Steve (619TOY):
Need an update to this tread. Where are you now on this project?
Need an update to this tread. Where are you now on this project?
35's vs. 37's
- Thread starter 619TOY
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I've got 35s KM2s on stock suspension....no rubbing issues on normal day-to-day commutes....lots of rubbing during articulation on the trails....jus can't find the time to get a lift
guys i raised my panhard. see my build. easy. dont measure all that stuff. just buy the bracket from rouffstuff industries and weld it up. done.
2nd you cant realy use/dont need 14" travel shocks out back. you have more tons of travel if you spend a little time and make sure you are not wasting uptravel shock length. stuff a rear wheel all the way and take that measurement. make sure your rear shock is almost completely compressed at that point. even 11" travel shocks give tons of travel. remember that there is 11" of travel at the shock but there is over 14" out at the wheel. i know as i measured. 11" shocks are all I use on my rear. i even have them limit strapped a little. have you looked at your rear driveshaft ujoints? mine are hitting before the 11" shocks are all the way extended. im running 4" springs
but realy all you need to do is 3 link the front. it is night and day. leave everything else alone. here is how you do it:
a. cut the oe front radious arms off just distal to the first bushing. now reuse the radius arms
b. cut the frontmost half of the axle side radius bracket off (sisnce you cut the front of the radiues arms off you dont the front half of the axle side bracket)
c. cut the lateral half of the remaining axle side bracket off and make a new bracket out of 1/4" mild steel. weld this new bracket back on 3/8" wider that the oe brackets were. this will allow the bushing a little more strength and a little more room to flex.
d. make a simple 3rd link by using a spare rear lower link. dont cut it or anything. get it right the first time. non adjustable. if you need adjustment when done just cut it and sleeve to the right length
e. weld a simple axle pass side frame link bracket and upper link axle bracket
f. done
why has not someone done this yet?
2nd you cant realy use/dont need 14" travel shocks out back. you have more tons of travel if you spend a little time and make sure you are not wasting uptravel shock length. stuff a rear wheel all the way and take that measurement. make sure your rear shock is almost completely compressed at that point. even 11" travel shocks give tons of travel. remember that there is 11" of travel at the shock but there is over 14" out at the wheel. i know as i measured. 11" shocks are all I use on my rear. i even have them limit strapped a little. have you looked at your rear driveshaft ujoints? mine are hitting before the 11" shocks are all the way extended. im running 4" springs
but realy all you need to do is 3 link the front. it is night and day. leave everything else alone. here is how you do it:
a. cut the oe front radious arms off just distal to the first bushing. now reuse the radius arms
b. cut the frontmost half of the axle side radius bracket off (sisnce you cut the front of the radiues arms off you dont the front half of the axle side bracket)
c. cut the lateral half of the remaining axle side bracket off and make a new bracket out of 1/4" mild steel. weld this new bracket back on 3/8" wider that the oe brackets were. this will allow the bushing a little more strength and a little more room to flex.
d. make a simple 3rd link by using a spare rear lower link. dont cut it or anything. get it right the first time. non adjustable. if you need adjustment when done just cut it and sleeve to the right length
e. weld a simple axle pass side frame link bracket and upper link axle bracket
f. done
why has not someone done this yet?
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I agree that when properly tuned the OME L's are about the max that can be effectively used. I looked at "U" upper 3 linking the rear, it's been done and would be relatively simple. Once I tuned, setup the shocks for the best travel I am happy with it and my focus moved to the stiff front end. IIRC Brother Rob's and my rigs get ~14" of rear wheel travel.
When the suspension is fully drooped the drive shaft yokes have clearance, but not much. Not worried about it, don't jump the rig, so full droop is only used for flex, u-joint life hasn't proven to be a problem.
IMHO, when setup properly, the rear works well for what the rig is. In my observation to get more out of it would require longer links and that would require more mods than I am willing to do for how I use the rig and would gain little capability unless the front is completely redone.
Agree that freeing up the front makes all of the difference in trail ride. When I installed the 3 bushing arms was shocked at how much better it rides without the front tossing the body side to side.
Stock arms in the stock mount locations wont work for lower links if you also want droop/flex, the tie rod is in the wrong spot. With the radius arms the axle changes angle/caster with travel, so the arm to tie rod clearance stays relatively constant. When 3 linked the axle angle/caster stays relatively constant as the arms swing, so much more arm/link clearance is needed, the stock arms don't have nearly enough clearance. I looked at this when the 3 bushing arms were made, it would have been much easier just to cut stockers than make arms. Not as simple as it looks at first glance!
