The install of AFI's lift is progressing slowly, but surely. Finsihed the rear-end yesterday morning and have finally begun onthe front, almost got the suspension work done yesterday afternoon. Today, I should have the suspension done by mid-morning and the swivels done maybe by the end of the day (if the phone don't ring:flipoff2: and I don't want to strangle Shopboy).

Anyway, here's a pic of the rear-end. That is a six inch square on top of the tire. The wheel well is almost 11" taller than a stock Disco:eek: :D

This is the SOB that took four and a half freaking hours to remove and prepare for re-use. AFI-is this worth another coupla hours labor? Pendy says it should be :flipoff2:

only if the part is reuseable in true pt style
but now you fawked it up I dono
:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

hey pt post up dammit

more pics

It's nice to see that PT is improving his photography skillz on his clients dime. :laughing:

It's nice to see that PT is improving his photography skillz on his clients dime. :laughing:

Coming from you, I'll take that as a major compliment! AFI bought me a tripod for documenting this job.

I've been experimenting with lighting, zoom and different resizing software.

Went shopping for a Nikon that will accept the glass from my Nikkormat... Shopgrrl said no! I think I'll get a three-link first though!

PT

This is the SOB that took four and a half freaking hours to remove and prepare for re-use. AFI-is this worth another coupla hours labor? Pendy says it should be :flipoff2:

Yeah - that looks familiar...

I took out insurance before I changed mine - bought a whole new casting. I had heard bad rumors about changing them...

Sawzall works OK if you don't plan on reusing the casting - but it's a royal PITA to get in there with such a big tool :D

How far did you space the axle back ?

I am assuming these are Rovertym's 5" springs? I am thinking I need to replace my 3" lift soon... And the 2" spacers. :D

Yeah - that looks familiar...

I took out insurance before I changed mine - bought a whole new casting. I had heard bad rumors about changing them...

Sawzall works OK if you don't plan on reusing the casting - but it's a royal PITA to get in there with such a big tool :D

How far did you space the axle back ?

I have found that the older (and wiser?) I get, the torch gets used less each passing year. This was a situation that certainly called for it. I used to be more concerned about burning stuff around the fuel tank, but my faith has become stronger and if it does go awry, I'm not worried:flipoff2: .

As for the bracket, there are a coupla trucks that could donate a bracket had I needed it:flipoff2: but, they are almost certainly more rusted than this one was as they are quite a bit older.

I'm not sure what the effective relocation is, but the mounting holes allow for two options, 1/2" closer and 1/2" further away. Given the geometry, I'm not sure just how far it moves the centrline of the axle from its original point. I used 5/8" of spacers on the trailing arms as a starting point and am hoping this is enough to achieve a suitable pinion angle as I don't want to have to remove the trailing arms to add or remove spacers.

Larry, yes, they are RTE springs, radius arms, trailing arms, and clocked swivel balls.

hey pt

stop yaking and start wrenching
:flipoff2: :flipoff2:

post up same pics

Post 'em yourself! :flipoff2:

hey pt

stop yaking and start wrenching
:flipoff2: :flipoff2:




Post up some pics


Are you Bipolar? :flipoff2:

Hey PT'
having fun with big springs? Things I've run into with that set-up (I've done a pile of those RTE 5" lifts)
I've had to move the rear axle forward (about 3/4') as well as the obvious pinion angle thing, but that could be because most of the 5" lifts I've done are to make room for 35-37" tyres And its hard to make room for them w/o cutting into the wheel well, or moving the axle forward.
Re-drilling and rotating the swivel balls is the way to go in the front. You can "castor correct" the radius arms, or adjust a 3 link but you still wind up with a bad pinion angle. Drilling the swivels will get you both the right castor and a good pinion angle.
If you have a 3-link and 5" springs, dont bother trying to run shocks in the stock location as they will just bend around the spring perch the first time you try to impress your friends with your new found flexibilty ( boy did I feel silly, especially when the truck stayed all twisted up after I backed of the ramp 'cause the bent shock wouldn't compress!!!) duhh!

Matt Browne
Overland Engineering

The springs were the easy part. If I ever get ahold of the guy who said this was an eight hour job... The part that AFI was told would be the most time consuming was without a doubt the easiest for me, the swivel ball work.

AFI got the cranked radius and trailing arms, along with the corrected swivels.

He and I argue almost daily on the merits of the three-link over the stock. Someday, I'll have a three-link and be able to put yet another theory to the test. Your comment on the three-link shock mounting explains why all of the pictures of shock mounts on three-links have the shocks mounted outside the spring!

I might have it done today. All that remains is for me to vacuum the house, take the trash out, do the dishes, finish the laundry, set bearing preload, reattach the calipers, bleed the brakes, adjust the panhard rod (I've marked the centerline of both the axle housing and the frame) and fab up a bracket to mount the shock reservoirs-more to come on this now that I finally figured out how I want to do it:D :grinpimp:

Peace,
PT

Hey PT'
having fun with big springs? Things I've run into with that set-up (I've done a pile of those RTE 5" lifts)
I've had to move the rear axle forward (about 3/4') as well as the obvious pinion angle thing, but that could be because most of the 5" lifts I've done are to make room for 35-37" tyres And its hard to make room for them w/o cutting into the wheel well, or moving the axle forward.
Re-drilling and rotating the swivel balls is the way to go in the front. You can "castor correct" the radius arms, or adjust a 3 link but you still wind up with a bad pinion angle. Drilling the swivels will get you both the right castor and a good pinion angle.
If you have a 3-link and 5" springs, dont bother trying to run shocks in the stock location as they will just bend around the spring perch the first time you try to impress your friends with your new found flexibilty ( boy did I feel silly, especially when the truck stayed all twisted up after I backed of the ramp 'cause the bent shock wouldn't compress!!!) duhh!

Matt Browne
Overland Engineering

Thats a good set up you've put together. I've just finished up pretty much the same thing and it is not even close to an eight hr job even after doing several in a row.The rig I'm just finishing has all the same stuff as AFI's plus a 1" body lift. That was an 8hr job..........8hrs a day for several days!!

Three link is the way to go ...although I'll build my own next time. With 14" travel Fox shocks I can put one tyre on the roof of a Saab 900 and have the other three still on the ground (don't ask). I forget what the "ramp" score is but on BWO's ramp it was pretty much just drive up to the top.
Ramps are sillyness anyhow, it's all about balance, like if you lift diagonally opposing wheels to equal hieghts and have the truck stay level. Three link front suspension makes that a possibility.

Good luck with the dishes etc.