Fox 2.0 Install with progressive 3" coils

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Thomo

Thomo

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Threads
5
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88
Location
London, UK.
After much waiting I'm finally in a position to start installing my Fox shocks and progressive 3" coils.
The Shocks are 12" Fox 2.0 remote reservior shocks from Downsouth motorsports, Gotta say Sonny was great. The coils are from an Oz company called ATS4x4.

Here are a few pics of the install so far. I only have the rears on and still need to sort out the extensions for the bumpstops, swaybars mounts and the panhard. There is approx a 30mm difference in distance between the outside chassis rail and inside edge of the tyre at the moment.

[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0985.jpg"][/URL]
Slinkies Vs OME - You can see how the wind of the coil goes from thick to thin, I believe this is what gives it a progressive spring rate.
[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0986.jpg"][/URL]
Fox Vs OME
Fitted:
[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0993-1.jpg"][/URL]
[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0991-1.jpg"][/URL]
[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0988-1.jpg"][/URL]
[URL="http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/Thomolandcruiser/DSC_0996.jpg"][/URL]
I few things I have noted so far:
Measurement from Wheel arch to Rim both DS and PS - 400mm.
DS up travel availabe - 100mm
PS up travel available - 90mm.

This is where I'm a little confused, I don't know where I'm loosing 10mm om the PS side.

Also the travel available - 4 up and 8 down is not really where I want to be, I'm going to need to look at extending my shock mounts by and inch or two so I can be closer to a 40/60 or 50/50 setup (% compression/ % Droop). Not really what I wanted to be having to do...

The idea was to have a bolt in setup. I did run the shocks compressed and extended lengths via the Coil supplier in the UK who felt they would be fine for the coils before I bought them.

I however feel I don't have enough compression with the way it is currently. So next weekends mission is to get the fronts on, after I service the Front axle and then start looking at the shock mount extensions.

This is going to be a bit of a slow process so bear with me ya'll ;)
Now a few questions for you guys:
How much compression do you have available with an OME 2" lift setup fo you have?
What is the distance from rim to wheel arch with that setup? (I know I should have measured before I pulled it off... 8-)

The type of driving I do is anywhere from trails, mud and overland trips (with alot of washboard dirt roads). What would you guys say is a good balance to have between %Compression and %Droop with a 12" travel shock?...
 
Have you charged your shocks? Nitrogen shocks act like a progressive spring in their own right..

They need to be charged between 100-250psi.. generally... the more pressure the more ride height as well.. but it's a ratio of amount of shock oil vs pressure..
 
here I don't see much uptravel ... hope you have your bump stops well tunned ..

DSC_0991-1.jpg
 
I think you might have gone a tad too long on the shocks without doing alot of fab work. I think 10's would be better suited.

3" coils should have you some where in 21"+/- static length. 30.19" extended 18.19" collapsed

21" - 18.19" = 2.81" up travel

30.19" - 21"=9.19" down travel

These are all estimated based on you static length of shocks.
 
Yeah, 12" travel seems like a lot for 3" springs. I have the same shocks with 7" springs
 
I run 12" shocks with 3" springs from Autocraft.
Running 40mm (~1.5")bumpstop extentions and altered top shock mounts to run a eye mount rather than a pin. The shock mount moves the mounting point up by about an inch.
This gives me 5" up and 7" down

How do your rear shocks fit on the top shock mount?

I'd also suggest extending your swaybar mounts
 
Rwhat said:
I think you might have gone a tad too long on the shocks without doing alot of fab work. I think 10's would be better suited.

3" coils should have you some where in 21"+/- static length. 30.19" extended 18.19" collapsed

21" - 18.19" = 2.81" up travel

30.19" - 21"=9.19" down travel

These are all estimated based on you static length of shocks.
Click to expand...

Hey Rwhat,

as the rig stands now, I have 4" up travel available on DS and 3.5" on PS (note this us on a RHD 80). I have put the discrepancy between the PS and DS down to the panhard, as the axle is just over an inche off centre to the DS.

If I had gone for the 10" Versions (ext: 25.19, col: 15.19) then I would be sitting with 9" up travel and 1" down travel... If I have done my Maths right that doesn't really seem ideal.

At the end of the day the coils I have are designed to work around a 12" travel shock, whilst I agree that mine are a bit long, I'm not adverse to the idea of fabbing up customs mounts to solve a problem when the end result is a good long travel suspension setup.
 
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Ozdunc said:
I run 12" shocks with 3" springs from Autocraft.
Running 40mm (~1.5")bumpstop extentions and altered top shock mounts to run a eye mount rather than a pin. The shock mount moves the mounting point up by about an inch.
This gives me 5" up and 7" down

How do your rear shocks fit on the top shock mount?

I'd also suggest extending your swaybar mounts
Click to expand...

Rear shocks have studs at the top. Sway bar mounts will be moved in good time.

How do you find your setup (5" up/ 7" down)? and what kind of wheeling do you do? Is the 5"/7" with your rig fully laden or empty?
 
steffan said:
Did you remove your bump stops for more travel? I didn't see any on the rear
Click to expand...

Nope, they fell off and are FUBAR'd. I have a new set wating to go in. this rig is not a DD so once I have fabbed up the shock mounts and am happy with the up travel/ down travel ratio I have I'll be in a position to make up drop block for the bump stops.
 
