Mojave Suspension System Build Thread

[Bandicoot]

Additional Items

At full droop the OME steering damper will severely bind. I can not put mine on yet because the pin at the rod end is at a severe angle and I can't even bolt it down! So High Steer may be needed to allow full droop. Don't get me wrong this system is great! It has far more potential than Dave or Man-A-Fre have told us. I'm like a kid in a candy store! That's why I offered to do this thread. I will push the system and report to allCan't wait to get it on the stand! And no, if you are going to utilize the full potential of this system not a weekend job to many unchartered areas of the system to think through

 

[Bandicoot]

I know your system is working as designed redmuttonchops and look great too, but not to be difficult, the shocks have to be limiting droop, especially if you are running stock shock towers. I think that's the way Dave/ Man-a-Fre designed it and that's an acceptable way. It's far from the best it can be though! And yes if you allow max articulation of this system will be more $ but what fun it will be... Oh yea I don't know how long you have had your system installed but my shackles are not laying down as much as your's are. The rear almost at 90* and fronts pretty tall too. They will relax a bit but not yet!

 

[redmuttonchops]

only had it on for shy of three weeks, and your right everything on it is stock so granted i see where yoru coming from. im just saying that there was quite a bit of speculation too when i installed it weither it would fit or not and granted aside from having an issure with the rear Ubolts not being long enough and having to remove one of the over load leafs each and having to replace the center pin. mind you steve @ MAf will make good and replace those issues. im just saying once she settles onto her own weight, it might level out some. but mind you im glad you had and have teh time to build this thread out the installation , my friend and i were to preoccupied getting this done and ready to go so i could get back home and doing it in the rain for two days did take its toll
but keep up teh good work

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I can tell you this system far exceeds expectations. There is no way you can run stock front DS and use all the articulation. I let the front end fully droop and the new SS extended brake line is to short and the front DS hits the tranny cross member. I think once I cut and box the cross member a long slip DS will not bind the u-joints. I am running Ford shock towers and as it sits now I have 33-1/4" pin to pin! and that's not full droop! I had to jack the front axel to stop tearing the new brake line! Right now I will get longer brake line and going to notch the tranny cross member for full droop. This is a frankenstein! If you guys are running this system and running stock front DS you have severely limited articulation. Plus there is no way that caster has been negatively effected. You can not lift a FJ60 almost 5" and not caster shims under the front axel. Now keep in mind I am going for max articulation so I am pushing the system to it's max. Looks like I will need to run axel limiting straps! Something SOA guys wish they had to do I can tell you at this rate SOA will not be the king against this system

We will see

I am going to have my front shocks set up the same way yours are, with the axle mount behind the axle housing rather than on top. I will likely have the same amount of shock travel as you. The large difference is that a lot of SOA conversions, including my own, use stock springs which are shorter than your mojave springs, therefore producing more droop. I doubt you'll get as much wheel travel as Boots4 does with his SOA 60, but we will see.

Build is looking excellent by the way!!

 

[lehiguy]

At full droop the OME steering damper will severely bind. I can not put mine on yet because the pin at the rod end is at a severe angle and I can't even bolt it down! So High Steer may be needed to allow full droop. Don't get me wrong this system is great! It has far more potential than Dave or Man-A-Fre have told us. I'm like a kid in a candy store! That's why I offered to do this thread. I will push the system and report to allCan't wait to get it on the stand! And no, if you are going to utilize the full potential of this system not a weekend job to many unchartered areas of the system to think through

The only real solution to the steering dampener is to move it to a better position. They are more effective when mounted on the axle housing and clamped to the tie rod, not the driag link. This is closer to the shock that you want to eliminate and it saves wear and tear on the drag link since the dampening has occured closer to the source thereof. It also eliminates all the goofy geometery you get with articulating the stock setup.

 

[Bandicoot]

Todays Thoughts

Thanks all for all your imput and suggestions redmuttonchops, GLTHFJ60 and lehiguy. I will move the steering damper did not dawn on me and GLTHFJ60 I like bustin SOA guys just for fun. There are advantages in SOA's but at least this is a viable SUA alternative to SOA that was not available before and redmuttonchops don't take it personally sometimes the daylong engineering on the 60 takes it's toll and pissyness comes thru

Anyway, enough of the group hug.

Yesterday I discovered another little PITA that I need to do some tweeking on. Seems when you put the 4* shims in it tilts the differential housing enough to cause the u bolts of my flip kit on the pass side to hit the housing on the bottom. This is enough to tilt the u-bolts so they do not want to line up and pass through the top plate. You can get any two to line up and almost three but not all four I'm sure the resolution is to properly bend the offending u-bolt(s) so they all line up I left out the shims just to see if my theory was right and it is no shims fits nice Any comments on this would be appreciated

I also put the wheels on and got all the weight back on the suspension to get it to relax a bit and see what issues still exist. The front end settled down about 3" this brought the front DS almost to were it will bolt up but still bottomed out against the transmission cross member So now I no that yes you can get it all to work without mods but you must really restrict articulation. Since I don't want to do that I guess I will use my spare tranny cross member and mod it up for notching. Looking for good designs on this mod. I jumped up and down and got the rear end to settle a bit not enough to bolt up the rear DS yet at least the rear shackles have a nice angle to them now Talked with Steve at Man-a-Fre about this stuff and he and Dave were going to talk and see about solutions

Enough for now have pics of today, enjoy....

