Flexed till springs popped out

[Walking Eagle]

Extended rear swaybar links Tuesday night so they wouldn't hit rear shocks, so last night on the way home from work I stopped and shot a few pictures to try and answer some questions from here

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=162864

It was really hard to get it to flex as it's been raining here for 40 days (no exageration) and I kept slipping this way or that. Finally stuck it inbetween two berms to get some flex. I must have really wanted to share the flex limits with you guys, as I did this in dress clothes, with slip on dress shoes that will never be the same again.

Driver's side rear is sitting on 2.5" bumpstop, with about 1-1.5" left in the shock. Passenger side rear is extended just a touch over 11", and it's enough that the rear spring came out. I had to set it back in, guess that means it's time for spring retainers on the bottom. It was about 1.5" loose.

Best way to describe the front flex is pathetic. I'm pretty sure driver's side is on the bumpstop - I wasn't willing to crawl under and look better. Passenger side tire is 15" off the ground, with shock extended to 8", which is about 6" from bumpstop on my suspension. Really not a lot of flex there, and the only limiting factor is the radius arms. Shocks, and brake lines have plenty of length, springs aren't held tight, ect. Swaybar is still on though too I guess.

Guess next step to get some more out of the suspension is air bag it since I'm unaware of any springs that will allow more droop without becoming unseated without increasing my lift into DC shaft teritory.

 

[icu_runnin]

front flex is
We have had the same rain problem down south of you. I am sure you heard of all the flood problems we have been having.
You are locked right?? If not I would think it would have been a little difficult to get back out of that.

 

[on the rocks]

Airbag It!!

I've been considering doing this for several years now but never pulled the trigger (radius arm and caster issues holding me back on the front but seems like a great idea for the rear). Have you come across any good candidates for bags? Did the rear have room to drop even more or were the shocks or sway bar limiting this. Also I didn’t see you mention how much more travel you had on the extension side.

 

[CELICA XX]

Wow... where was that ?

I don't recognize it.

 

[icu_runnin]

Now that I look at it I am sure there are IFS rigs that have more flex than us.

 

[tech_dog]

I just did a brake job, and I was kind of bummed when I saw how few jack pumps it took to get my OME 2.5" attached front tires off the ground.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Wow... where was that ?

I don't recognize it.

Powerline near work. Not exactly an off-road area, but there are enough little hills there to check flex.

When you gonna get out to Disney or Gruber? It'd be neat to wheel with another local 80.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Now that I look at it I am sure there are IFS rigs that have more flex than us.

ya', compared to my leaf sprung 40 (spring under axle even!), which would max out 14" travel shocks in both directions, it's pretty sad. And I'm in a possition there where I'm purposefully trying to push as much flex as possible raising opposite ends. Maybe I should have tried it the reverse direction, but I was having enough trouble slipp'n and slid'n the way it was. I could see why Nay's thrown out the idea of leaf springing the front of the 80 for flex, though I'd rather X-link or 3-link it personally.

A few photo's of the 40 for comparison...

 

[Mudshack]

Walking Eagle.....try the same flex but with the front sway bar disconnected. I bet you see a big difference.

When I used to wheel the IFS Tacoma, I got at least another 3-4" of droop with the sway bar disconnected and zip tied up out of the way.

 

[Walking Eagle]

You are locked right?? If not I would think it would have been a little difficult to get back out of that.

Out? Heck, I had to use both lockers to get INTO that possition!

I've been considering doing this for several years now but never pulled the trigger (radius arm and caster issues holding me back on the front but seems like a great idea for the rear). Have you come across any good candidates for bags?

Yes, Firestone bags. At home I have the specific part #'s I'm looking at if your interested. If you go to Firestone's site you can download their application guide. I just went through looking for those with internal bumpstops that have appropriate travel and aren't too large of a diameter. The application guide also lists who's using the bags, and Kelderman has several listed in the Firestone airbag guide ( http://www.keldermanairride.com/lift-kits/ ). Getting the bags isn't THAT expensive, but when you tack on the cost of a good control system that will let you have pancake, ride height, and topped out all programed, plus 3 wheel, ect. is pricy. Don't really need 3wheel motion like the low riders have, but like in these pictures it would have been nice to dump DS Front Pass Side rear and max out DS rear and DS Front to get the most pressure on the ground as possible, which essentially, is 3 wheel action. It's gonna be a while before I get to it, for sure. Time and money ya' know. Maybe I'll just start with the rears and a compressor with manual operation - I'd like to be able to dump the rear for my dogs to jump in and out.

