Shocking! Shock lengths... (1 Viewer)

[Phildoh]

Last year ordered Slee's 6" kit, with arms, upgraded the links, and the whole 9yds. Works great. Running Toyo 37" MTs, and they rub in the rear. Added a MAF 1.5" spacer front and rear, and they still rub. With the suspension cycled as far as it will go, I'm hitting the maximum downtravel for the shocks all the way around, front and rear. Looking at where the tires are rubbing the rear wheel arches, and the angle involved, it's very apparent seeing numerous images of other 80's that with more downtravel from the opposite side, it would put the angle of the wheel being stuffed (negative camber so to speak, when articulated) into a further negative angle, therefore giving it the ability to stuff deeper into the wheel well. I ordered the kit and it has the supplied OME shocks with it (pn I can get in the morning) in their kit from Slee. Does/has anyone had this similar problem, or know of what shocks give about 2-3" more downtravel over the ones supplied in the kit? I'm going g to look up the PN's off their website after posting this and comment what I can find off their website. I need more downtravel!

 

[Phildoh]

OME N60070L, and N60071L are the shocks provided in the kit.

 

[GW Nugget]

Both those shocks are approx 26.5" collar to collar which are the longer version of OME. They are the longer shocks out there, but what is the free height of the coils? Longer shocks might release the coils.

If you can go longer then you can just space down your L shocks a few inches if your bump stops are longer than 1.25" you're leaving some wasted shock shaft on the uptravel. Meaning you can space down the shocks to gain more downtravel. There is several ways to do this. Spacers & adding washers to the shock also.

One other thing, you need to keep front & rear balance or you will increase body roll.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

If you want to avoid rubbing, you need to set appropriate length bump stops or do as some of us have done and take the pneumatic/electric knife to the rear fender wells. Or, depending on where it's rubbing there are some other solutions, but they cause issues. If the tire hits on the fender well near the rear door your links can be lengthened if there is enough room to accommodate more tire to the rear. If it's hitting in the rear toward the tailgate side of the wheel well, you can shorten up your links a slight amount. You can also measure your shocks. Figure out how far they are extended out at rest, then subtract and inch or so, measure from your frame to your axle at the bump stop contact point and then go the determined distance up on the tape from the axle to determine needed bump stop length. Make the proper length stops like I have failed to do yet and likely won't stuff far enough to rub. This all reminds me, I need to do bump stops and limiting straps and a permanent solution for the rear sway bar.

 

[jtwopark]

that is why we just order custom length shock from KINGS or other manufacturers!...mine are aprox 28.25" fully extended in the front and the rears were around 28.75"ish??....I ordered lengths i thought i needed on my first set but ended up taking it to KINGS and having them do the bump stops, new shocks and it came out to be these figures. I was way off on my measurements the first time around...by an inch and some.

 

[bug616]

Have a look at the slinky kit from autocraft. I believe they give significant extra droop/down travel over the OME Ls

 

[Phildoh]

Thanks guys, got the wheels turning in my head now. Think about spacing them down a bit like @GW Nugget mentioned, which makes sense and is a good start as far as price, and they're only a year old.

As far as rubbing, it's pretty even front and rear of the wheel well. When they're drooped all the way, the spring still has considerable force holding it in, as I've climbed under it and seen if they were loose, or about to come out and they were firmly planted.

One would think the supplied bumpstops extension blocks supplied in Slee's kit would work, but they're still over an inch away when the tires hit the wells, so I may just have to space them accordingly, but for the money spent, it's frustrating ya know!

@jtwopark that's definitely something I'll look into, but I doubt my budget will let me go that route for now.

@bug616 I'll look into that as well, never heard of it but I'll dive in tonight.

Thanks for all the info guys!

 

[GW Nugget]

There is a thread OME shock lengths don't make sence & another good read is 80 shock thread new teritory.
I'll link them for you if I find time, unless someone beats me to it.

 

[GW Nugget]

OME shock length just doesn't make sense!

80 shock thread - familiar territory could use update

 

[sleeoffroad]

One would think the supplied bumpstops extension blocks supplied in Slee's kit would work, but they're still over an inch away when the tires hit the wells, so I may just have to space them accordingly, but for the money spent, it's frustrating ya know!

The bump stops we supply are to ensure that the shocks do not over compress and get damaged. It would be impossible to supply bump stops for all possible tire size / wheel choices to ensure no rubbing happens.

 

[Peru Darrell]

Had a similar problem and gained an extra 1 1/2 inches of extension by using:

Front: Thicker metal washers and thicker rubber bushings on the front to give me the down travel (had to use thinner bushings on the outside ends of the mounts to get the nuts on the shocks).

Rear: Cut the round mount off the old shocks and welded it to the new ones (Double round mounting points). Along with the washer/ bushing trick on the top side of the shock mount. If you keep them cool with a wet rag while welding, there is no damage to the shock. Got almost 2" in the rear.

It is a cheap fix. Did this on my FZJ105, the suspension/shocks are the same as the 80. Used Bilstein 5100 shocks that were made for a lifted truck. My lift is 3+ inches depending on load

 

[jtwopark]

If i remember correctly the Bilsteins are relatively short compared to other manufacturers

 

[bwakeling]

could it be backspacing issue with the wheels?