Help with long travel SOA setup (2 Viewers)

[DigitalPunk]

So I am getting ready to install/fab my SOA setup using ruff stuffs soa kit, mini truck knuckles converted to vented disk, 4x4 labs high steer (also doing my cut and turn) and wanted to go long travel on the shocks. First question is what shock tower should I run? I could run the man-a-free, ford, ruff stuff or shock hoops on the front. On the rear I am thinking of just welding the shock brackets up higher above the cross member giving 3 or 4 extra inches of travel.

Now what would you guys recommend for shocks and how should I go about selecting the correct shock for my application? My goal is max articulation for rock crawling but keeping it able to drive to the trails.

Options I have seen for shocks are fox, king, bilstein, rancho or OME.

And for my springs I am thinking about keeping the stockers and doing a long add a leaf.

Thanks for your help!

 

[chicago]

The ford towers are cheap, easy and effective. Used those on my 62, and am using them again on my 40 build.
Donno what to tell you on the shocks though. Im planning on another set to doesch tech shocks. Those to are relatively in expensive and they are a bit stiffer that (in theory) helps with some of the body roll.

 

[chicago]

Why do you wanna relocate the rear shocks up into you cargo bed? I don't think you'll be seeing that much articulation with a leaf spring set up to where you'll need to do that.
I wouldn't wanna waste the precious cargo space.
Get your soa done first, then go back and flex out the front and rear and measure for your shock lengths.

 

[65swb45]

Well, I guess now is a good of a time as any...

I have been offering a long travel front shock setup for a while now, just haven't done much of a job marketing it. That should change soon.

The brackets attach to the stock shock towers and add an additional 5" of travel. This design avoids the limitation of the Ford tower [can only go as high as the underside of the fender, about 3"] and incorporates the superior mounting strength of the factory tower. With this setup, I am currently running a Doetch Tech shock with 13" of travel.

Downey Off Road originally marketed this product about ten years ago. I just modified their design [with permission] to improve shock geometry and clearances for the stock powertrain.

Better pics will be available after the 'official' release of the product, but here's an installed pic on my 45:

 

[Rock_Hugger]

You are going to put a lot of effort into something that isn't going gain you anything IMO. If you use stock spring the shocks in the stock location won't be your limiting factor in your travel.

 

[Fast Eddy]

I just moved my top shock mounts inboard and up so the shocks almost touch the sheetmetal of the bed. With long springs, I'm getting a full 12" travel from my springs and shocks now. Since they're at an angle it's only about 10" if you jack it up from the center. I haven't cut off the original shock pins yet, but I'm going to. Bump stops and a different exhaust still to come. Name that rear end.

The shocks are Bilstein 5125s and I use the same ones in the front with Ford towers. I cut, heated and bent the front towers so they're almost straight up and down, then patched the pie-shaped notches that were created. The shocks are further from the tire and I didn't have to cut the sheet metal of the inner fender, only fold it back a little.

 

[79fj40]

I put ford towers up front and raised them as high as I could to run 14" travel bilsteins. I would look at Marks option that sounds better than the ford towers, I don't know if his would work for me as I pushed my axle forward a few inches and reversed the front springs. On the rear I used 60 series springs reversed and added 1.5" to the top of the cross member and installed my mounts on that for a couple extra inches of travel and still keep them under the body. I am running 12" travel bilsteins in the rear.

 

[camcruiser13]

I run stock towers in the front. Plenty of travel. The rear I moved like fast eddys works great, shocks I just bought cheapo as I mainly use it for trails

 

[DigitalPunk]

I run stock towers in the front. Plenty of travel. The rear I moved like fast eddys works great, shocks I just bought cheapo as I mainly use it for trails

Did you just move them closer in a couple inches? What shocks are you running?

 

[DigitalPunk]

I just moved my top shock mounts inboard and up so the shocks almost touch the sheetmetal of the bed. With long springs, I'm getting a full 12" travel from my springs and shocks now. Since they're at an angle it's only about 10" if you jack it up from the center. I haven't cut off the original shock pins yet, but I'm going to. Bump stops and a different exhaust still to come. Name that rear end.

The shocks are Bilstein 5125s and I use the same ones in the front with Ford towers. I cut, heated and bent the front towers so they're almost straight up and down, then patched the pie-shaped notches that were created. The shocks are further from the tire and I didn't have to cut the sheet metal of the inner fender, only fold it back a little.

I think I will copy your setup. Do you have any pictures of your rig flexing? How do you like those shocks? Would you change anything about your setup?

 

[DigitalPunk]

What do you guys think of these?

Toyota Landcruiser FJ40 FJ45 FJ55 FJ 14" Shock Hoop Kit | eBay

14" shock hoops.

I have the metal tech tube fenders so would be plenty of room.

 

[Kent]

Eddy,

Can you post a pic of your Ford shock tower placement in the front? I'm just getting ready to do what you have done.

Thanks!

Kent

 

[DigitalPunk]

What do you guys think of those shock hoops? I wouldl forsure make a scab plate to go to the frame first then weld those to the plate.

 

[jefishing]

I am running bilsteins 12's on the rear and 14's on the front. I used ford tower like mentioned above and I belive they are raise like 2in from the bottom of the frame. The rear I had already moved my pins to the rear of the crossmember and got new brackets from sky offroad.

 

[DigitalPunk]

I am running bilsteins 12's on the rear and 14's on the front. I used ford tower like mentioned above and I belive they are raise like 2in from the bottom of the frame. The rear I had already moved my pins to the rear of the crossmember and got new brackets from sky offroad.

Nice setup!

 

[camcruiser13]

I'm running some 35$ pro comp shocks. You want to flex your rig and measure extend and compressed length and then you'll know what size you need

 

[1973Guppie]

ford towers were like $8 a pc at my local dealer.....

 

[DigitalPunk]

I ended up buying the hoops. With those hoops it says you can run 14" shocks. Guess I will just have to measure when they get here.

I am considering fabing up some hoops for the rear off my roll cage. Might end cutting a hole in the tub to fit fox 2.0 remote reservoir shocks. Would sure make the dunes fun having all that shock travel.

 

[DigitalPunk]

Anyone have a recomendation on shocks?

 

[Mark W]

You are going to put a lot of effort into something that isn't going gain you anything IMO. If you use stock spring the shocks in the stock location won't be your limiting factor in your travel.

Yes they will. We max out Rancho 999012s on all of our SOA front ends.


Mark...