Front end rides harsh.

[mrtsobe]

Just got my TB all finished up and with have to post a build thread but till then I have a question. I added the rough country 2" front lift with 87 springs (84 stock) and reversed upper control arms and new Bilstein HD struts (no bumper or winch to add weight). I love ride of the new suspension on the road, but off road it is a bit harsh on wash board bumps and water bars on gravel roads. It almost feels like the suspension is topping out, not enough dampening or that the springs are so forceful they are slamming the wheels into the ground. Any one have similar experience or is this just common?

[Trail X]

My advice? Air down and get rid of the front swaybar.

[BSalty]

We have almost the same set up except I also have Marks 1/2" spacer. It rides rough in the same kind of terrain you described. I haven't tried it without the sway bar yet either, but I probably will this weekend. I have only aired down to 30 psi as well due to no air pump in my truck yet, but it did help a lot.

[fishsticks]

My advice? Air down and get rid of the front swaybar.

This.

I roll 15-18psi when I do anything more than fire roads.

You really don't need the front swaybar.... IMO you really don't need either sway bar.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I go 12 to 15 psi and it works well.

I did do a test of a couple trails w 20 psi and felt like I had no traction way more spinning and not making it up steep stuff, but doing same things at 15 and it was far better. I wont wheel over 16 psi generally at all.

[bartonmd]

PSI also depends on tire size, tire width, tire ply rating, and how loaded the vehicle is...

Stock size tires on my TB, at 25PSI, have as much or more sidewall flex than Kyle's tires do at 15PSI... They also get holes in the sidewalls way better, being that there isn't anything in the stock side that's not a passenger car rated sidewall...

Mike

[HARDTRAILZ]

Another difference in airing down is that I run my pro comps at 32 onroad load e and the bfg have been at 28 onroad load c. So I run at aired down psi all the time according to some members, but rides excellent and wears excellent.

[mrtsobe]

Good to hear. I can deal with a rough ride, I just didn't want to rip my strut apart. Love the ride though, I'll try lower pressure too.

[dirty anton]

my truck rides best when its fully loaded (people- gear), otherwise it does the same thing as yours. feels like its at the top of extension always. you will be amazed at how much airing down helps! it will soak up alot of the harshness from going with stiffer springs.

[BSalty]

I discoed the sway bars and aired down to 25 psi. and it was loaded up with gear. It did amazingly well. it rode like a dream on the trail. And it was the roughest and most technical trail I have been on yet. Looks like its time for a portable air compressor for me. I'm not going off road again without doing those two things if I can help it.

[mrtsobe]

So I have had the lift on for a couple of weeks now, enough time I figure to let the suspension settle and it seems that the suspension is topping out. I put the hood up and bounced the front end of the truck with my weight and watched the upper control arms through the wheel wells and it is apparent the front struts are topping out with a very solid thud. I read the article about reversing UCAs where Fishsticks had added washers to increase the strut length. I realize this will put more of a strain on the longer shaft but I have about an inch of extra threads exposed from the strut. This seems like a pretty solid idea and would take a lot of strain off the strut and should smooth out the ride over rough bumps. Just wanted to see what others folks thoughts were while I still have the coil compressor to do the work. Included are pictures of what Fishsticks did and this is what I am planning on doing unless some can convince me other wise.

[Stoked]

Im having the same issue as you. My front end is super harsh during street driving, especially over things like speed bumps and railroads. Im thinking of adding the washers to the strut as well. My main concern is what is going to be limiting downward movement(strut, ubj, cv joint). I literally did the same thing you did of bouncing up and down and it seems to me that its knocking at the ubj.

Note: Im running 87s with mark's inside spacer.

[mrtsobe]

I disconnected the swaybar and repeated compressing the front end and letting it spring up and I still have that solid thud. I measure the fender to hub center at full extension and it was 23 1/4". Resting height is 37" and max (when wheels begin to come off the ground is 38 1/2". After playing around and rocking the TB I can put my hand behind the wheel on the upper ball joint and tie rods and everything feels solid but there is that abrupt thud. Something diffidently feels like it is maxing out when returning to rest from compression. Could it be the tie rods limiting movement? I have yet to get the alignment done and I have a lot of positive camber. I can only think that that extra positive camber is pulling hard on the tie rods. Maybe I'll start another thread.

[Trail X]

I disconnected the swaybar and repeated compressing the front end and letting it spring up and I still have that solid thud. I measure the fender to hub center at full extension and it was 23 1/4". Resting height is 37" and max (when wheels begin to come off the ground is 38 1/2". After playing around and rocking the TB I can put my hand behind the wheel on the upper ball joint and tie rods and everything feels solid but there is that abrupt thud. Something diffidently feels like it is maxing out when returning to rest from compression. Could it be the tie rods limiting movement? I have yet to get the alignment done and I have a lot of positive camber. I can only think that that extra positive camber is pulling hard on the tie rods. Maybe I'll start another thread.

What's the resting hub-to-fender height?

Your 37" vs. 38.5" comparison isn't really valid because you're compressing both tire and spring.

You may be sitting 1/2" below your max extension.

[mrtsobe]

Hot damn. I just got home and measured the hub center to fender at rest and it came to 22 1/2". Pretty close to that 1/2" max extension it looks like. Any recommendations? Is it worth spacing out the strut since I have around an inch of threads showing?

[fishsticks]

Hot damn. I just got home and measured the hub center to fender at rest and it came to 22 1/2". Pretty close to that 1/2" max extension it looks like. Any recommendations? Is it worth spacing out the strut since I have around an inch of threads showing?

IMO yes if you're willing to tear the whole thing apart again to do it.

[mrtsobe]

Yeah, I think it'll be worth it. The springs are already mostly compressed since they are already mounted. The only rough part before was compressing the springs from the fully extended position. I'll go grab some hardware tonight. Any other good ideas?

[mrtsobe]

I finished up pulling the strut assemblies out and adding about 3/4" M10 grade 8 washers to the strut shaft. I had about an inch of threads exposed and left 1/4" of the shaft exposed to account for the thinner keyed section. The overall assembly is slightly longer and added 3/4" lift to the front. This has almost completely eliminated the topping out of the front end. Before when I would compress the suspension in the garage under my weight (140lbs) the suspension would spring back with a solid thud at rest, now it has no knock. I took the TB out for a drive in my hay pastures this morning and it still tops out but very rarely unlike before it would do it over every bump. The measurements before adding washers were center of hub to fender at rest 22 1/2", full extension center of hub to fender 23 1/4". After adding washers to space strut: center of hub to fender at rest 23 1/4" and full extension center hub to fender 24". While at full extension I turned the hub and could detect any binding in the CV axle. Now I will have to see about getting it aligned.

[Trail X]

It added lift? That is strange... it shouldn't have any affect on lift.

[Stoked]

Yeah, I agree, its weird that it gave lift; The springs would still be under the same weight as before. Nonetheless, good work, glad you fixed the issue. I maybe be doing the same this weekend.

Whats the overall consensus on the min amount of thread that should be sticking out the top?