TB EXT Lift Guidance

[v7guy]

What Steve said. Seems to be the easiest solution. Could also use a press in pin if the bolt would cause any clearance issues.

Like Bill said, it would need to be a relatively short shock. Or maybe you could get around that by removing the upper spacer and then use the height of the lower spring perch/mount to determine lift height. We might be able to have a setup that puts the shock with more down travel so we aren't topping out constantly and maybe get a slightly better ride. It would necessitate straps though to keep from binding up the CV.


Like I mentioned before. I have no idea if it would actually work without damaging the shock. We also can't go to a shock much bigger in diameter without having the spring hit the upright/spindle. I'm mostly thinking outloud. I've done very little looking into it.

[chevycrew]

screw it, custom a arms, 1/2 ton chevy knuckles/etc, and coilovers. +4" per side on the a arm should give additional lift and stability.

Then longer cvs of course.

[80Flareside]

I was more thinking something along the lines of a wheel-spacer type adapter at the top, and then something that would fit into the oem socket with an open clevis at the end. I have no idea what the overall lengths are, and what constraints those might introduce. So long as you can shoehorn it in, and you don't loose any travel, you would be good to go. Too much travel can easily be dealt with through straps and bumpstop. Shock length should never be the limiting factor in your travel anyway.

Check out this write-up on Taco coil overs. There has got to be away to make something like this work. http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/viewarticle.php?id=53

[Trail X]

Shock length should never be the limiting factor in your travel anyway.

Says who? Seems pretty standard. Or do you mean, if you're constantly hitting extension limits?

Check out this write-up on Taco coil overs. There has got to be away to make something like this work. http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/viewarticle.php?id=53

Ah... well why didn't you say so??

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3002

[v7guy]

screw it, custom a arms, 1/2 ton chevy knuckles/etc, and coilovers. +4" per side on the a arm should give additional lift and stability.

Then longer cvs of course.

See, its a slippery slope. lol

Could just have a longer axle made to slide into the stock tripot/cv to save some money over a whole cv. Nobody has broken a cv yet that I'm aware of.

[fishsticks]

Nobody has broken a cv yet that I'm aware of.

Hi, have we met?

[v7guy]

Nobody has broken a cv yet that I'm aware of.

Hi, have we met?

Here i was thinking that was the only part you hadn't had fly apart in spectacular form.

[Trail X]

Keep in mind, that was 35s and a locker at full steering lock, right?

[fishsticks]

Keep in mind, that was 35s and a locker at full steering lock, right?

Not necessarily full lock, but a significant amount of angle.

I've yet to break a tri-pot.

[80Flareside]

Ah... well why didn't you say so??

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3002

I saw those, but as mentioned they are definitely on the pricey side, and its only one option offered by one company. A clevis mount adapter at the bottom and bolt pattern adapter at the top would open up more (affordable?) possibilities.

Or, screw it, build subframes out of 2x2 square tube and SAS it over D60's with an Atlas twin stick and hydraulic ram steering.

Once my truck is all back together (8 weeks later - so much for a few minor repairs) I will be able to get the TB up on the stands and look more closely at the set-up. See if between my father (CAD instructor), father-in-law (CNC machinist) and I, we cant come up with something that could be cut out of a forged billet.

[80Flareside]

Shock length should never be the limiting factor in your travel anyway.

Says who? Seems pretty standard. Or do you mean, if you're constantly hitting extension limits?

I suppose both. Hitting the physical limits of the shocks at full compression or extension is a good way to ruin a set of shocks. Thats why bump-stops or jounce pads were invented. When you lift a vehicle by using spacers (in the case of the TB) or lift blocks (leaf sprung trucks) you tend to increase the distance from the jounce pad or bump stop by the same amount. I suspect that is what happened with V7Guy's shock (viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3283). The 3" spacer put the jounce 3" further away from what it should be contacting to prevent the shock bottoming out. When he hit that "repair" at highway speed the shock hit full compression, and then some because there was nothing to stop any further travel. Had the spacer not been there, the jounce would have slowed and limited the travel, and keeping the shock from over-compressing. Even if the shock doesn't over compress, you need to still have something to keep the suspension from hitting whatever other physical limitation it has (CV, UCA travel, LCA travel, etc). There are plenty of guys bending the frames on their $55k Raptors (nearly a $15k repair) after going to progressive rate springs and failing to upgrade, or in some cases even removing the jounce pad.

Same concept goes for full droop too, only there typically isnt a provision from the factory for a downward travel limit bc they design the vehicles with the mindset that all 4 wheels are always going to be in contact with the road.

As far as shock travel being the determining factor in where the jounce pad / bump stop and strap are set, you are just loosing valuable articulation you could otherwise utilize. Its tough to get more angle out of a CV, or eliminate linkage bind, but increasing shock travel should be easily remedied by getting a longer shock.

[Trail X]

v7guy's failure was not from over compression, it was from hitting full extension from a heavily compressed suspension position. There was more momentum than the shock internals was designed to absorb.

The only real failure from over compression is spring fatigue. Our shock has a bump stop built on top (around the shock rod), but I believe the lifts basically negate the effectiveness of that bump.

I do agree that a limiting strap would be nice, but mounting on the A arm could be a challenge. Might use the swaybar mount. I think AlekG set his up with a limiting strap with some success.

Personally, I've dialed my shock length into "just the right" amount of down travel, so it is on the hairy edge of over extending the tripod (which is the next limit for me). I would have to get a shock extender to extend the shock further, and then use a limiting strap. Otherwise the limiting strap would cannibalize the extension amount I currently have.

[GONE FISHN]

I am going to install the 3 inch lift on my 02 ext. I was wondering about the uca flip. So far that has been covered for me. I am a bit confused on the spring numbers. Is that the front spring s or the rear springs you all are talking about?

[v7guy]

Front springs

[vibesd]

Hey guys, the title of this thread works for me so this is where I'm at with my 05 EXT.....

3" Markmc suspension kit front (in the mail)
2" Markmc suspension kit rear (in the mail)

Bilstiens HD in the front- (in the mail)
Skyjacker n8030 in the rear- (in the mail) - still researching nylon spacers to add to bushing?


87 springs in the front or stay stock- (still on the fence, but im really considering staying with my stock which are 85's currently have a 1" rake and I'm trying to level it out a little)

z71 springs in the rear or stay stock- (still on the fence, i want a smooth ride because its my everyday use vehicle, yet i do carry camping and construction gear every now and then)

Id appreciate you guys helping me out with my decision..... I'm leaning towards staying with stock springs..... any advice?
while in the shop I'm going to add new ball joints, and flip uca's. I plan on changing t case and differential fluid on my own....
Is there anything else i should cater too while I'm dealing with suspension?
I'll be starting my build thread soon!

Thanks....


Dave

[HARDTRAILZ]

Check the tie rods and hubs.

[navigator]

I think Mark's kit should run pretty level. Maybe you should just run it for awhile and see if you need anything else.

[mikekey]

It should be noted, that resurrecting a dead thread to add a question to it and not additional information is kind of a forum no no.

[djthumper]

[HARDTRAILZ]

I was glad he searched.

I dont see anything wrong with him not starting yet another....is this an ok plan thread? In fact i think it is more appropriate here since the next guy with an ext and the chops to do a basic search might read it and say...yep I will try that since the info was consolidated and easy to find.