Maintenance....... what maintenance
I do agree that flex is mostly over rated. You do want a reasonable amount though.
I have a wristed arm, and it uses up a 9012. Even if I could do something to make it better, why do I need more travel than a 9012 provides? Would more travel actually help offroad, or just get me a higher # on the ramp?
The way I look at it, wristed arms are an ultra cheap and easy method to get tons of flex. If you're not happy with the concept, then you need to build yourself a 3 or 4 link from scratch.
I'd say I put 8 - 12 hours into making a wristed arm. That's without having all the preferred tools, and not being focused 100% on the arm.
edit: I just read the article on the WAH. While I think it's a fine piece of work, he certainly skirts around the fact that you can pin a standard wristed arm for street use.
$400-$600 is a lot of money. Not saying that kit doesn't deserve that, but given a choice, I think I'd put that money toward a completely different suspension.