i am new to the boards and you guys have probably talked about this i am curious what is the advantages of having a long arm lift vs. short arm lift or do i even need a long arm since i am new to off roding  thanks  

this is pretty much a choice left to the end user and depends on a variety of factors, including; how much money you want to spend (often the biggest factor), how you use your vehicle, and desired tire size. most start small and build over time so they often get driving experience on both short arm and long arm kits simply because that was the route they could afford at the time they were installing parts. that said, long arm kits typically end up on more extreme vehicles that have seen enough action to where a short arm kit has held the vehicle up or otherwise impaired it from tackling the obstacle it was pointed at.

for someone new to the sport I would suggest simply getting out and using your 4x4 in its stock form to discover its limitations and build it accordingly. You do not need a long arm suspension system right from the start but they are a great suspension design to move on to once you decide how you use your vehicle the most.

I will post a more detailed Web Exclusive article on this subject next week that should answer any further questions you have regarding the differences/advantages between short arm and long arm suspension systems.  

assuming we're talking jeep...

long arms give more flex and a better ride, along with keeping the geometry correct.

anything over 3.5" needs to be a long arm suspension system and a slip yolk eliminator to make it usefull and eliminate many problems associated with a lift.
at 3.5" longer bumpstops fit 35" rubber without getting into the fenders.

the short arms start changing the wheel base and geometry radicaly with a little lift, and have a jarring ride along with a wander on the hwy.

stock arms are the same length as non adjustable lift arms for a 6" short arm kit. ya can get the same amount of down travel or reach from stock suspension as ya can with a 6" lift, all it takes is some longer shocks and relocated brackets on the rear.

a very important thing to remember is gearing when ya add larger tires, just going beyond the 31" mark call for gears to keep the best mileage and performance.

I'm running 34" trXus m/ts under a 2.5" rancho lift, 4.88 gears with a auto tranny.