Suspension limiting ... NOW Shackle Angle

[frosty]

Which would you limit and why, up travel or down travel?

I have H2s, 37s, 14" air shocks and a notched rear frame. Even with the notch something is going to hit due to the BS on the wheels.

So would you limit up travel knowing you could change it later if you get a different set of wheels with less BS? Doing this shouldnt require moving the axle shock mounts down the road although its not that big of a deal.

Or would you limit droop with some limiting straps knowing you'll have to move the lower shock mounts if you do get different wheels? Again not that big a deal.

I dont plan on getting new wheels any time soon unless some killer deal lands in my lap. I dont care to run spacers either although I guess its an option. I think I'll have around 7" up and 7" down if all works out as planned. I need to double check but I think I'll only be losing about 1-1.5" of droop if I run limting straps. Also I'll be moving to 39s if I wear out the 37s but at the rate I am going that'll be several years. But I dont believe they'll hit if I set it up to clear on up travel and limit droop.

[Grason]

Mine is limited in droop. i couldent mount bumpstops anywhere. i just run a limit strap on the passenger side to the drive shaft doesnt bind due to the lenght of the shocks.

[Happy Bear]

Air shocks are intended to be limited in both directions. Although lots of us get away without doing so it definitly fatigues the shocks.

I'd figure out what hits rather then just knowing its something. Sounds like it is going to be tire to tub?

I'd mock up the suspension at full bump without the wheels/tires installed cycle it and make sure everything clears/no bind. Then install the tires/wheels and cycle the suspension again to find out how much you will have to limit up travel because of the wheels/tires. Determine if this is something that can be fixed with different wheels/tires/modifications.

Something to keep in mind is the spring rate of the air shocks is very progressive so as you get into that last 3" of compression is when the shock really starts working. If you are setting your bumps with 3" of shaft exposed the shock may not do as much dampening as you would like before the bump contacts.

In short, I would limit down travel not up. But I also wouldn't set my suspension up so that I wasn't taking advantage of uptravel that the chassis allows because the tires are contacting.

[breakinshit]

I would run limiting straps. I have pulled apart the bottom eye of 2 air shocks due to not running them. bump stops would not be a bad idea either if you plan on going fast at all. Post up some progress pics brother!

[frosty]

I know what is going to hit, its not a guess. After the comp cut the tires dont come near the tub. At full bump the lower CAs would hit the frame and the truss hits the tub with 2" or more of clearance between the tires and the tub.

The contact I am worried about is either the tires hitting the shocks or the shocks hitting the frame. Due to the BS I either have to limit up travel to clear the frame at full droop or limit down travel to clear the tires at full stuff. Just trying to figure out which is better in my case.

Full bump currently will have my lower CAs about 1-1.5" from contacting the frame and probably about the same on the truss. It will also allow for 39" tires without them contacting the tub.

I could solve the problem with a different set of wheels with less BS than H2s. That requires spending money I dont have so I have to pick a compromise. I'm leaning towards limiting droop right now. That would let me just move a limit strap mount point if I get different wheels down the road.

I havent been much on the picture taking. But I'll try to get a few more this weekend.

[Happy Bear]

Yea I would set up for as much up travel as possible and limit the down travel, to have the shocks work like they are intended. Where will that put you on "'s of up and down travel? You don't want to run much more then 6" of uptravel on an airshock either.

[frosty]

I need to double check that but I think it should be around 7" up and 7" down. At least thats about what I was aiming for.

[breakinshit]

My tires rubbed the shocks at full stuff with no adverse effects. 7" of uptravel may be a little much for an airshock like Happc said. When you get that much nitrogen in them they start to unload pretty bad. It took quite a bit of playing with oil and nitrogen levels to get my shocks to to the point where they didnt ride like bricks or have too much bounce/unloading to them.

[frosty]

Looks like it might be back to the drawing board.

[96zj]

My vote is still for a good set of wheel spacers. 1/2" spacer and you can be done with all of this BS. plus with a 1/2" spacer all you should really need to do is get longer wheel studs. No need to have the spacers bolted to the hub and then the wheels bolted to the spacers.

