Help me spend $8k (1 Viewer)

[Delta VS]

When you've got a direction, reach out to a few vendors and discuss. Package deals are a thing!

 

[Ntgm37]

After four years of musical springs, I’m sitting on dobinson 3.5/3” tapered coils with a 1”/30mm spacer front/rear respectively. The spacers are not manditory but I run them for that little extra bit of ground clearance and added up travel without the need to get out my sawzall. To each his own there..... shocks are the yellow, inexpensive dobinson shocks which are valved less aggressively on the compression side than the OME shocks and if you run the tapered springs you’ll be able to run the 6” lift shocks that dobinson sells which are considerably longer than OME L shocks and will allow for more down travel. These shocks cost $125/ea and work well enough. I do notice some fade after a long while of working them hard especially in warm weather but I don’t dash through the desert at high speed so I’m not motivated to spend big bucks on shocks just yet.

As mentioned before you will regret not correcting geometry as much as possible. I built my own rear track bar axle riser bracket but @Delta VS makes and sells a very nice bolt in unit. This will help to keep the rear end feeling more stable on the road. I run the Delta front radius arms in the 6” flavor with something like 5” actual lift. Not only will these arms correct castor angle, they also move the axle forward to where is was pre-lift minimizing the amount of fender trimming needed on a lower lift with 37’s. My castor is about 5 degrees and I’m happy with how it drives for a rig on 5” lift and 37” tire mounted on only the stock 16” wheels.

Two guys I know on Mud, and whom I’ve wheeled with, moved away from the Slinky coils and into Dobinsons and Tough Dogs because they felt the slinky’s were too stiff. They both confirm that that the others I mentioned we more plush and compliant on the trail.

If you really do plan to use your 80 off road and didn’t buy it for camping at state parks and going to Dairy Queen on sataurday evening, then give serious thought to the Delta VS radius arms rather than castor correction plates. I ran Slee 4” plates for a few years and they barely correct castor angle on 3” lift plus they get beat to heck and will bend. The delta arms offer great tie rod clearance as well as ground clearance due to their curved design and being narrower than other arms out there they can deflect the rubber bushings further before binding. binding hard inside the axle brackets not only limits travel but also puts a lot of stress on the brackets themselves. Axle brackets have been known to crack in the parent metal as well as at the weld cracking the axle housing.

Also figure on buying a DC front driveline at a minimum. I run DC shafts front and rear.

This is that good s***. Thank you for this reply.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

My suggestion, other than what baldilocks said, which was spot on is to not be in a hurry and buy used parts if possible - you can really stretch that $8k. I and many other MuD members have swapped springs more than they care to count and you can usually find lightly used springs in the classifieds. Once you get your springs (or figure out how high you want to end up) you can start buying the extras - brake lines, driveshafts, shocks, control arms, track bar bracket, etc. That stuff really adds up.

I would highly recommend sliders be part of that $8k.

I just got my diffs regeared to 5.29s and it was $1760 including freight from ECGS.

I’ve done my mods slowly and very piecemeal using mostly used parts, but fitting 37s “correctly” is expensive and time consuming no matter how you go at it. That said, I ran 37s on stock gears, stock shocks, and worn out OME springs for quite a few years. It wasn’t ideal but it worked.

 

[Box Rocket]

Do you have a link to this kit?

Mill Creek Overland

millcreekoverland.com

I ran this same kit for the past 3 years. Best mod ever done to my 80 is 20 years of owning one. Just recently upgraded the shocks from the adjustable ones in this kit. The ones in the kit are very good and being able to dial in the ride just how you like it is awesome. The Slinky coils are broadly considered one of, if not the, best coil spring available for the 80. The kit isn’t cheap but there’s a reason.

 

[lasoundguy]

It seems like there are ton of options for you. I am working with a smaller budget for just suspension but have landed on Tour Flex 3" springs. Got my rears in about two weeks ago, waiting to finish my front bumper project for the fronts but overall quite happy with the ride of the tapered coils (replaced standard fare OME coils.)