Thomo said:
Hey Rwhat,

as the rig stands now, I have 4" up travel available on DS and 3.5" on PS (note this us on a RHD 80). I have put the discrepancy between the PS and DS down to the panhard, as the axle is just over an inche off centre to the DS.

If I had gone for the 10" Versions (ext: 25.19, col: 15.19) then I would be sitting with 9" up travel and 1" down travel... If I have done my Maths right that doesn't really seem ideal.

At the end of the day the coils I have are designed to work around a 12" travel shock, whilst I agree that mine are a bit long, I'm not adverse to the idea of fabbing up customs mounts to solve a problem when the end result is a good long travel suspension setup.
Click to expand...


No worrys, I wasn't trying to give you crapp. When I saw you had got the 3" springs with the 12" shocks I was wondering if it would work without too much fab. I wanted to go 12" also with 4" springs, but was worried I would not have enough up travel. I measured 22" static on my shocks all the way around with J springs and 1" spacers.

I was worried when loaded up I would lose a little more down travel with weight loaded up.

Another thing you might look at is the springs might sag after flexing them out. For the rears I would look into is welding a lower mount and stud about 1" lower on the rear lower shock mount. It should work if the sway bar clears the sway bar. You can also extend the upper mount. Then you will get 5" up and 7" down.

You will be fine.
 
Thomo said:
How do you find your setup (5" up/ 7" down)? and what kind of wheeling do you do? Is the 5"/7" with your rig fully laden or empty?
Click to expand...

Really good. My rig is a mixture of expedition tourer and play truck.
5"/7" is with roughly 200kgs of shi-ite in the back, which is what I carry most the time as I can't be bothered to empty it out.
Fully laden for remote touring it prob runs at 4"/8" which has worked brilliantly over corrugations at 80/100kmh (50/60mph) and I rarely hit the bumpstops except over big whoops or the odd unseen creek washout.
Unladen its still pretty flexy - at low speed the up travel is probably not as much as it could be, but good enough for most rocks and wombat holes.

If you're still using the stock pin mount for the upper shock I'd recommend using a 60mm bumpstop spacer to protect your shocks from over compressing.

If you have 12" shocks for the front you'll need 40mm bumps stop spacers, and 50mm swaybar spacers to stop the driveshaft hitting the swaybar on full droop.

And I hope you've extended your brake lines!!!
 
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Rwhat said:
No worrys, I wasn't trying to give you ****p. When I saw you had got the 3" springs with the 12" shocks I was wondering if it would work without too much fab.
Click to expand...

No Worries, didn't think you were trying to. Afterall the reason I'm posting this install on mud is so I can get some observatione, advice, critique etc.. from you guys. I'm no suspension guru and don't claim to be.

I hadn't though about extending the lower mounts, do you think they'd be getting in harms way at all if i dropped them an inch?

Ozdunc said:
If you're still using the stock pin mount for the upper shock I'd recommend using a 60mm bumpstop spacer to protect your shocks from over compressing.

If you have 12" shocks for the front you'll need 40mm bumps stop spacers, and 50mm swaybar spacers to stop the driveshaft hitting the swaybar on full droop.

And I hope you've extended your brake lines!!!
Click to expand...

Cheers for the Dims.

Brake lines will be sorted soon. I have a full set of Stainless steel braided hoses to go on. Front hose is 550mm and rear is 600mm.
 
Had some time to get the fronts on yesterday...

DSC_0479.jpg

Slinky Vs OME.

DSC_0483.jpg

Old coils and shocks removed.

DSC_0485.jpg

Fox Shock and slinky coil fitted. Those Fox's are a b*stard to compress. Nitrogen charge in them is 200psi at the moment.

DSC_0481-1.jpg

Fox Vs OME

DSC_0494.jpg

DSC_0495.jpg


All fitted. I have 4.5" of compression available. Not bad really. Though I'd have a bit less than the rears...

DSC_0487.jpg

DSC_0486.jpg


Now onto extending the brake lines, bump stops, sway bars brackets and panhards. Once all that's done then onto moving the rear shock mounts up.
 
Would you mind telling us your shock valving information? I think that info would be helpful to others who are considering the same shocks.
 
So these 12" come with duel factory pin mount or have they been customised ?
 
Valving is:
Front 65/80
Rear 65/90

The stud/stud setup is straight from fox. No modifications were required.
 
be sure to give us a full performance diagnosis I have this setup on my mind for some time,, TKS
 
AllenTenT said:
be sure to give us a full performance diagnosis I have this setup on my mind for some time,, TKS
Click to expand...

Will do. Unfortunately it's not a straight forward a bolt on setup, but I am looking forward to giving it a good thrashing once I have all the other bits and pieces sorted right.

Just noticed your from RSA, If all goes well I'll be driving this 80 back home (Cape Town) in 2014, for good.
 
Thomo said:
Valving is:
Front 65/80
Rear 65/90

The stud/stud setup is straight from fox. No modifications were required.
Click to expand...

I think Down south does the lower stud swap.

I have the Front 65/80. Single bleed open
Rear 60/90. Single bleed open

With Front bumper/winch, dual batteries, rear bumper and sliders and slee skid plate. With 315's.
 
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