Maxing front suspension lift (split from UCA discussion)

[Rob93]

I haven't yet. I'm ordering some additional shims and installing them before I realign.

Good call. I'm willing to bet that will bring it close to dead on. I'm thinking about trying this but instead of using a second shim, getting the ready lift front setup and losing the shim I have now.

I was thinking about trying that too, just the ready lift is much more expensive... Also not to hijack and this may be dumb but will adding lift to the outside of the strut (i.e ready lift, marks shim) extend the shock?

[fishsticks]

I was thinking about trying that too, just the ready lift is much more expensive...

Same reason I'm going for extra shims and some replacement bolts.

Also not to hijack and this may be dumb but will adding lift to the outside of the strut (i.e ready lift, marks shim) extend the shock?

Nope... shock stays the same length.

[Rob93]

Also not to hijack and this may be dumb but will adding lift to the outside of the strut (i.e ready lift, marks shim) extend the shock?

Nope... shock stays the same length.[/quote]

Hmmm, I may be going with an extra shim or the ready lift front vs the stiffer springs then

[fishsticks]

Honestly I think doing a stiffer spring just for height is a little silly. I wouldn't even consider them unless my springs were sagging badly or I had a steel bumper/winch weighing down the front end.



Now a longer spring/shock.............

[Rob93]

Honestly I think doing a stiffer spring just for height is a little silly. I wouldn't even consider them unless my springs were sagging badly or I had a steel bumper/winch weighing down the front end.



Now a longer spring/shock.............

I was going to go with a mild lift from stiffer springs, in order to keep my ride from being too stiff.... But I am reconsidering just going with the extra shim, or possibly talking to mark and seeing the possibilities of him making a thicker shim.... However I did just email ready lift to see if they have a price on just the front, i doubt it, but who knows they may cut the price to something reasonable...

[MrSmithsTB]

See, I have Marks lift, so with stock upper strut mounts I am not to sure about adding longer bolts. Readylift or something similar would allow adding 2" as opposed to 1.5" worth of shims. As long as the other front components could handle it, this could effectively allow for 4" of suspension lift. Not to mention that doing that up front and adding another spacer in the rear would also mean that the added height acts as a body lift in the respect that they keep the tires 2" further from the body under full compression, allowing us to run larger tires without bottoming out.

[Trail X]

Nope... shock stays the same length.

Hmmm, I may be going with an extra shim or the ready lift front vs the stiffer springs then

Shock stays the same length, but the strut becomes longer... as opposed to an inside-the-strut spacer.

[Rob93]

I emailed Readylift... I got a reply today saying that they will not sell the front end lift seperately.... This isn't too bad, the rear Readylift block goes on the top of the coil, so you could make a spring sandwhich rather then have the rear go to waste

[MrSmithsTB]

Or someone could be the lab rat and try this:

[Rob93]

I remember about a month back on TV someone was trying to order that lift and everyone ended up talking them out of it.... They had already ordered it and was conviced to cancel it... They could have been the guinea pig! By the looks of the picture, the bolts are in the wrong place, but I feel like they just used a picture of a similar lift, and not the exact product... I mean it's so much cheaper then the Readylift.... I might try it


I looked at their other products... seems they use the same picture for a lot of their lifts.... They have a 3" as well as a 2" lift for the front

[glfredrick]

If that is all the lift is, why not just make one. Metal work is not rocket science...

[MrSmithsTB]

I don't have a welder yet. Whereas this is a good excuse to get one sooner, I would not want to learn from my mistakes when my personal safety was at risk. So, if it means spending $90 for something that is at least going to be made properly(or have someone to hold accountable other than myself), I think it is worth saving the welding practice for underbody armor.

[Rob93]

I don't have a welder yet. Whereas this is a good excuse to get one sooner, I would not want to learn from my mistakes when my personal safety was at risk. So, if it means spending $90 for something that is at least going to be made properly(or have someone to hold accountable other than myself), I think it is worth saving the welding practice for underbody armor.

I don't want to put my first metal working project to a 75 mph, 5000 lb test

[Regulator1175]

After taking the front suspension down on Hardtrailz truck this evening, I don't think there is any possible way to get that spacer on top of the 2.5" front lift we have already. with it lower end connected, and me (300 lbs) standing on it, there may have been 1/4 of an inch space in the upper mount.

[fishsticks]

Interesting.

This is with the UCA disconnected? Flipped? I suspect that's due to the way the rubber sticks up out of the stock upper mount. I could be wrong though.

I have a GENEROUS 7/8" inch between the top of my RC spacers and the perches.

My front fenders are at 37.25" on 31.9" tires... I forget my hub-fender measurement. I think it's 23".

[Regulator1175]

Interesting.

This is with the UCA disconnected? Flipped? I suspect that's due to the way the rubber sticks up out of the stock upper mount. I could be wrong though.

I have a GENEROUS 7/8" inch between the top of my RC spacers and the perches.

My front fenders are at 37.25" on 31.9" tires... I forget my hub-fender measurement. I think it's 23".

That was with just the strut tower upper bolts removed. If you were to disconnect the upper control arm at the ball joint there would be alot of room, but how are you going to get the ball joint re-connected? He has not flipped the UCA's, so I am not sure if that will provide any further clearance or not.

[fishsticks]

That was with just the strut tower upper bolts removed. If you were to disconnect the upper control arm at the ball joint there would be alot of room, but how are you going to get the ball joint re-connected? He has not flipped the UCA's, so I am not sure if that will provide any further clearance or not.

Ah ok. That jives with what I remember mine being. Thanks for testing that out.

So it's a safe assumption that flipping them gets you 3/4" of clearance or so...

As long as I don't get stuck on a jobsite all day tomorrow like I did today... I plan to capitalize on this information.

[Trail X]

Fishsticks - you have the 2" ready lift + the 0.5" top spacer - right? So that means about 2.75" total lift right now.

If you have room for about another inch of top spacer - that means you could get essentially 4" of total front-end lift without stressing the UBJ too much. Wow.

Thanks DZP for bringing all of this to light!

Now the only last question seems to be - can it be aligned?

Now that I begin to think it all through... I think the best possible suspension combination would be an 89 spring + readylift ... or some sorta combo like that. Hmm...

[MrSmithsTB]

Fishsticks - you have the 2" ready lift + the 0.5" top spacer - right? So that means about 2.75" total lift right now.

If you have room for about another inch of top spacer - that means you could get essentially 4" of total front-end lift without stressing the UBJ too much. Wow.

Thanks DZP for bringing all of this to light!

Now the only last question seems to be - can it be aligned?

Now that I begin to think it all through... I think the best possible suspension combination would be an 89 spring + readylift ... or some sorta combo like that. Hmm...

Best lift is always the one that requires the least amount of parts. But if this does leave room for more lift, now everyone can start playing around to fine tune the components until everything is simple and functional. Instead of letting this poor guy do all of the work, we should all join in the gold rush!

[HARDTRAILZ]

I should have the 88 sprinds in with mark inner spacer and outside spacer and will see how that works. I am not gonna flip yet since I think I need ball joints and will flip then to see what difference there is.