It seems like one question is how often you are likely to adjust shocks...I had regular adjustable shocks on my old track car and once I got them dialed in I never bothered tweaking them. My current track car has ones that adjust from in the cabin and I like and use that feature a lot...moral is, adjustability is cool if you use it, but think about the mechanics of doing that and if you will want to. If you're a tweaker, the revalved Icons in the Slinky kit, or the regular Icons from, uh, Icon, (or Delta) seem like a good option, as do the Dobinson's MRA. I'm personally kind of hoping the IMS shocks from Dobinson's hit soon with a 4" lift model as that feels like it might be a good choice for me...I want good shocks but I get dirty enough airing up and down on the trail, I don't really see myself wanting to get behind the wheels/tires to turn a knob on the shock. Maybe I'd get into it if I had the feature but so far not into it...give me in-cab or nothing
Note Icon does offer 2.5" remote reservoir shocks without the adjustment feature which saves a bit of money, but I haven't found anyone who's running them to give an impression.

So:

• 3-4" springs (again, so far I'm happy with the Tour Flex 3" but they all have mostly positive reviews i.e. Slinky/Dobinson's Taper/Tour Flex) $800 - $1000
• Shocks see above $600 - $3000
• Wheels I like these ones Delta has, I personally went with these ones after finding a deal in the classifieds of ExpeditionPortal. 17" rim size was the main thing I was happy to see, easy to get lots of tire choice $1250
• Tires plenty of options, for my own needs I went 35" Falken AT3s but I am only running the TC UD gears, if I wanted to regear diffs at this time would have gone to 37's as you plan. I've had really good luck with AT3Ws in snow, they air down nicely, and they have done great for me in Moab and the Sierras. YMMV. Looks like $1800 for 5

I know you said you have other budget allocations for other stuff, but my first mod this time around was sliders as I've learned the hard way (on a previous rig) that no matter how high the truck the rock always finds the rocker. Also I found the back end drags on everything but the stock front did "ok" for approach--I mainly snag the tow hooks...so prioritize the back bumper first to get the spare out of the cab (note I was able to fit a 35" in the stock location but it dragged too much.)

If you include sliders, there goes your $8K (assuming you go big on shocks.)
Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[Ntgm37]

It seems like there are ton of options for you. I am working with a smaller budget for just suspension but have landed on Tour Flex 3" springs. Got my rears in about two weeks ago, waiting to finish my front bumper project for the fronts but overall quite happy with the ride of the tapered coils (replaced standard fare OME coils.)

It seems like one question is how often you are likely to adjust shocks...I had regular adjustable shocks on my old track car and once I got them dialed in I never bothered tweaking them. My current track car has ones that adjust from in the cabin and I like and use that feature a lot...moral is, adjustability is cool if you use it, but think about the mechanics of doing that and if you will want to. If you're a tweaker, the revalved Icons in the Slinky kit, or the regular Icons from, uh, Icon, (or Delta) seem like a good option, as do the Dobinson's MRA. I'm personally kind of hoping the IMS shocks from Dobinson's hit soon with a 4" lift model as that feels like it might be a good choice for me...I want good shocks but I get dirty enough airing up and down on the trail, I don't really see myself wanting to get behind the wheels/tires to turn a knob on the shock. Maybe I'd get into it if I had the feature but so far not into it...give me in-cab or nothing
Note Icon does offer 2.5" remote reservoir shocks without the adjustment feature which saves a bit of money, but I haven't found anyone who's running them to give an impression.

