Seeking Advice for Suspension Upgrade

[knuckle47]

Another great feeling and well deserved…have you put any miles in it? Is it all you expected? Firm? Soft? Ok? Looking forward to your review. For one thing it’s clear your satisfaction with Cruiser Outfitters is thru the roof. I wrote to Kurt today…

EDIT: I was checking the profile pictures again and again and it just looks awesome!!!

 

[MatthewMcD]

"Its always something" Danna Rosanna Danna. Castle nuts with a cotter pin worked for years. Nylocks and thread locker could be a good substitute. I haven't seen rust crawl under threadlocker yet.
Looks nice. Has your pumpkin to ground clearance improved?

Ground clearance overall is significantly better. The "'40 lean" is less than 1/2". I don't know what the pumpkin reference is...

 

[MatthewMcD]

Another great feeling and well deserved…have you put any miles in it? Is it all you expected? Firm? Soft? Ok? Looking forward to your review. For one thing it’s clear your satisfaction with Cruiser Outfitters is thru the roof. I wrote to Kurt today…

EDIT: I was checking the profile pictures again and again and it just looks awesome!!!

I can't drive it until I resolve the shock mount issues. I'll post back here once I do.

 

[charliemeyer007]

The pumpkin is the differential, usually the lowest point.

 

[MatthewMcD]

The pumpkin is the differential, usually the lowest point.

I suspect I got a little lift from the thicker spring pack and caster shims. I didn't measure that, but I can say my big head fits under the front end easier than it did before!

 

[jim land]

I suspect I got a little lift from the thicker spring pack and caster shims. I didn't measure that, but I can say my big head fits under the front end easier than it did before!

Lift has no effect on differential ground clearence , the only way is with bigger tire

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Your stance looks great.!!!

Just tossing this out Ref: Your shock orientation.
Your Bilstein shocks are unidirectional , IE can be mounted with the boot mounted up or down. Mounting “boot down” is the recommendation because it will keep water/debris from sitting where the shaft enters the body of the shock and cause premature wear. The boot helps protect the shaft from debris during travel. You should notice a couple of weep holes in the boot put there for this purpose. Some folks remove the boot all together. Pic below for reference.

You know the marketing guys at Bilstein want you to be able to read their logo without standing on your head.

 

[RevISK]

Your stance looks great.!!!

Just tossing this out Ref: Your shock orientation.
Your Bilstein shocks are ubidirectional, IE can be mounted with the boot mounted up or down. Mounting “boot down” is the recommendation because it will keep water/debris from sitting where the shaft enters the body of the shock and cause premature wear. The boot helps protect the shaft from debris during travel. You should notice a couple of weep holes in the boot put there for this purpose. Some folks remove the boot all together. Pic below for reference.

You know the marketing guys at Bilstein want you to be able to read their logo without standing on your head.

View attachment 3729004

Was wondering how long that would take…

Good advice.

 

[MatthewMcD]

Your stance looks great.!!!

Just tossing this out Ref: Your shock orientation.
Your Bilstein shocks are ubidirectional, IE can be mounted with the boot mounted up or down. Mounting “boot down” is the recommendation because it will keep water/debris from sitting where the shaft enters the body of the shock and cause premature wear. The boot helps protect the shaft from debris during travel. You should notice a couple of weep holes in the boot put there for this purpose. Some folks remove the boot all together. Pic below for reference.

You know the marketing guys at Bilstein want you to be able to read their logo without standing on your head.

View attachment 3729004

Thanks, the PO ran them upright in front and "upside down" in back. I replaced the old Bilsteins with new Doninsons on the advice from Cruiser Outfitters. I mounted them with the larger part up on all 4 corners. Here's the rear orientation. I did the same up front.

 

[knuckle47]

REALLY looking forward to your assessment of the new spring/shock combination….nice job…any knuckle damage? Not the truck, yours.
I have not been under my 40 without coming up with some cuts or scrapes. Nothing major but always a sting for 2-3 days

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Thanks, the PO ran them upright in front and "upside down" in back. I replaced the old Bilsteins with new Doninsons on the advice from Cruiser Outfitters. I mounted them with the larger part up on all 4 corners. Here's the rear orientation. I did the same up front.

