By: Matt Vallez
Today we will talk about lift kits, not just any lift kits but the new breed of lift kits known as the “Double A- Arm” lift kits. But first let’s go back in time to how this style of lift kit came to be. The first lift kits were simple axle lifts on E-Z-GO’s and “Z” bar lift kits used on Club Car (the one’s requiring the frames be cut in half). There were also many simple block lifts with U-bolts and blocks on both Yamaha and E-Z-GO golf cars sitting on many dealer lots around the country. Eventually we all became more sophisticated and Jake’s brought out the spindle lift kits for E-Z-GO, Club Car & Yamaha. This made installation a lot easier and you ended up with better results. A lifted car you could feel good about selling and with a solid modified suspension you felt good about selling to your grandmother.
Finally the ultimate in lift kits came out just before the side-by-side UTV market took off. It is the long travel lift kit. These kits were a complete re-engineering of the front suspension, to be a true independent front suspension. These were most popular before the Razor and Rhino were available, these kits allowed golf cars to be used as dune buggies and for other off road purposes no one had tried before. The Double A-arm kits are the little cousin to the long travel lift kits for golf cars. They have many similarities to the long travel kits without the cost. Below are some pictures of the lift kits discussed above.
The Double A-arm design provides a rugged off-road long travel look without the cost of a true long travel suspension. The Double front leaf springs provide a more heavy duty suspension than the stock single leaf spring. This spring also provides a more stable ride. In addition the Double A-arm design is not as wide as the spindle kit which allows for a tighter turning radius allowing you to maneuver the car better in tight areas. If you are starting with a car with well-worn suspension components the Double A-arm lift kit is a better choice than a spindle lift because these kits come with new leaf springs, new upper and lower A-arms, new spindles and all the bushings, basically replacing all worn out front suspension components. These are just a few things when considering a Double A-arm kit over other types of lift kits.
Another consideration for these Double A-arm kits is the reason we put lift kits on golf cars in the first place. The number one reason to lift a golf car is to fit that premium set of tires and wheels on the thing. The design of the sub-frame extends the wheelbase allowing for larger wheels/tires than the spindle kit. Where the 3″ spindle kits allow a 20 x 10 x 10 wheel/tire the 4″ Double A-arm kits allow up to 23 x 10.5 x 12 wheel/tire. Where the 6″ spindle kit allows up to 22x11x10 (DS) & 23×10.5×12 (Precedent) the 6″ Double A-arm kits allow up to 25×10.5×12 wheels/tires. In addition the upper and lower A-arms use heim ends which allows the camber to be adjusted. This is very important with the different style wheels having different offsets. The adjustability of the A-arms will allow the customer to achieve the alignment they desire.
Now that we are aware of the differences between Double A-arm kits and other styles of lift kits, there is one more important point to make. Not all Double A-arm kits are created equal. The Jake’s Double A-arm kits come with the same Jake’s quality you have come to expect from Jake’s a Nivel company, and part of “Your Complete Source”. The spindles in a Jake’s Double A-arm kit come with extra support gussets making them the strongest Double A-arm kits available. So once again Nivel & Jake’s have what you need in the lift kit department covered. We have the spindle lifts with the ease of installation and now the best Double A-arms on the market when you are looking for something with improved suspension and adjustability. We got you covered.