So:

• 3-4" springs (again, so far I'm happy with the Tour Flex 3" but they all have mostly positive reviews i.e. Slinky/Dobinson's Taper/Tour Flex) $800 - $1000
• Shocks see above $600 - $3000
• Wheels I like these ones Delta has, I personally went with these ones after finding a deal in the classifieds of ExpeditionPortal. 17" rim size was the main thing I was happy to see, easy to get lots of tire choice $1250
• Tires plenty of options, for my own needs I went 35" Falken AT3s but I am only running the TC UD gears, if I wanted to regear diffs at this time would have gone to 37's as you plan. I've had really good luck with AT3Ws in snow, they air down nicely, and they have done great for me in Moab and the Sierras. YMMV. Looks like $1800 for 5

I know you said you have other budget allocations for other stuff, but my first mod this time around was sliders as I've learned the hard way (on a previous rig) that no matter how high the truck the rock always finds the rocker. Also I found the back end drags on everything but the stock front did "ok" for approach--I mainly snag the tow hooks...so prioritize the back bumper first to get the spare out of the cab (note I was able to fit a 35" in the stock location but it dragged too much.)

If you include sliders, there goes your $8K (assuming you go big on shocks.)
Good luck and have fun with it!

Wow. Thank you for taking the time on that! I've had the delta icon setup in my "cart" for a bit, so that's definitely a contender. I'll have to take a look at these springs.

 

[Box Rocket]

FWIW. the knob adjustment on the Slinky/Icons is conveniently located and doesn’t require getting on the ground or getting dirty. Adjustment can easily be done in under a minute.
Before I got them I figured I’d find an adjustment I liked and then I’d leave them there and not bother with much adjustment after that. But I actually make a lot of adjustments. It’s not uncommon to tweak them a few times during the same trip for load changes in the truck and terrain.

 

[Bludozer]

It seems like there are ton of options for you. I am working with a smaller budget for just suspension but have landed on Tour Flex 3" springs. Got my rears in about two weeks ago, waiting to finish my front bumper project for the fronts but overall quite happy with the ride of the tapered coils (replaced standard fare OME coils.)

It seems like one question is how often you are likely to adjust shocks...I had regular adjustable shocks on my old track car and once I got them dialed in I never bothered tweaking them. My current track car has ones that adjust from in the cabin and I like and use that feature a lot...moral is, adjustability is cool if you use it, but think about the mechanics of doing that and if you will want to. If you're a tweaker, the revalved Icons in the Slinky kit, or the regular Icons from, uh, Icon, (or Delta) seem like a good option, as do the Dobinson's MRA. I'm personally kind of hoping the IMS shocks from Dobinson's hit soon with a 4" lift model as that feels like it might be a good choice for me...I want good shocks but I get dirty enough airing up and down on the trail, I don't really see myself wanting to get behind the wheels/tires to turn a knob on the shock. Maybe I'd get into it if I had the feature but so far not into it...give me in-cab or nothing
Note Icon does offer 2.5" remote reservoir shocks without the adjustment feature which saves a bit of money, but I haven't found anyone who's running them to give an impression.

So:

• 3-4" springs (again, so far I'm happy with the Tour Flex 3" but they all have mostly positive reviews i.e. Slinky/Dobinson's Taper/Tour Flex) $800 - $1000
• Shocks see above $600 - $3000
• Wheels I like these ones Delta has, I personally went with these ones after finding a deal in the classifieds of ExpeditionPortal. 17" rim size was the main thing I was happy to see, easy to get lots of tire choice $1250
• Tires plenty of options, for my own needs I went 35" Falken AT3s but I am only running the TC UD gears, if I wanted to regear diffs at this time would have gone to 37's as you plan. I've had really good luck with AT3Ws in snow, they air down nicely, and they have done great for me in Moab and the Sierras. YMMV. Looks like $1800 for 5

I know you said you have other budget allocations for other stuff, but my first mod this time around was sliders as I've learned the hard way (on a previous rig) that no matter how high the truck the rock always finds the rocker. Also I found the back end drags on everything but the stock front did "ok" for approach--I mainly snag the tow hooks...so prioritize the back bumper first to get the spare out of the cab (note I was able to fit a 35" in the stock location but it dragged too much.)

If you include sliders, there goes your $8K (assuming you go big on shocks.)
Good luck and have fun with it!