I should have remembered that from your earlier post. But, in my defense, I’m old and prone to fits of aimless wandering/wondering..

 

[charliemeyer007]

You both do fine.

 

[MatthewMcD]

REALLY looking forward to your assessment of the new spring/shock combination….nice job…any knuckle damage? Not the truck, yours.
I have not been under my 40 without coming up with some cuts or scrapes. Nothing major but always a sting for 2-3 days

My knuckles did ok, but next time you are looking in the rear fender well, look at how the fender well support is split at the bottom and has 2 sharp parallel edges. I may or may not have slipped off a bolt and cracked my head directly on that gap. I have two matching parallel cuts just above my hairline from the impact. Head wounds really do bleed a lot more than you think.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I have always viewed it as a necessary blood sacrifice to the gods of doing your own work in order to ensure a successful endeavor! I think the choice is better than hemorrhaging out the wallet. Plus IF you pay attention you will only need to bleed once, and if you are really lucky you can read/watch somebody else make the offering. Smart people learn from their mistakes - smarter people learn from other peoples.

 

[knuckle47]

I have always viewed it as a necessary blood sacrifice to the gods of doing your own work in order to ensure a successful endeavor! I think the choice is better than hemorrhaging out the wallet. Plus IF you pay attention you will only need to bleed once, and if you are really lucky you can read/watch somebody else make the offering. Smart people learn from their mistakes - smarter people learn from other peoples.

That statement was great ! I can see why I have made that sacrifice dozens of times in the last 6 decades. It works too….kinda

 

[MatthewMcD]

I managed to get the shock mount rethreaded this morning and finished the shock installation. (Well...as I told my wife...finished "for now", I am waiting on fresh shock washers to replace the rusted ones on the truck.) Took it for a spin and the difference is noticeable. Remember, the springs were shot, the shackles were frozen with rust, the shocks were probably "ok", but needed to go. So, YES, this upgrade was totally worth it. It still rides like a truck, but I notice a little more "bounce" in how it handles bumps, I notice it's more stable on corners, the steering tracks better.

We have guests tomorrow so no truck work, but I'll pull it into the garage next week and recheck the alignment and see if I can get a caster measurement. Looking at the tires after driving in the caliche, the alignement is fine. She is riding directly over the middle of the tires on both front and rear tires.

 

[knuckle47]

@MatthewMcD thanks for the preliminary reviews. You’ve convinced me that this too is more immediate for me as I have the same. I assumed that the sniper/hyperspark combo was going to one of my last projects for the year and I am not disappointed but, the ride and steering are as you described. This moves up on the list as soon as the springs are back in stock @orangefj45 shop. My dirt driveway is fairly well maintained but when I do hit a small drop hole over 15 to 20mph I can feel that slam. Glad to hear your really seeing/feeling a difference

 

[MatthewMcD]

@MatthewMcD thanks for the preliminary reviews. You’ve convinced me that this too is more immediate for me as I have the same. I assumed that the sniper/hyperspark combo was going to one of my last projects for the year and I am not disappointed but, the ride and steering are as you described. This moves up on the list as soon as the springs are back in stock @orangefj45 shop. My dirt driveway is fairly well maintained but when I do hit a small drop hole over 15 to 20mph I can feel that slam. Glad to hear your really seeing/feeling a difference

Start using penetrating oil NOW. Even though I did that, which made getting the nuts off much easier. The nuts are just the beginning. Getting the pins out of the bushings is an entirely different story. I am not convinced that using heat is the best way to start. I think that may make it worse by melting the bushing and causing better adhesion to the pin.

PB Blaster and a good hammer. Put the loose nuts back on the bolt so you aren't peening the bolt into a mushroom that won't pass through the bushing. I didn't have to resort to a saws all.

 

[70 FJ40]

I'm hopefully finally going get some time here in the next couple weeks to put some 2.5 inch Dobinsons springs on my 40 purchased from @cruiseroutfit . I figured that the military wrap end of the spring went on the shackles. Is that not correct?

 

[firemanj92]

I'm hopefully finally going get some time here in the next couple weeks to put some 2.5 inch Dobinsons springs on my 40 purchased from @cruiseroutfit . I figured that the military wrap end of the spring went on the shackles. Is that not correct?

military wrap to fixed end, opposite of shackle end