[Cerebus]

Agreed on the spacers.

[frosty]

Notched the shit out of the frame and now its fine. :D I am still going to run a limiting strap and probably shorten the droop by about an inch because its going to be close otherwise.

Also I am going to be sitting around 5-6" of shaft showing and not the 7 I originally though. Shocks will need some tuning I am sure.

Now my new problem is the shackle angle. It seems that most of the jeep's weight vs all of the jeep's weight change things. Suggestions on fixing this if its a problem? I might french the frame mount which would let me fix it but I am not sure yet.

It is sitting on all 4s though for the first time in a long time.

http://gallery.me.com/captainawesome/100063/IMG_0185/web.jpg

[breakinshit]

Looking good!

[Ripster]

Looking good!

X2 :thumbsup:

[frosty]

So without having flexed it out would you change the shackle angle? Seems a bit flat to me but I dont know anything about leafs really. Would a slightly longer shackle help? Better off frenching the frame mounts?

[Mike]

move the rear frame hanger back. That flat you will have no uptravel and will probably kink the leaves.

[MDMike]

IMHO, a longer shackle will help, but I don't think you'd want to lift it any more. I don't think frenching the rear spring hangers will do a whole lot of good unless you move them back a little, and I don't think you want to do that either.

I'd run it the way it is and see what happens. What's the worst that could happen, the spring will compress up and hit the front of the frame? Give it a shot and see what happens!

[frosty]

Yeah I'd move it back if I french it. And if I am moving it then its getting frenched at the same time.

I think I'd be ok moving it back a bit. I think I am sitting at 107" right now, maybe a hair more so moving it back wont hurt. Might help a couple other things too.

[Happy Bear]

What's the worst that could happen

Don't you know to never really ask yourself that question! The springs could get trashed on a decent impact pretty easy. Now if your just talking about cycliing the suspension you will be fine, but I wouldn't wheel it without testing the full suspension cycle. You may need to take the shocks off to do this.(and invite Frank and Jack over)

[Brandon95yj]

yeah the shackle angle is a little to flat IMO.

I would move the rear hangers back a 1/2 inch. Just remember moving the hangers back even small amounts will change the shackle angle real quick.

[frosty]

yeah the shackle angle is a little to flat IMO.

I would move the rear hangers back a 1/2 inch. Just remember moving the hangers back even small amounts will change the shackle angle real quick.

Thats good to know, I would have probably moved it a bit more than that.

Hmm, maybe I can make it adjustable with another set of holes. I'll have to look at how much bracket there is.

[doug38s]

cool to see a tj with leafs. I thought I was the only one that was gonna build that way. way easy to do.

[Jack]

way easy to do.STFU.





:flipoff2:

[doug38s]

it is fawker.:flipoff2:

the mounts for the link arms are the same width as a dana 60 front. build perches off the front to hang shackles and do the same for the rear and weld up new perches on the rear axle and call it good.

what leafs did you use frosty? I have some military wrapped BDS YJ leafs I was going to use.

[frosty]

what leafs did you use frosty? I have some military wrapped BDS YJ leafs I was going to use.


RE SOA 1.5" leafs but only in the front. Air shocks in the rear with a Clayton long arm kit. I couldnt have touched linking the front for what I have in it. Lucked out with deals on the stuff for the rear and dont think I am much over 1K into it.

Putting them in wasnt to bad. It would have been better if I had gotten the measurements right the first time. But I'll get it fixed and have it sitting a bit lower. It should clear 39s when I am done which is what I'll end up with after the 37s wear out. I dont think its overly tall either.

[frosty]

FWIW I just drilled a new hole in the frame mount about 1" back from the existing hole. Moved the shackle angle from 30° to 55° which should put me around 45-50° once the leafs settle/break in.

Seeing how its already taken forever and a year this was quicker for now. If I dont like it or it doesnt work then I'll french the frame mounts.