 

[Bandicoot]

More Pics

Shackle angles etc.

 

[Bandicoot]

DS Pics

DS pics with weight on the 60

 

[Bomar]

I have seen drive shaft spacers on Roger Brown's 4Crawler site. This might work for you. Call him and see if you need this solution. He is awesome to deal with.

4Crawler Offroad Products - Driveshaft Spacers

 

[Bandicoot]

Transmission/ Transfer Case Cross Member

Any ideas (pics) for mods of stock cross member for front DS droop? Saw a few looking thru previous threads. Anyone making custom cross members? I e-mailed Proffit's to see.

 

[Kurtis]

I did my friends a couple weeks ago. Its cake to modify your crossmember and make it work Took me about 30 minutes and my friend a couple more passes with the grinder after I was done to get it just right. Get a really heavy pice of wide c channel like 3/8th inch thick and about 3-4 inch wide... just enough to clear the driveshaft by half an inch on each side. Cut out where it binds on the crossmember leaving the rear so the shape of the crossmember doesn't change. Weld in the c channel at the bottom of the crossmember at an angle sloping down. Run thinner plate across the back of the c channel for extra stability. Its plenty strong as it is but in case you plan on running into rocks all day play it safe. Then put it up there and flex it out as far as you can go. If it needs a little more grind the front of the c channel until your set.

With that said the stock shaft has more problems than the crossmember at that much lift. I'd estimate my friends spring over netted 6-7 inches with aals though so yours is not going to be quite as bad. On my v8 SOA I didn't have to deal with it as I run high angle long travel cvs front and rear. On both of ours running 35"s and 33"s the tire literally drops below the body I have yet to get anywhere where my 35"s are off the ground. Part of this is I haven't lowered my bump stops so I have crazy amounts of up travel as well. Were both running about 8-9 inches of lift counting body lifts and spring over.

Your next problem is the U joints are going to bind so you will need to clearance everywhere it binds with a dye grinder. This isn't hard either but don't be afraid to go to town on it as quite a bit will need to come out. The 2f is a gutless turd and you can take out plenty without risking breaking that driveshaft from anything other than running into rocks.

 

[BC40]

DS pics with weight on the 60

Your rear DS is not fully compressed in that first pic.

If you want the axle centered further back drill new center pin holes in the axle perch and ubolt plate to move the axle back an inch or so.

x2 on clearancing the yokes so your u-joints don't bind.

 

[Tapage]

nice nice shackle angles .. when I installed my SR kit ( uff almost 8 or 9 years ago ) never made my shackles that nice ..

 

[Bandicoot]

Thanks BC40 for UR suggestions. Did not think outside the box and should have! If that shaft is not all the way compressed then I don't know what's holding it? Even took the zerk off to release grease pressure? Could be packed up grease?

Also THX TAPAGE for keeping an eye on me. I am very pleased with how the suspension is settling in. I finally got all the steel shims and will install this weekend, but decided to assemble front end without them just to get a load on the springs to get them to settle down a bit! Other than front DS issues and a small fight with 1 u-bolt at the R&P housing after I install the 4* shims might be able to drive the monster a little before I flex it out for measuring shox. Looks like I might have to get the longest Bilstein 5125's up front!

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Thanks BC40 for UR suggestions. Did not think outside the box and should have! If that shaft is not all the way compressed then I don't know what's holding it? Even took the zerk off to release grease pressure? Could be packed up grease?

Yes it could be packed up grease.

 

[BC40]

Yup, quite likely just hardened grease. If left alone it would likely pop out the steel disk/plug thats in the end of the slip yoke. I'd still consider moving the axle back an inch though (for looks) and then the driveshafts a non-issue.

*edit* I have heard other mention over greased d.shafts damaging t.case and/or third members. Never seen it but best to be careful.

 

[Bandicoot]

Thanks BC40 great ideas. Like I said did not even think of it D'oh!!!!

 

[Bandicoot]

Got Shims?

Works been keeping me from this project We'll finally got the shims on Friday and installed today. Worked out the tweeking of the u-bolts on the R&P side of front axel by bending the u-bolts in the the 12ton press just a little All is good Started flexing front end and measuring for shocks. Seems I need the longest shock Bilstien makes in the 5125's: 34.9" ext, 20.75" comp, 14.3" of travel! Starting to bolt on Ford towers tomorrow!

 

[Bandicoot]

Damn Little Progress

Got the little things done. Filled the radiator with antifreeze, tightened everything up and got the old F2 up and running & bleed the brakes The rear rear has settled a little more but still not enough no get the rear DS up and bolted. Checked for packed and dried grease...None! Even if the rear settles enough to get the axel back up I don't trust it enough to use it over anything but smooth roads, since it's close to bottoming out the slightest rear wheel/ axel droop will shove the DS right into the transfer case! There is only a 4" slip on rear and I think I could use all of it in any direction! Just could not wheel it hard and feel comfortable with this rear DS. I could go ahead as suggested and re-drill the spring perch centering hole an 1" back and reinstall rear springs, still considering OR I will be talking to Tom Woods for both DS's

 

[Bandicoot]

More Pics

Some other views