I know there are guys that have done this mod and I like the idea, but does anyone have a write-up with pictures on this operation?
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i have done this mod, its PITA but the pro's of it are worth it in the end..
i havent really got any decent pics of it, ill go take some if anyone needs em.but ill post what i got for now
nuh mate just did it all in my head lol, im running 4" coils, 2" BL, you can do the castor at the same time too..yes i reused the brackets, probably easier to just make new ones up , i pissed aroudn for ages notching them out to fit the diff,you just make sure your castor is right and then notch the bracket to suit ,i did this with full weight of the truck on the diffs so it was hard to hold castor in place and weld the brackets at the same time ..Please do. This mod has interested me for quite some time, but I haven't found much detail on it.
How did you determine where and at what angle to weld on the brackets? Were you able to reuse the brackets, or did you have to fab new ones? At what height of lift does this become a feasible option? Any resources you used online?
their is an article on outerlimits4x4 that explains this all,including a another pic of how mine is done.I have considered this for some time, just never really had the time or money to mess with it.
From what i've read, you need about 6" of lift to pull it off.
As for orienting the brackets.... use a dial indicator before cutting the original brackets off to measure your current caster angle. Cut the brackets off, set the axle back to the angle using the dial indicator, then weld the brackets back on top.
but the more i thought about this the more i wondered what am i really achieving? So the arms are not underneath which gains some ground clearance, but not that big of a deal as there are other things hanging down. You still have all four bushings in place, so i dont see flex improved any. So i'm not sure what the gain really is?
but the more i thought about this the more i wondered what am i really achieving? So the arms are not underneath which gains some ground clearance, but not that big of a deal as there are other things hanging down. You still have all four bushings in place, so i dont see flex improved any. So i'm not sure what the gain really is?
Probably the biggest benefit after lifting an 80 is the ability to keep the front control arms as parallel to the ground as possible.
However, I don't think the axle's center is the starting point of force, but rather the point on the tire which contacts the road surface (be that a smooth road or a ledge). If true, that makes tire size the big factor- which we already knew, but there's a slightly different dimension at work here.
I haven't and still don't buy this. I can see the relationship of the frame mount and axle's center coming into play like this. But just moving some brackets around that doesn't change that, no way.
I know there are guys that have done this mod and I like the idea, but does anyone have a write-up with pictures on this operation?
.......... But knock yourselves out. Seems like a hole lot of work so I hope it worth it.
By putting the arm above the axle, you're not changing the direction of force, only the way it is transmitted between points, which is irrelevant. Moving the frame side mount toward the rear would flatten the arms and change the direction of force. Changing where the arms are connected to the axle won't change the direction of the force- it still has to go from the axle to the frame mount. You could curve the arm up into the engine compartment and not change the direction of force- the wheel will still want to move rearwards if it meets resistance, and the shock load will still travel the same line, with the same result in ride comfort.
If you take a look under your front end, you'll see that when you reverse the control arm to the top of the axle, it now sits between the frame and the axle. Just off the top you're loosing 3" of upward travel.
I haven't and still don't buy this. I can see the relationship of the frame mount and axle's center coming into play like this. But just moving some brackets around that doesn't change that, no way.
The wheel barrel example is about leveraging the load, I don't see how that applies. But knock yourselves out. Seems like a hole lot of work so I hope it worth it.
It's not the act of flipping the arms that changes the geometry, but rather, raising the axle side mounting brackets that makes the arm geometry 'flatten out'.
Raising the brackets on the axle end performs a similar function to relocating the frame side mount towards the rear of the vehicle.