Thanks to MacGyver I picked up some stock springs for the SOA last weekend. Gotta love the old parts for beer pricing!

So anyway here's the plan:

Stock SOA in the back with the 2" Confer shackles. Additional changes to rear will be new 14"travel shocks and an antiwrap bar (ALA Woody's design).

Stay SUA up front with the 4"skyjacker springs and 2" Confer shackles. Additions to the front would be 14"travel shocks and Ford shock towers.

I'm figuring my truck will sit a little taller in the rear than the front at this point. Am I thinking correctly? The way I figure it is -4" for the rear SJ springs +5.5" for the SOA put me 1.5" up in the rear.

I'll also be going from the bald ass 35"Goodyear mt's on 9"aluminum wheel w/ 3.5"BS to new 35"MTR's on a 15x10 with 2.5" BS . I rolled my brothers 35x12.50 MTR on rockcrawlers up to my rig the other day and almost shit when it was about 3.5" taller.


My questions are:
1. Will my junk look lame with the 1" to 1.5" rake?
2. Is stability the only advantage to staying SUA up front?
3. Should I wait to make my Antiwrap bar until I go SOA?

Let me know what you think!

Originally posted by BMAN
1. Will my junk look lame with the 1" to 1.5" rake?

the rake is not what makes yer junk lame....lol
IMO, it will look fine, mine was that way for a couple months. The rear packs will settle too after a trip-three out.

2. Is stability the only advantage to staying SUA up front?

Pretty much....

3. Should I wait to make my Antiwrap bar until I go SOA?


The positioning of the wrap bar depends too much on how you do the SOA....do the wrap immediately after.

Originally posted by woody


the rake is not what makes yer junk lame....lol




:flipoff2:

You're quick old man!

I think this is about a 2" rake. It was sitting level, then I took out add-a-leafs and the shortest leaf, went from 2"over shackles to stock, and soa rear.

Don't laugh, the front is now out of the truck so it was only like this for about 24 hours.

-mike.

I would say use the shackles to make it level. Mine has about a 3 degree rake or inch or so and you can hardly tell (that is unloaded). I would say to make the anti-wrap bar last. I made mine somewhere in the middle and have to remake it.

arndog

No need for 2" shackles with 35" tires - in fact I run 37" MTRs with stock height shackles. You won't really gain anything except the ability to invert your sorings....

Jim

TLCO,
I've already got the 2" confer shackles on the truck, so I'll be using them.




Anyone know off hand what the stock spring length and pin offset are?

SUA in front means you usually don't have to do anything with your draglink to clear the leaf springs.

Also, it means you are ready to buy my old heavy duty steering setup for an SUA cruiser:D

put the 35 under the weight of a truck, then compare...of course it looks huge with no weight on it, compared to your worn 33 that has a cruiser on it.

Originally posted by fj40john
put the 35 under the weight of a truck, then compare...of course it looks huge with no weight on it, compared to your worn 33 that has a cruiser on it.

Dude,

They were on his truck.:flipoff2:


And mine are worn 35's.

Originally posted by Tankota
SUA in front means you usually don't have to do anything with your draglink to clear the leaf springs.

Also, it means you are ready to buy my old heavy duty steering setup for an SUA cruiser:D


Let's see a pic and a price.

I've already rebuilt all of my steering but let's see what you got!

I don't think there is any way with those springs you will need the 14" travel shock and the long towers on the front.
Butch

Originally posted by BMAN


Dude,

They were on his truck.:flipoff2:


And mine are worn 35's.


Weeeeelll then....i will not so gracefully remove my head from my arse and see if I can go find osmething else to do...good luck with the SOA.:D

Originally posted by texican
I don't think there is any way with those springs you will need the 14" travel shock and the long towers on the front.
Butch


Just plannin for the future. The bilsteins are only $75 each no matter what travel I get, so I figured this way there is no way that my shocks will limit my articulation like they currently are.



Originally posted by fj40john
Weeeeelll then....i will not so gracefully remove my head from my arse and see if I can go find osmething else to do...good luck with the SOA.


