Ford shock towers

[bikersmurf]

The custom shock towers I’m running won’t clear my new power steering box. So I ordered a couple Dorman ‘Ford shock towers’.

This is what it is looking like.

I’m planning to mount them so that the top bolt is 1/2-1” higher than my current ones. It’s looking like that would put the top of the shocks just outside of the inner fender.

Obviously I can modify the towers to keep the top inside the inner fender (if I had them), but is it necessary?

How much clearance is there on a SUA rig between the fender support and the tire when the wheel is stuffed up into the the fender?

Should I keep the top of the shock inside the inner fender?

Eventually I’ll make inner fenders, but for now I’m using them as a point of reference that everyone else should know. Unless the answer is obvious, I’ll mount them unmodified, and modify them if needed.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

it’s been done both ways. Check clearance with steering arms and knuckle bits. @wngrog shared some good tech on this at full stuff vs not. Check worse case scenarios on steering and flex

 

[bikersmurf]

Clearance to steering arms and knuckle bits should be fine, but I’ll check.

My bigger concern is the 33x10.50s hitting the shock and shock towers.

 

[Fast Eddy]

I cut mine and bent them mostly straight, then re-welded. I don't have any good pics of the process, but the result is lots of clearance. Seems like I could have left them alone and been ok. This is before I put drop brackets on the bump stops.

That pic is the driver's-side of this poser shot.

 

[bikersmurf]

I cut mine and bent them mostly straight, then re-welded. I don't have any good pics of the process, but the result is lots of clearance. Seems like I could have left them alone and been ok. This is before I put drop brackets on the bump stops.

That pic is the driver's-side of this poser shot.

I’m planning to bolt them on (at least initially). So it sounds like I should be good to bolt them on unmodified and then bend them straight if needed. My front and rear shocks are currently the same length, and they are currently limiting my up travel. I’m going to fix this as I know it’ll kill shocks if not addressed.

Thanks for your input & reply.

 

[Fast Eddy]

I’m planning to bolt them on (at least initially). So it sounds like I should be good to bolt them on unmodified and then bend them straight if needed. My front and rear shocks are currently the same length, and they are currently limiting my up travel. I’m going to fix this as I know it’ll kill shocks if not addressed.

My shocks are 10" travel, as I recall. I get close to full travel in both directions, but they don't over-extend.

As I recall, one reason we bent them up is so they would fit inside the stock sheet metal with some minor tweaking. Unmodified I would have had to cut Toyota metal, and I'm not a fan of doing so.

 

[bikersmurf]

My shocks are 10" travel, as I recall. I get close to full travel in both directions, but they don't over-extend.

As I recall, one reason we bent them up is so they would fit inside the stock sheet metal with some minor tweaking. Unmodified I would have had to cut Toyota metal, and I'm not a fan of doing so.

Good to know. I’ve not got inner fenders so trimming isn’t as issue. If they are outside the inner fender line, it’ll make it easier to fabricate inner fenders… if I were to get to that point.

 

[MOTOV8R]

I put a set on a 76 soa and did not bend them, never rubbed. Have them on my 79 SUA as well (pic).

On the 79 I tilted them a little more outward. I was running 35x12.50 tires and could stuff them into the fender with no rubbing.

 

[bikersmurf]

I put a set on a 76 soa and did not bend them, never rubbed. Have them on my 79 SUA as well (pic).View attachment 2840583 On the 79 I tilted them a little more outward. I was running 35x12.50 tires and could stuff them into the fender with no rubbing.

Exactly what I wanted to know. It confirms I’m on the right path. I’d searched mud and didn’t find an answer to this anywhere… not saying it’s not there somewhere, but I didn’t have a week to dig for it.

 

[65swb45]

The other option:

FJ40 and FJ45 front shock tower extensions

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[bikersmurf]

The other option:

FJ40 and FJ45 front shock tower extensions

forum.ih8mud.com

Excellent option if you still have OEM towers. I my case I fabricated custom towers 20ish years ago.

I’m now switching to Ford towers because the Scout II steering box would require my custom towers to be completely redesigned to work. Rather than spend hours modifying them, I decided to order Ford towers which will clear my Scout II P/S box as installed.

The glass front fenders I’m currently running don’t have inner fenders, and are also raised. Based on the picture above, I expect I’ll not have to cut openings for the shock towers when I eventually fabricate inner fenders out of sheet metal. The inner fender will be far more straight forward, only needing an opening for the Scout II box on the driver's side.