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Do you guys that run 37s and up keep the fenders for looks? I mean, heck, by that point my fenders would be long gone. as soon as they start gettin in the way, just seems like extra hassle to me.
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My 37's are relatively narrow, so tuck inside the fender wells. The contact is inside tire sidewall to fender well/frame, tubing/beating the fender wouldn't do much and moving the frame in would be lots of work just to gain a slightly shorter bump stop. If your talking about the flares, mine are not an issue, just took a little nip to the lower corner.
That answers it, thanks mate
PS - been meaning to say it for awhile, but that quote officially makes your sig the coolest here on mud IMO
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There isn't much caster correction room on the stock arms even with the stock setup. This pic is mine when it was being measured for the arm design. This is about as close as I would put it and would probably touch when fully flexed, needs more to lineup with the transfer and get to "stock caster".
The next pix are Ben/Brad's old truck, gives an idea of the clearance needed. Also note, the frame side is lowered. Cut some bushing holders to use stock bushings and weld them to bent tube?
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IMHO the cheapest way to do it with straight links, good steering, good link separation, etc would be to swap in a FJ60 or FJ62 axle. Add the Dave Gore widening sleeve to get the width right, nets you a bigger diff, locking hubs, cheap high steer, etc?
IMHO the cheapest way to do it with straight links, good steering, good link separation, etc would be to swap in a FJ60 or FJ62 axle. Add the Dave Gore widening sleeve to get the width right, nets you a bigger diff, locking hubs, cheap high steer, etc?
yea and 60 axles are cheap.
note that my 42" iroks stuff great front and rear. just cut a bit and get the backspacing right. i used a 67 track d70 and a 69" dodge d60.
if you dont design in for stuffage on the 80 you will need way more lift to run the big meats
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Well understood/proven, etc, but would need a locker, Longfields. The 80 axle has good value so when sold would still come out pretty cheap?
I watched your build in hardcore, good stuff, but more than I want on on my '80. When I get the itch for a more hardcore rig it will be in addition to the'80, ~ half the weight, no overhang, only enough body work to support a windshield, lights, be street legal and the rest tube.
Well understood/proven, etc, but would need a locker, Longfields. The 80 axle has good value so when sold would still come out pretty cheap?
I watched your build in hardcore, good stuff, but more than I want on on my '80. When I get the itch for a more hardcore rig it will be in addition to the'80, ~ half the weight, no overhang, only enough body work to support a windshield, lights, be street legal and the rest tube.
i dont know. im wheeling with minis right now. they cant hang. with a little better gearing and big meats the 80 is hardcore. i need to post up some vid....
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...
PS - been meaning to say it for awhile, but that quote officially makes your sig the coolest here on mud IMO
Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson is my hero, his little drive makes our wheelin look like nothing.
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I agree, the '80 does well for a station wagon/bus, but there are a lot of places here where it wont fit, also it's hard to beat gravity and 5000lb+ doesn't help. The trend here is to small and light, it's amazing what they can do.
This is a local home built rig, I guess it could be called a mini, it has a 22R? I don't care what meats and gears are on an '80, it's not going to hang with rigs like this!
jfz80
Cruisin’
35's = decent braking
37's = less than stellar brake performance
anyone else notice the same. I have rebuilt the calipers, added new pads, flushed twice, and SS lines all the way from hard line to caliper and they still dont feel great. Pad wear looks even front to back, but on back the inside pad has more wear than the outside pad. Ive read a couple recent threads on booster failure that might be my new direction of exploration.
and do you mean fenders or flares above? its all about backspacing and treadwidth. I plan to reinstall my flares after touch up and have no issues w/ contact but i do rub the frame/fender liner at full stuff as tools mentioned. With a wheel spacer and the flare nip/tuck the rears should be fine the fronts however will be very very close to removing the fenders for me.
37's = less than stellar brake performance
anyone else notice the same. I have rebuilt the calipers, added new pads, flushed twice, and SS lines all the way from hard line to caliper and they still dont feel great. Pad wear looks even front to back, but on back the inside pad has more wear than the outside pad. Ive read a couple recent threads on booster failure that might be my new direction of exploration.
and do you mean fenders or flares above? its all about backspacing and treadwidth. I plan to reinstall my flares after touch up and have no issues w/ contact but i do rub the frame/fender liner at full stuff as tools mentioned. With a wheel spacer and the flare nip/tuck the rears should be fine the fronts however will be very very close to removing the fenders for me.
