Main Menu Vehicle Trails Mechanicals TJ/LJ Mods JK Mods Gallery
Rubicon Express Long Arm Suspension

Rubicon Express 4.5" Long Arm Suspension

Part #: See Below

I decided to do a Long Arm kit in preparations for an AiROCK suspension some time down the road.  I had heard good things about the ride of the long arm and after twisting up my factory skid pretty good I really needed to replace it.

Rubicon Express Parts List

4.5" Extreme Duty Long Arm Kit RE-7214 (Manual)
OME 'LT' Shocks
JKS "Quicker Disconnects"
Teraflex shock relocators

My Jeep currently has a winch in the front along with rear corner guards, Hi-lift and recover gear in the back so I am fairly balanced on additional weight.  I also have a 1 1/4" body lift installed.  I had taken measurements before, so I figured I would once again show the difference between stock and lifted.

Critical Measurements
(*includes 1 1/4" body lift)
  Before Lift  After Lift Total Lift
*Front Fender
(Centered through tire from ground)
34 1/8" 38 3/4" 4 5/8"
*Front Fender
(From center of wheel)
19 5/8" 24 1/4" 4 5/8"
Frame behind Front 
LCA bracket
14 5/8" 19 1/2" 4 7/8"
*Center of Rocker Guard (Centered on middle body mount) 20" 24 3/4" 4 3/4"
Skid Plate 
(Lowest point under Transfer case)
10 1/4" 15 1/2" 5 1/4"
Frame in-front of Rear LCA bracket 15" 19 3/4" 4 3/4"
*Rear Fender
(Centered through tire from ground)
34 7/8" 39 1/2" 4 5/8"
*Rear Fender
(From center of wheel)
20 3/8" 25" 4 5/8"
Note: When I removed the factory shocks I was surprised when the vehicle dropped.  I went back and remeasured the Front and Rear fenders from the ground.  The front had sagged 1/2" and the rear 3/8".  Nobody has ever mentioned this drop.  Now the OME shocks are not high charged Nitrogen like the factory shocks, so I will not get any additional height out of them. 

 

 

Spring Characteristics

  Factory Front RE Front Factory Rear RE Rear
Length 17 1/4" 20 3/4" 12" 16 3/8"
Width 4 7/8" 5 3/8" 6 1/4" 6 5/8"
Wire Size 0.508" 0.630 0.610" 0.658"
# of wraps 8 +1/4" overlap 11.75 6.5 7

 

Shock Characteristics

  Factory Front OME Front Factory Rear OME Rear
Extended 21" 27 3/8" 19" 24 3/8"
Compressed 14" 16 3/8" 12 1/2" 14 5/8"
Comp. Force 90lbs 10lbs 90lbs 10lbs
Note: Compression Force Measured on scale by applying weight stacks to top of shock.  Force is Approximate of what is required to hold shock compressed.

RE1602/1603/1604 Rear Track Bar Bracket
RE1600 Adjustable Track Bar
RE7200 Extreme Long Arm Suspension
RE7000/7010 Superflex Suspension
RE1160/1180 Quick Disconnects
RE1171/1172 Disconnect Adapters

Installation: This is not an easy kit to install.  Hopefully I can make it simpler for you.  The RE instructions are lacking in every detail.  RE does recommend that you have a professional installer install this kit, and I can see why by their instructions.   Take a look at my Issues section before you begin, so you can see some of the problems that you will run into with this kit. On to the Install.

Next Page

This page last updated: 08-May-2018

Content and Design © 2002-present WanderingTrail,  Ronald Seegert
Common Sense and Safety should always be observed when working on your vehicle or doing modifications. Jackstands, wheel blocks, disconnecting the battery are a few of the basic safety precautions that should be used and may not be mentioned in the write ups on this site. You are responsible for your own installation, these write ups are a helpful guideline and should not be taken as an official installation instruction. My write up may be different from the kits currently out there, so alwasy double check the manufacturers installation instructions when installing anything. I try to keep the site up to date with changes that have occured as I discover them, but may not have the latest unless someone lets me know. If you feel that an install is above your capabilities after reading my write ups, I recommend getting together with a club and getting some help. Only a few times have I needed to employe some actual help from a shop to get something done. Usually welding or A/C work. While I have spent many years working on mechanical systems, I am not an expert, nor do I pretend to be one. I hope these write ups have been useful to you.
All trademarked names & logos are property of their respective owners
This site is in no way associated with Stellantis.
Jeep is a registered trademark of Stellantis.