Part of my shock choice being an adjustable shock is because it's preperation for bags - as bag pressure changes, so does the amount of damping you need to control the truck, so I figure ultimately I'll pick a couple of pressures I like for different stuff, and have a couple of coresponding shock setttings. - but that's down the road a bit.

Did the rear have room to drop even more or were the shocks or sway bar limiting this. Also I didn’t see you mention how much more travel you had on the extension side.

The rear wasn't constrained by the shocks - they have 14" of travel, and only 11" of shaft was exposed. The swaybar wasn't hitting anything anymore, but I guess if I disconnected it I might get a little more out of the rear. For now though, until I can get a little more out of the front I'm not sure how worthwhile it is to push the rear further.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Walking Eagle.....try the same flex but with the front sway bar disconnected. I bet you see a big difference.

When I used to wheel the IFS Tacoma, I got at least another 3-4" of droop with the sway bar disconnected and zip tied up out of the way.

I'm not done experimenting for sure, after all, I just got the shocks on 5 days ago! The radius arm design on the 80 doesn't react as well to swaybar disconnect as IFS trucks do. Once you disconnect the swaybar on an IFS truck, there is nothing from one side keeping the other side from doing what it wants. With the 80, even after you disconnect the swaybar, you're still bound up by the bushings on the axle binding up. Some have experimented with it, and found gains, but it's not the 3-4" you see on an IFS truck.

 

[concretejungle]

Heath, go pull the front bolt out of the control arm on the front drivers side. Then flex it and measure.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Heath, go pull the front bolt out of the control arm on the front drivers side. Then flex it and measure.

Don't wanna....

I know it'll help big time, I just don't want to drive it that way, on road or off, but that's just me....

Besides, it's a torential downpower AGAIN!

 

[Tools R Us]

Softer springs, removing sway bars, etc may slightly improve flex, but not much. The big limiter is the radius arm setup, until that's addressed, flex increases will be small. Mine has a radius arm on the right side and a link on the left, flex is not great but better. The main improvement is the greatly reduced flex bind, the front end doesn't toss the body side to side nearly as bad when one front tire hits a bump, making for a much improved ride.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Softer springs, removing sway bars, etc may slightly improve flex, but not much. The big limiter is the radius arm setup, until that's addressed, flex increases will be small.

That's why the X-link is so atractive. Easier than 3 link, but plenty flexy.... There's no reason I shouldn't be able to max out the shocks with this..... it's just a mater of time and money..... and more time and money

 

[concretejungle]

looking at the above pic, it doesn't appear that the front is really free'ed up any more but the rear appears to flex like crazy.

 

[Mudshack]

I second that concretejungle.

but still....LOOK AT THE REAR FLEX!

I must find info on this X-link.

 

[jfz80]

I must find info on this X-link.[/quote]

here you go, from a few weeks back
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewt...days=0&postorder=asc&highlight=xlink&start=60

Heath, go pull the front bolt out of the control arm on the front drivers side. Then flex it and measure.

but then he will be puking front springs like this.....

 

[icu_runnin]

I need X-link

 

[Walking Eagle]

looking at the above pic, it doesn't appear that the front is really free'ed up any more but the rear appears to flex like crazy.

I second that concretejungle.

but still....LOOK AT THE REAR FLEX!

I must find info on this X-link.

Well, if you look at how high into the wheel well the lifted side is, vs, how far out of the wheel well the other side is, the front is freed up. Just is without the opposite rear coming up, it's tilting the body....


This photo looks better.... cranky-link, which is a home brew version - My truck in that situation would have the rear maxed on compression, and the body tilting more, and a tire in the air I'm guessing.


http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/forum/...ixed-diff-out-more-suprises-8610/index49.html