I've been looking at rock krawler. Also curious about having to change the front driveshaft? I've seen that on a couple of the lifts.

there's really no such thing as a "mid-arm". that's just RK marketing gimmick. there's standard adjustable JK control arms. then, there is long arm systems.

first, let us know what you are wanting to do with your Jeep. how much offroad and what type? fast across the desert. rock crawling. etc.

i'd also suggest introducing yourself.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
What TheGrendel said. "Mid-Arms" are just a good marketing gimmick to describe short arms that are about an inch too long. And by too long, I mean in that they'll cause problems like your track bar rubbing against the coils. You're better off getting adjustable short arms (which are really pretty long).

Long arms are great to have if you're sitting at about 4" of lift or more as they'll relocate your mounts and correct your suspension geometry.
 

Swanson121

New member
I introduced myself on the wave page just now. I'm at work and meant to do that. I'm going to be trail riding mainly some rocks here and there but nothing too huge. I still want to have good drivability. It's not my DD by any means but I want to be able to pull some road trips to events. I won't be anywhere near a dessert. I'm looking to fit 37s. I never heard of a mid arm myself, but I've not messed with any JKs yet. They pulled the marketing gimmick on me and it worked haha. I want to be around 4" lift. I'm kinda vertically challenged.
 

Ddays

Hooked
I used to run the RK "Mid-Arm" kit before I went to an EVO LA kit. The front was ok function wise, but the rear was a pain in the dick. The rear track bar hit on the diff cover and rubbed on the passenger spring something fierce. The springs looked like slingys too. Plus the RK joints do not compare to the Johnny Joints that come of the EVO kits. My advice would be to look elsewhere & get a kit that uses the JJ ends on their arms, like EVO, Currie, etc. :twocents:
 

TheGrendel

Active Member
I introduced myself on the wave page just now. I'm at work and meant to do that. I'm going to be trail riding mainly some rocks here and there but nothing too huge. I still want to have good drivability. It's not my DD by any means but I want to be able to pull some road trips to events. I won't be anywhere near a dessert. I'm looking to fit 37s. I never heard of a mid arm myself, but I've not messed with any JKs yet. They pulled the marketing gimmick on me and it worked haha. I want to be around 4" lift. I'm kinda vertically challenged.

in that case, regular adjustable arms are all that are needed. in order of importance, Front lowers to reset castor, Rear uppers to set pinion, rear lowers to relocate axle to the wheel wells, front uppers. at 4 inches, you will need front lowers for sure. whether you need the rest comes down to preference and budget.

Evo and Synergy both make great arms. the beauty of those 2 brands is that their front lowers for sure allow on vehicle adjustability. as in you do not have to unhook them from the axle to adjust the length.

Evo uses Johnny Joints which are super tough. Can be rebuilt fairly easily with the Currie rebuild press. Synergy uses dual durometer bushings that offer much better flexibility than typical bushings but also the same vibration dampening that OEM bushings provide.

Core 4x4 makes great arms at a great price. I also happen to like Clayton's arms with the GIIRO joint which is the same style durometer bushing as Synergy.

Evo 4 inch plush ride coils are among the softest. but, they will sag with heavier vehicles. I am running Synergy 3.5 inch coils on my JKU and really like them. I ran metalcloak springs on my prior 2 door, but i never cared for them.

at 4 inches, you will need to flip your drag link. there are a couple of ways to achieve this from fairly cheap to more expensive.

your front drive shaft will need to be addressed at some point because you will wear at the CV joint on the factory ds.
 

TrainWreck618

Caught the Bug
If you have the coin go with long arms otherwise stick with adjustable short arms. The rock crawler mid arm kit is a joke... also you will need a new front drive shaft sooner or later with that size lift. May not start slingin grease right away but it will. So plan on that


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fiend

Caught the Bug
I’ve been happy with my Synergy 4.5” standard arm lift. You’ll need a drag link flip, among other things.

You mentioned going to 37s. Do some research on that. I think you’ll find the consensus is that doing 37s right is a much more expensive proposition than 35s, 315s, etc. Related upgrades could include a front axle housing (eg ProRock 44), chromoly axle shafts, big brakes, upgraded ball joints, upgraded tie rod, hydraulic assist steering, news wheels (wider and with less back spacing), regeared differentials, etc. All in, you’re looking at around $10k or more in parts alone, not to mention labor (if you pay someone to wrench).


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TheGrendel

Active Member
for the drag link flip, the cheapest way is to do it is buying the parts separate.

you'll need a Crown right hand drive drag link. can be found for sub $60
Synergy Tie rod end adaptor $10
 

Swanson121

New member
What do you guys think about staying at 3.5" lift then? Will I still need to do the drag link flip? Will i have less problems doing the 3.5? From what I've been seeing, seems like once you go over 3.5 and hit 4 or bigger there's a lot of additional things required. Is there a complete bolt on kit for 3.5 that I won't have to piss with a lot of other things? I'm on 35s right now. But it's on spacers from the previous owner. I don't like spacers. I don't have to have 37s right now. I do know there's a lot of upgrading to make the 37s work properly on the front axle. I'll do all the work myself. I don't pay people to wrench on my stuff. I'm starting to lean towards adjustable arms instead of a long arm.
 

Arrcherr

Caught the Bug
I used to run the RK "Mid-Arm" kit before I went to an EVO LA kit. The front was ok function wise, but the rear was a pain in the dick. The rear track bar hit on the diff cover and rubbed on the passenger spring something fierce. The springs looked like slingys too. Plus the RK joints do not compare to the Johnny Joints that come of the EVO kits. My advice would be to look elsewhere & get a kit that uses the JJ ends on their arms, like EVO, Currie, etc. :twocents:
Jerry was it you who said your "trackbar hit on everything but the waitress at the diner". I can't remember exactly who said it but I laugh every time I remember it.

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TheGrendel

Active Member
What do you guys think about staying at 3.5" lift then? Will I still need to do the drag link flip? Will i have less problems doing the 3.5? From what I've been seeing, seems like once you go over 3.5 and hit 4 or bigger there's a lot of additional things required. Is there a complete bolt on kit for 3.5 that I won't have to piss with a lot of other things? I'm on 35s right now. But it's on spacers from the previous owner. I don't like spacers. I don't have to have 37s right now. I do know there's a lot of upgrading to make the 37s work properly on the front axle. I'll do all the work myself. I don't pay people to wrench on my stuff. I'm starting to lean towards adjustable arms instead of a long arm.

Just go with the Evo enforcer stage 1 3 or 4 inch lift.
 
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