Man a Fre Caster Drop Brackets

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I am planning on running 37's but I already have purchased the Slee springs and panhards as well as the bump stops and sway brackets. My truck is mostly DD but when I do Offroad I want the most capable I can have. I have removed the swaybar up front as I believe it makes use of the rear sway and is not really needed. I have removed the front sway on many trucks never with an issue. I have not installed the kit yet as I am still deciding on shocks and a caster fix. I was unaware of the Aussie method which is interesting to me, I will have to research this more. Basically like most I want a truck that sits above my tires, flexes well, handles basically as stock and has somewhat plush ride. I know my wants arent possible but I can dream or make it as good as possible. I am sure at this point I will prob use the brackets with bushings but am going to check further into flipping the arms. Would flipping the arms limit your upward travel on the front axle?
 
Walking Eagle said:
...The one thing that people conviently forget with caster plates is they make the front of the arm hang down lower from the axle. So, if you're looking at which creates the lowest point on the vehicle, caster plates do! Lots of people reject the drop brackets based on the kit that drops the front and the back. That definately creates some lower hang up points, and I wouldn't consider that myself. The front though, no big deal. I've never had them prevent forward motion, and only once did I have them catch backing up in a rock garden - and that was such an extreme case I would have had issues reguardless of castor correction method.

There is alot of BS about the drop brackets out there, but the one thing almost no one will disagree with (there is always one idiot) is that the drop brackets maintain the factory motion of the axle better and give better road manners. Not that caster plates or arms or bushing give bad manners, but the drops give better manners.p.
Click to expand...

You know....I'm one of those "cool kids"...that sold their drop brackets and installed Slee caster correction plates, and while I take mild exception to your characterization of people that have gone that route, I'm not too terribly offended...to each his own. But I do take issue with your conclusions. I did hang up on my drop brackets, they did stop forward progress and the fact that they are physically higher up from the ground than the leading point of the lower control arm correction (Slee, Landtank plates) is simply an incomplete analysis. What one needs to take into account is the correction's proximity to other things. The drop bracket is directly behind the tire as one speaks front to back, the plates are right at the center of the wheel as one speaks front to back. The fact that they are slightly lower than the OEM position is countered by the fact that it is harder to make contact there due to the proximity/protection of the height of the wheel/tire. The drop bracket, by contrast, is behind the tire in the "break over" zone and considerably more prone to contact, especially given the length of these 80's. I can not speak to the "drivability" differences...or the differences in the "quality" of the correction as it relates to ride quality. I'm used to lifted 55's and 60's so I'm in hog-heaven in any 80.
 
yamapro said:
I am planning on running 37's but I already have purchased the Slee springs and panhards as well as the bump stops and sway brackets. My truck is mostly DD but when I do Offroad I want the most capable I can have. I have removed the swaybar up front as I believe it makes use of the rear sway and is not really needed. I have removed the front sway on many trucks never with an issue. I have not installed the kit yet as I am still deciding on shocks and a caster fix. I was unaware of the Aussie method which is interesting to me, I will have to research this more. Basically like most I want a truck that sits above my tires, flexes well, handles basically as stock and has somewhat plush ride. I know my wants arent possible but I can dream or make it as good as possible. I am sure at this point I will prob use the brackets with bushings but am going to check further into flipping the arms. Would flipping the arms limit your upward travel on the front axle?
Click to expand...

Shocks - go with something in a 14" stroke. I run 14" RS9000XL's. Lots of people have been happy with the pro-comps for the price / performance ratio.

If you want the most capable off road you can have, Y-link radius arms like Jodo's, or a 3 link, or flip the arms. Flipping the arms is the cheapest and least involved. Y-link is more involved but gives more flex. 3 link gives great flex at the risk of being too much for street use for some people.

I haven't done it myself, but I believe flipping the arms won't limit the upward travel on a 6" lifted truck. My gerneral recolection of what I read was pretty well need 6" of lift to do it. But that has to be based on lifts available down under, cause like with the Slee stuff you bought, same bumstops for 4" and 6" so same final location for axle - so same clearance either 4" or 6".
 
I do understand the three and four link as the Jeep TJ I sold a couple years ago had the Rubicon Express long arm and a LT4 BTW...... But I wasnt really wanting to dump tons of cash thus not wanting to spring on the superior arms. I am definately going to look into the arm flip as for shocks I do think I will run the fox external res 2.0 but have to check the clearence as I thought the 12" was the max without modding shock mounts. I havent even really gotten to shocks yet. piece by piece you know....
 
Hi all, I am trying to figure what each inch on the drop brackets equates to degree of correction?
For an 80 series with Ironman 6" lift.
 
Update, installed the 3" drop brackets, had the alignment done and the truck is now +3 deg. within spec.
These installed easily but keep in mind to do one side at a time (nothing to hold axle from rolling out the front except stabilizer bar). Must have missed that in previous threads.


Sent from my iPad
 
I ran 3" drop brackets on about a 4" lift on my old 80 series. I originally ran the caster correction bushings for a while and was not happy with the ride. I went to the drop brackets and the road handling greatly improved. It seemed a lot more stable. It also seemed to create better flex since the pivot point on the control arms was now 3" lower. Basically meant I was more stable on the trail while off camber and full flex and I was more stable on pavement. They do hang down a bit, but that never really was an issue for me.
 
I really dig my 2" drop brackets. It did gain 2" more drop of down travel in front. Also on tight turns the rear now feels like it follows the front rather than the rear wanting to come over the top. Much more stable, glad I got them. I even took them off when I put my stock springs in, so I've done this twice. It feels close to a stock feel.
 
All depends on where you play. I won't run them.
 
I'm saving coins for Slee control arms .. but drop brackets are excellent option if clearance it's not that important for you. I have so far doing it with the Slee caster plates ..

Speaking about caster .. anyone here running hi caster ( like 6+ degrees ? )
 
My 2" brackets don't hang down any worse than the cats...
Now if you are talking about the 3" & 4" brackets then I agree, those are hanging down a lot & more prone to hanging up.
20150911_184249.webp
 
My truck came with them, so I don't know any different. Dives as nice as my stock sequoia. I've beat up my rocker panels and other areas, but never hit them. Don't care for the looks, but they work, so I got used too it. Performance trumps looks for me.
 
retrofive said:
All depends on where you play. I won't run them.
Click to expand...

Meh, there are plenty of photos around of my old truck doing heavier workk than that with the brackets.
 
This is very interesting to me as we are getting ready to lift our 94. Of all the threads I've read I haven't heard of anyone cutting and turning the balls so that both the caster stays stock and so the pinion is pointed correctly. I'm pretty sure I can get an axle shop here to do the work for a lot less than the cost of custom arms. What am I missing. I know I'm a noob to the 80 scene.
 
If you search it was talked about way back when, it's fairly common on leaf sprung vehicles. The issue if I recall correctly, and it's been years, is the same as caster plates, you can only turn so far before you hit the tie rod on the radius arms. The Slee arms are designed to position the axle so this doesn't happen. Again, going by memory but it only becomes a problem at 6"+. Which one would imagine is why the Slee arms are set up for correct caster @ 6".


When they first came out that was one of the nice things about the drop brackets. They corrected for 3-4" without changing the position of the tie rod relative to the arm so you could run caster correction bushings or even plates I guess, along with the drop brackets to correct for 6-7" without tie rod clearance issues.


Of course I think at 6" is where flipping arms becomes practicle as well, and that gives tie rod clearance as well, and eliminates low hanging arms.
 
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