No biggie bro! I guess I wasn't too clear on the MTR's being on my Brother's rig. Altough your reading comprehensoin was lacking on the other point. So I guess yeah, you should pull yer head out and go bother someone else.:flipoff2:

Seems like an awful lot of work, to end up with a sua front axle.

Why not spring over the whole thing at once?

I think it is actually quite easy to SO the rear. Im not sure what the guys plan (nor have I read the entire thread) is but i only raised the back end about an inch on mine. If you relocate your rear shackles so they sit at around a 45 degree angle you will lose about an inch in heighth (good in my opinion).

In my current config I think 35 would rub at full stuff

arndog

I'm doing a SOA all the way around on a friends FJ60. Just about finished with the front. Just need steering and anti-wrap bars. We made custom spring hangers in the front and shakles in the rear. It's alot of work but, when done this thing is going to do some flexing. The rear looks very easy, so that will be next. FYI, the stock springs haven't raised the front that much, I'd say only about 4 inches the height of the axle.

Jason

Chris,

Here are my thoughts. I know for sure that today my articulation is limited at least 4"of droop and 3" of stuff by the length of my shocks. When I pulled the shocks front and rear and twisted her up I still wasn't happy with the results. After reading extensively here and elsewhere about the benefits, I decided that a rear SO would greatly increase the droop of the rear axle. I also realized that a front SO would help out tremendously, but ruled that out for the time being because of the added cost of a high steer setup. Also, from what I've read, staying SUA in the front will help the truck to feel more "stable".

I'll also be shelling out some dough for new tires, wheels, and shocks all at the same time so any savings would be key. A highsteer is mandatory for a front SO, and a knockle turning is also likely when doing this swap along with the SR. All of these would add additional costs to the project. While I am willing to do all of these in the quest for ability, I am not in the position financially to takle them all at once. Besides, I prefer to wheel my junk, not work on it.

If I decided after wheeling with this setup that I wanted to go SOA up front, then it would be a smaller hit in the pocket later.


ARNDOG,

Thanks for the hint on the shackles, I hadn't thought of a relocation to even out the truck front to back. It'll also give better shackle geometry than I have today.

Let's see a pic and a price.

I just noticed your in the Southwest. Shipping would probably kill the deal:( Those solid Dana 44 tie rods are heavy.

Anyway, the steering looks sort of like twisted customs (or was it bent and twisted?) The difference is this is a solid rod and the toy steering arms are reamed from the top so the tie rod sits on top of the steering arms. Stock toy tie rod position is below the steering arms.


FYI Sixgun did his cruiser this way (SOA rear SUA front) last year and posted some pics of it on the board.

Originally posted by Tankota




FYI Sixgun did his cruiser this way (SOA rear SUA front) last year and posted some pics of it on the board.


Can't find his pics:confused:

I got a bunch of little red X's though.

Got a link w/ pics?

Bman,
I'm e-mailing you some pics of Sixgun and the steering.

Think you could send those to me too? It would be greatly appricated.

Jason

Hey Tankota, send me some pictures of the setup. I may be interested in buying it from you.

if you like I can post pictures of how mine sits. SO rear and normal front (actually don't know how much lift is in the front)

arndog

I have been considered this option of suspention (SUA front SOA rear) very seriously for some time. I would run 4 inch springs front and stock rear, I think my rig would end up being close to level. The other option would be to move the rear, front spring mount up into the frame (like a fellow did in a previous thread) and continue useing my 2.5 inch springs. I like being low. I think it would work very well, it would be very balanced, as the perches on the front axle are placed inwards giving it more leverage against the springs. My front flexes fairly well SU but the rear dose not. Stablity is a major plus as well. I as well don't have endless supplies of green (to many hobbies) so this would be a very easy cheep fix to inprove flex enough to be tolerable. anyway just my 2 cent.

Originally posted by Tankota
Bman,
I'm e-mailing you some pics of Sixgun and the steering.

Thanks bro but my email has changed. Could you reshoot them to bhoy@bordercorp.com ? I'd really appreciate it.