I thought I'd put this all suspension encompassing thread on its own.
First: I keep thinking about the Radflo clanking. Originally with my Fox shocks I used limiting straps to control the maximum suspension droop out; in 2007 the suspension landscape for 100's, outside of OME, was mostly wide-open frontier without any direct bolt on solutions. This proved futile, regardless of strap brand or strap layers, as the strap would eventually stretch in relatively quick and unreliable order. Yet another example of something that works for a race or three but not so reliable for us back-country explorers looking for less maintenance as well as reliable and consistent performance without the constant attention...
Although I still run limiting straps up front they're mostly now serve as a back-up system for full droop and to slow/ease the abrupt force that can, sometimes, hit the front suspension when quick full droop happens. However the straps are not the first line, nor the only, line of 'droop defense'. In their new role they've worked out perfectly and quietly I might add. I also, after exacerbating experiences with the stock and all too small for this application #8 spherical bearings converted to urethane upper and lower shock mounts...again something I had to learn on my own.
I cycled the suspension measuring exactly where the shock needed to stop traveling to protect the ball joints, mainly the UCA ball joint, in droop mode. Of course while cycling the front suspension I did make sure the shock was not serving as the compression limiter...but rather the LCA bump stops.
After making the measurement for the shock in droop I had a delrin/UHMWP "puck made" to the matching measure. This puck sits internal to the shock and on the shock shaft. When the shock gets to the limit point this delrin spacer serves as the travel stop.
Because its plastic and not metal this puck damps sound. And along with the limit straps serving to buffer the shock of full droop it has served me perfectly.
So when I hear about the Radflo's clanking I assume Glenn is using an aluminum spacer internal to the shock for droop limit?
And I wonder, given some of the other shenanigans I've seen from MetalTech, if they're original suspension cycling and/or shock measurements provided to Glenn were as accurate as they needed to be? And/or like a few other areas of our LC's I've found to be inconsistent from year to year of our 100's maybe this is yet another variable Toyota tolerance that needs to be checked on each rig rather than assumed.
I can not over-stress, once you deviate from OEM and OME shocks, and into racing style shocks to thoroughly cycle your suspension to obtain first hand knowledge of where your suspension limits are and what will take the hit...if not the bump stops.
There seems to be great resistance from certainly the 100-Series folks but also the casual/first timer 80-Series folks too in cycling their truck's suspension. It does take about 1/2 day to do it right and it certainly isn't rocket science...but there is a reluctance, even amongst the guys that are having suspension issues, to do this fundamental data gather for their LC!
This would be a good article for Stan (paflytyer) to work on for a multi-issue article for the TLCA rag...he and I have discussed it now we just to make it happen.
First: I keep thinking about the Radflo clanking. Originally with my Fox shocks I used limiting straps to control the maximum suspension droop out; in 2007 the suspension landscape for 100's, outside of OME, was mostly wide-open frontier without any direct bolt on solutions. This proved futile, regardless of strap brand or strap layers, as the strap would eventually stretch in relatively quick and unreliable order. Yet another example of something that works for a race or three but not so reliable for us back-country explorers looking for less maintenance as well as reliable and consistent performance without the constant attention...
Although I still run limiting straps up front they're mostly now serve as a back-up system for full droop and to slow/ease the abrupt force that can, sometimes, hit the front suspension when quick full droop happens. However the straps are not the first line, nor the only, line of 'droop defense'. In their new role they've worked out perfectly and quietly I might add. I also, after exacerbating experiences with the stock and all too small for this application #8 spherical bearings converted to urethane upper and lower shock mounts...again something I had to learn on my own.
I cycled the suspension measuring exactly where the shock needed to stop traveling to protect the ball joints, mainly the UCA ball joint, in droop mode. Of course while cycling the front suspension I did make sure the shock was not serving as the compression limiter...but rather the LCA bump stops.
After making the measurement for the shock in droop I had a delrin/UHMWP "puck made" to the matching measure. This puck sits internal to the shock and on the shock shaft. When the shock gets to the limit point this delrin spacer serves as the travel stop.
Because its plastic and not metal this puck damps sound. And along with the limit straps serving to buffer the shock of full droop it has served me perfectly.
So when I hear about the Radflo's clanking I assume Glenn is using an aluminum spacer internal to the shock for droop limit?
And I wonder, given some of the other shenanigans I've seen from MetalTech, if they're original suspension cycling and/or shock measurements provided to Glenn were as accurate as they needed to be? And/or like a few other areas of our LC's I've found to be inconsistent from year to year of our 100's maybe this is yet another variable Toyota tolerance that needs to be checked on each rig rather than assumed.
I can not over-stress, once you deviate from OEM and OME shocks, and into racing style shocks to thoroughly cycle your suspension to obtain first hand knowledge of where your suspension limits are and what will take the hit...if not the bump stops.
There seems to be great resistance from certainly the 100-Series folks but also the casual/first timer 80-Series folks too in cycling their truck's suspension. It does take about 1/2 day to do it right and it certainly isn't rocket science...but there is a reluctance, even amongst the guys that are having suspension issues, to do this fundamental data gather for their LC!
This would be a good article for Stan (paflytyer) to work on for a multi-issue article for the TLCA rag...he and I have discussed it now we just to make it happen.
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