Would it be the 80's tech forum if there wasn't a lot of over-thinking?
Its good to a point but it has gotten you no where at this point
Just move the damn axle already!
Shift front axle forward?
- Thread starter Ebag333
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Its good to a point but it has gotten you no where at this point
Just move the damn axle already!
- Thread starter
- #62
Its good to a point but it has gotten you no where at this point
Just move the damn axle already!
Yeah but...
Why spend $5 on a couple pieces of steel....
When you can spend hundreds on a new radius arm?
Yeah but...
Why spend $5 on a couple pieces of steel....
When you can spend hundreds on a new radius arm?
Good luck with that one
I thought all about that myself
I moved that axle forward and now I am probably going to go 3link or some other route
But, definitly not radius arm
But, I have different hopes for my 80
I can pilot a set of my plates to shift the axle forward by about a 1/2". Not what you are looking for but add that to what kidglove13 did and you can get what you need.
- Thread starter
- #65
- Thread starter
- #66
So I went back out to the same mound of dirt, and flexed the other side. Got up high enough to teeter totter on two tires, would have been embarrassing to flop there. 
Here's a shot of the front right. Sorry about the finger, sun was in the background so only way to get any sort of a decent shot.
It's a little hard to see in the picture (and the angle is deceptive) but the right front is not rubbing against the back of the wheel well. And it's actually stuffed a bit further than the original shot (again angle is a bit deceptive). Wheel is turned to the side slightly less, but there is actually enough room to turn the wheel further and still not touch (or compress further).
Not sure why it rubs on the front left but not the front right. Is that expected? I am running the hitch pin mod, but with the pin in (DS front). It's pretty dang tight, no play in the pin.
Rear flexes out quite nicely.
Something nice about lifting a 37" tire with (almost) 14" of travel. Little hard to see, but the tire is almost completely below the rockers.
I do see that I have some room to drop the upper rear shock mount an inch or so.
And other side. Tire just barely rubs. Catches the edges of the flare (front and back) and one very small part of the rolled lip (towards the top).
Picture has been stitched together from several, so that warps it slightly in the middle (flattens it).
And a blurry shot of the front DS. This tire is just barely touching, up a few inches higher on the mound of dirt and it would be lifted.
Here's a shot of the front right. Sorry about the finger, sun was in the background so only way to get any sort of a decent shot.
It's a little hard to see in the picture (and the angle is deceptive) but the right front is not rubbing against the back of the wheel well. And it's actually stuffed a bit further than the original shot (again angle is a bit deceptive). Wheel is turned to the side slightly less, but there is actually enough room to turn the wheel further and still not touch (or compress further).
Not sure why it rubs on the front left but not the front right. Is that expected? I am running the hitch pin mod, but with the pin in (DS front). It's pretty dang tight, no play in the pin.
Rear flexes out quite nicely.
Something nice about lifting a 37" tire with (almost) 14" of travel. Little hard to see, but the tire is almost completely below the rockers.
I do see that I have some room to drop the upper rear shock mount an inch or so.
And other side. Tire just barely rubs. Catches the edges of the flare (front and back) and one very small part of the rolled lip (towards the top).
Picture has been stitched together from several, so that warps it slightly in the middle (flattens it).
And a blurry shot of the front DS. This tire is just barely touching, up a few inches higher on the mound of dirt and it would be lifted.
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Something nice about lifting a 37" tire with (almost) 14" of travel. Little hard to see, but the tire is almost completely below the rockers.
Your right side tire looks good - the hitch pin mod may be giving you uneven flex side to side or your body mounts may just have the body a bit uneven over the frame.
I would do the plates - take LT up on moving the axle forward a little bit and fix your caster at the same time.
Completely redesigning the front suspension is far out of what I'm interested in. Seen too many people start off saying their going to do a complete redesign, and "it will be completely streetable." Few months/years later you see them posting "hey, anyone got a trailer that can pull my 80 to <insert run here>." Or they sell it. Or they quietly go back to the original setup.
I think that you could probably redesign the suspension and have it streetable, but I also know I don't have the skills to do so. Since this is my DD, I have to set limits, and not messing too much with the basic design is one of them.
I agree completely - the 80 is too big to get enough benefit. The lack of front flex isn't even top 5 in major issues you can't fix on an 80.
- Thread starter
- #69
It's entirely possible that my inner rocker slash fender was shifted forward on the DS.
Idjits who did my exhaust lifted the truck by the rockers. Multiple times.
I did not believe that it had shifted that far forward, but of course difficult to say without carefully measuring it all out. I had previously believed it had shifted it a quarter of an inch back.
I'm inclined to believe it's something with the hitch pin. It may be allowing the axle to twist more on that side, which would only be noticeable when the DS is stuffed.
Body mounts are a possibility, but then wouldn't it be uneven in the back as well? It's not, it's bang on.
The hitch pin mod does allow for more stuff on one side. It allows the loose eye to move farther down then up, as the eye or arm (I disremember which) contacts the axle. Haven't noticed that one side or the other moves to the front or back on my truck, but nothing rubs on the fenders, just on the arms themselves.
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I didn't realize you had a hitch pin in there that you are pulling. Because of that I'm going to retract my offer.
Pulling the front bolt allows that side of the axle to shift on the arm the same way may caster plates function and effectively shortens that side's arm.
Pulling the front bolt allows that side of the axle to shift on the arm the same way may caster plates function and effectively shortens that side's arm.
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12mm is the magic No for 37's.
One of these in the back can help.
One of these in the back can help.
Exactly what I did except not as pretty
I went forward a full bolt width may a little more worked like a charm
I went forward a full bolt width may a little more worked like a charm
- Thread starter
- #75
Gee Rick, thanks for being so helpful here.
First, even IF I pulled the pin, adjusting your plates would help with that. But if you bothered to read, I did NOT pull the pin. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be getting rid of the pin and going back to a bolt as I've found that the hitch pin mod doesn't help me that much.
But don't let me stop you from making big bold declarations or anything.....
Who makes the 12mm product?
If I had to guess, you do.
If I had to guess I would say you are wrong
We will seeyep - pricey but available over the counter Offroad 80's • Auto Craft 80 Series Products
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You didn't answer the question.
If I had to guess I would say you are wrong
yep - pricey but available over the counter Offroad 80's • Auto Craft 80 Series Products
Darren made it. Was originally part of Project Rooby.
