SOA Musings... (1 Viewer)

[Tigerstripe40]

Considerations:

1. My rig has at least four different spring bushings overall. I wish there were, at most, two.
2. Ideally, you would have all the weight on the front end with the high-steer installed before tacking in the perches and the C&T. That way you can check the tie-rod/spring clearance, pinion angle and caster angles. If someone else does the C&T it's a crap shoot.
3. I'd use the stock springs front and rear. It's going to be hard to get the lift springs to match the front springs without making both front and rear higher than it needs to be.
4. Focus on making it as low as you can. I modded my perches and my outboard kit and now that it's all done I can see where it could be almost 1/2" lower and I wish it was.

In my opinion, you (and I) chose the best high-steer arms and tie rod solution.

What power steering with no shackle reversal?

1. Ugh. I want to avoid that if at all possible.

2. I am considering doing the cut and turn myself. I am local to Kurt/Cruiser
Outfitters and he's done enough of these that he's got it down to a science, though.
IIRC stock caster is 0 degrees, but people will put them up to 5 degrees positive caster? I am assuming that is rotating the top of the knuckle 5 degrees to the rear?

3. my thinking with the OME springs was to use the main leaf from the OME spring.
I thnk I will end up using the OME bushings and then drill out the center of the spring mounts out to accept the pins I already have.

4. Keeping it low is part of the plan. Since I am outboarding the springs for the front axle, I am thinking about possibly frenching the mounts into the frame some how.

I keep waffling on the shackle reversal. I have read enough threads from enough guys saying you need to do it, you don't need to do it. Enough back and forth that I am not really certain that it is necessary. It seems to add significanly to the cost of the SOA, though, as the long travel slip joint is 'special' and I would need to find one that uses a low clearance flange for the front output of the SM420.

 

[camcruiser13]

Yes their in Utah, price, payson and salt lake I think. I should of said I found the sleeve that fit the bushings and used 1/2 bolts.

you mean best deal springs?

http://www.bestdealspring.com/home.cfm?CFID=746194&CFTOKEN=19915482

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Auto corrected again

 

[Tigerstripe40]

to Continue.

I think what I will do is buy a 9/16 drill bit and use 9/16" grade 8 hardware for my shackles and springs. I do have a multitude of 15mm stuff as I have a couple of sets of OME greasable shackles, but I don't have the larger stuff. I can use the OME bushings for earlier trucks in the later style stock springs and then use the 18mm stuff. My only concern with the 18mm stuff is that its not very common in places like Moab. If I need a suspension piece its easy to walk into CarQuest and get a 9/16 grade 8 bolt (though I've never broken the 15mm stuff).

First is the all pro arms. Got them last night and I maked them and put some paint on them. I might have gotten a bit of paint leaked on the tie rod end surface, but a dab of acetone should pull that right off.

Next is the spring prep. Stock 81 FJ40 springs. They still have quite a bit of arch left, but we will see how they sag out. This is a pic of the spring sitting after I cut off the old spring pin and started burning out the rubber bushings.

Next a pic of the ubiquitous ruffstuff kit.

And finally one of the spring perches. You may notice the red lines...

Looking at the perches, and thinking about trying to get things as low as possible, these perches will raise things QUITE a bit. I am thinking about cutting the perches down to the line (I suck at drawing circles in paint and getting them to match up, but in a circular fashion to match the contour of the axle housing). This will drop things about 1/2-3/4" if I can do that. I want to get a clean cut. I have an OA setup, but I keep getting slag and gouges in my cuts -its not pretty. (I think my cutting tip is too big). I might go get a 0 or 00 cutting tip and see how that works... Or borrow someones plasma cutter...

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Not sure how big of spring pin your going to run but something to look at before you try and lower the perches mine couldn't go down much more

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Not sure how big of spring pin your going to run but something to look at before you try and lower the perches mine couldn't go down much more

I just checked. The pin itself is fine, I am not planning on changing them over from the stock springs. If I knock the threads off of the pins they fit flush.

 

[nuclearlemon]

4. Keeping it low is part of the plan. Since I am outboarding the springs for the front axle, I am thinking about possibly frenching the mounts into the frame some how.
.

i kept thinking about how to do this with the pickle, but the swing of the shackle keeps you from being able to french very far into the frame since your inner shackle bar will be mid frame. you'd have to go with an offset shackle

 

[jim land]

have you seen this
https://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-corner/606487-low-lift-fj40-what-did-you-do.html

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Yeah, I've seen that axle. Seems like ALOT of work. I am not sure I can do that on my FJ60 housing, though.

For the upper part of the shackle, I am going to use a 9/16" bolt and then use the 18mm (or SAE equivalent) at each end of the springs.

One question I have when using a bolt, how do you keep the spring pin from rotating on the fixed end of the spring? Tack weld the pin? Or should I weld on a piece of steel onto the hanger to keep the bolt head from rotating?