Agree re: adjustability. I'm sure it's aweseome, but I don't see myself interested in messing with it beyond the first few times either. It usually takes a few minutes of my wife complaining about being bounced around before I even air down

 

[Delta VS]

It seems like there are ton of options for you. I am working with a smaller budget for just suspension but have landed on Tour Flex 3" springs. Got my rears in about two weeks ago, waiting to finish my front bumper project for the fronts but overall quite happy with the ride of the tapered coils (replaced standard fare OME coils.)

It seems like one question is how often you are likely to adjust shocks...I had regular adjustable shocks on my old track car and once I got them dialed in I never bothered tweaking them. My current track car has ones that adjust from in the cabin and I like and use that feature a lot...moral is, adjustability is cool if you use it, but think about the mechanics of doing that and if you will want to. If you're a tweaker, the revalved Icons in the Slinky kit, or the regular Icons from, uh, Icon, (or Delta) seem like a good option, as do the Dobinson's MRA. I'm personally kind of hoping the IMS shocks from Dobinson's hit soon with a 4" lift model as that feels like it might be a good choice for me...I want good shocks but I get dirty enough airing up and down on the trail, I don't really see myself wanting to get behind the wheels/tires to turn a knob on the shock. Maybe I'd get into it if I had the feature but so far not into it...give me in-cab or nothing
Note Icon does offer 2.5" remote reservoir shocks without the adjustment feature which saves a bit of money, but I haven't found anyone who's running them to give an impression.

So:

• 3-4" springs (again, so far I'm happy with the Tour Flex 3" but they all have mostly positive reviews i.e. Slinky/Dobinson's Taper/Tour Flex) $800 - $1000
• Shocks see above $600 - $3000
• Wheels I like these ones Delta has, I personally went with these ones after finding a deal in the classifieds of ExpeditionPortal. 17" rim size was the main thing I was happy to see, easy to get lots of tire choice $1250
• Tires plenty of options, for my own needs I went 35" Falken AT3s but I am only running the TC UD gears, if I wanted to regear diffs at this time would have gone to 37's as you plan. I've had really good luck with AT3Ws in snow, they air down nicely, and they have done great for me in Moab and the Sierras. YMMV. Looks like $1800 for 5

I know you said you have other budget allocations for other stuff, but my first mod this time around was sliders as I've learned the hard way (on a previous rig) that no matter how high the truck the rock always finds the rocker. Also I found the back end drags on everything but the stock front did "ok" for approach--I mainly snag the tow hooks...so prioritize the back bumper first to get the spare out of the cab (note I was able to fit a 35" in the stock location but it dragged too much.)

If you include sliders, there goes your $8K (assuming you go big on shocks.)
Good luck and have fun with it!

A data point for you: have been running the non adjustable Icons on one of the shop rigs for 1.5 years now. Have messed with valving a little bit and have the parts to upgrade to adjustable reservoirs, in order to have a true feeling of how much difference they make. That is a winter project. Rig they are on has front/rear bumpers, dual battery, winch (synthetic line), and anywhere from 0 lbs to 400 lbs in the back (2nd row seats removed). Just swapped from 315/70/17 AT tires to true 35 MT tires, a bit heavier, looking forward to how differently the shocks react with the added unsprung weight.

 

[Ntgm37]

A data point for you: have been running the non adjustable Icons on one of the shop rigs for 1.5 years now. Have messed with valving a little bit and have the parts to upgrade to adjustable reservoirs, in order to have a true feeling of how much difference they make. That is a winter project. Rig they are on has front/rear bumpers, dual battery, winch (synthetic line), and anywhere from 0 lbs to 400 lbs in the back (2nd row seats removed). Just swapped from 315/70/17 AT tires to true 35 MT tires, a bit heavier, looking forward to how differently the shocks react with the added unsprung weight.

So you've got the 2.5's and are upgrading to the adjustables?

 

[Delta VS]

So you've got the 2.5's and are upgrading to the adjustables?

Just the reservoirs/valving, everything else stays the same. Going to upgrade to the finned reservoirs and adjusters at the same time.