 

[nuclearlemon]

One question I have when using a bolt, how do you keep the spring pin from rotating on the fixed end of the spring? Tack weld the pin? Or should I weld on a piece of steel onto the hanger to keep the bolt head from rotating?

at the fixed end of the spring, the pin should have a flange that bolts in place, since you're going outboard, you can put a bead of weld on the hanger that will keep the bolt from turning. don't know that turning is too much of an issue. i used to run shackles with no way to keep the bolt from spining and it was never an issue.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Use Nyloc nuts so you don't have to worry about them rotating, but... I want to weld my bolts to one side of the outboard shackles so they don't lean. The weight is ouside the frame, so the springs twist just a bit. I'm sure it's not a problem, but it bothers me a little.

That frenched axle is one of the best pieces of fab work I've ever seen on mud. That would be over an inch lower than what I've got.

I also cut into my ruff stuff perches like you're planning. We did it with a grinder and it was a bitch to get them even. Make sure you're level and don't weld one side all the way before moving to the other side. Use a lot of tack welds going side-to-side and then finish weld once you're sure they're solid and level. One of mine is off by a degree or so and contributes to my spring twist. A casual observer would never notice, but I do. It's the passenger side that's hard to get as low as what you've diagrammed on that perch. Do the passenger side completely before you cut into the driver's side perch like that.

I'm not a fan of frenching into the frame. Ideally you want to have the shackle almost horizontal and almost touching the frame at the instant the spring is flat. You can't get there with the pivot frenched all the way into the frame, although if you frenched it partially into the frame, like half, it could work out. I've thought about it, but never seen it done. It's fairly easy to measure along the top surface of top leaf and know just where to weld on the shackle hanger. I could move mine a little, but it's pretty good where I got it. I used the original hangers that I cut off the front, reversed and welded on at the rear. You should take a look at my 'after' thread.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=6244765&postcount=7
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=6248180&postcount=8

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Use Nyloc nuts so you don't have to worry about them rotating, but... I want to weld my bolts to one side of the outboard shackles so they don't lean. The weight is ouside the frame, so the springs twist just a bit. I'm sure it's not a problem, but it bothers me a little.

I was thinking about going with stamped nuts. I run a header and the header pipes go past where the shackle will be. Stamped nuts will hold when the heat from the exhaust will melt the nylon out of a nylock.

That frenched axle is one of the best pieces of fab work I've ever seen on mud. That would be over an inch lower than what I've got.

Agreed. That would be a great deal of work and I am certain I'd have it off 1/2" one one side or another...

I also cut into my ruff stuff perches like you're planning. We did it with a grinder and it was a bitch to get them even. Make sure you're level and don't weld one side all the way before moving to the other side. Use a lot of tack welds going side-to-side and then finish weld once you're sure they're solid and level. One of mine is off by a degree or so and contributes to my spring twist. A casual observer would never notice, but I do. It's the passenger side that's hard to get as low as what you've diagrammed on that perch. Do the passenger side completely before you cut into the driver's side perch like that.

I was thinking about using some sort of a jig to do the cuts so that I can get them uniform... But I can see making the Passengers side nd getting it 'right' before I do any other.

I've decided to go with a Shackle reversal... I am trying to find an inexpensive long travel slip yoke option. About the least expensive I can find is trail-gears.
I'd like to go with Tom Woods, but $$$$$$$. Maybe later down the road...

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I was thinking about going with stamped nuts. I run a header and the header pipes go past where the shackle will be. Stamped nuts will hold when the heat from the exhaust will melt the nylon out of a nylock...

They make an assortment of jam nuts. Fastenal has a aluminum instead of nylon lock nut.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I have a Spicer long travel spline section on my front shaft. Down side is it uses a 1310 u joint which I have yet to break. Up side is it bolts to the small early flange on transfer case

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I have a Spicer long travel spline section on my front shaft. Down side is it uses a 1310 u joint which I have yet to break. Up side is it bolts to the small early flange on transfer case

I am likely going to get the Trail-Gear or All Pro long travel slip yoke setup.

Uses the minitruck u-joints which are very strong, and the flange pattern matches the older '3 speed' cruiser stuff... My t-case front output is 'Cruiser 3 speed, and my diffs have the dual pattern earlier/later bolt patterns.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Bumping this up as I am about to get started.

I've got everything either in boxes in the garage ready to go, or will be delivered tomorrow.
Everything but the drag link, shocks, and pitman arm, that is (all the stuff that needs to be measured for after everything is in place).

I'm running an FJ60 front end and keeping the FJ40 rear end. Will running the rear tires 1 -3/8" narrower than the front be problematic?

 

[snaggletto]

I've always read that axle wrap is an issue with SOA. More so with a V8 and/or a heavy foot, but a weakness nevertheless.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Just got a set of stock FJ62 springs, thanks MichahMan!

I know that the rears are longer than the FJ40 springs.
Would it be better to put the longer springs on the front of the truck or in the rear? I was thinking about using the FJ62 fronts as donors for add-a-leafs for the other springs.

If on the rear I'd be using stock FJ40 springs on the front (I have a set of 4).
I Am doing a shackel reversal.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I'd run the 62 on the rear.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

62 fronts are shorter than 40 springs. Are you outboarding the front axle?