Beezil
10-22-2001, 09:16 AM
There's an on-going thread on the NAXJA site involving the pictures that went around of that crazy XJ suspension i posted here last week. The feller was contacted, and here is a short cut-and-paste of a particular "conversation"....
names were deleted...
Once again, enjoy!I've cut and pasted this from our local Jeep List, the names are not included to protect the innocent/idiot, please note that I have invited the driver of the Woody with the scary steering/UCA's to visit our Tech Forum, where we welcome all who are seeking knowledge on how to build a better XJ.......heck, we even accept Sean R......
XJEEPER
***** wrote:
"It's not just the material, it's the geometry. Building an upper arm that looks like a Z is just silly. Engineers may go by what they were taught in
"engineering school" and I hope to hell they do. Then, they go by what they are taught in the real world. Yes, the stock arms are flimsy, they are optimized to work within the design parameters of a stock jeep, plus a safety factor. Of course you have to beef them when you go to bigger tires, etc. But control arms are designed to handle immense axial loads, by putting angles in them you are introducing bending moments that the tubing and the welds, let alone the stock material, just cannot handle.
I didn't even mention the spacers, they are near the bottom of the list, along with the shock extenders. If you cannot see why your upper arm and pitman arm mods are insane, then it's a complete waste of time to even suggest that 4.5" spacers might be a bit much.
Sheesh, I can't even believe you are defending what you have done, and that you have done it on a fullsize vehicle that weighs double what your XJ weighs just adds insult to injury.
Let me guess, that pickup with the 44" swampers has 10-bolt axles and does just fine too, right?
Yes I take my life in my hands everyday, and everyday I pray that some wannabe engineer clown like you isn't heading straight for me or my family in some half-***ed, cobbled together death trap like the cherokee on your website. Yes a welded seam holds rollercoaster rides together, a well designed seam that holds together well designed parts according to established engineering principles, vigorously tested, evaluated, and so on, to meet exacting safety standards and with exacting safety factors.
Look, I'm not the fun police. I worked my *** off last year lobbying our state legislature and rallying 4-wheelers statewide to change the law to allow higher lifts on 4x4s, with the belief and faith that 4-wheelers (at least in my state) would keep the lifts legit. We got the law changed, a first ever in the nation. It was somewhat conditional, the DPS promised that they'd be following the stats to see any increase of accidents or rollovers. So far, so good; they won't be asking to get it changed. In fact, we may have started a trend: the Rep called me the other day and mentioned that the DPS has asked him to submit a bill relaxing window tinting.
I'm not against home-grown suspensions either, and I see a lot of them, good and bad. Thank God most are on competition vehicles, such as ARCA and UROC rigs. The good designs work and last, the bad ones don't. And cages and helmets keep the fools in the gene pool for another day.
You have every right to endanger your own life, but like my high school VP said to me on numerous occasions in his office, "Your right ends where his nose begins." Your ego is getting in the way of your sense. You have multiple bad suspension modifications. Please deal with it.
Regards,
*****"
* * wrote:
> Yes i drive it and have had the death wobble. The arm held up fine. As for the upper control arms look what thin metal the factory used. The spacers i used between springs i have seen on several jeep cherokees on the web.I have completely built a steering setup for a chevy truck on 44 swampers with a 427 big block and it goes offroading every weekend. I have no problems with the way i lifted my jeep. I have seen the factory bent arms break from defects in the material and it was from skyjacker suspensions. I deal with engineers on a daily basis and 90 percent of the designs i wind up redesigning because the engineer does not have real world experience. He simply goes by what he was taught in engineering school. If the book says it will work then it will work. That's bull. I don't mean to offend your engineering skills and don't take it personnel. You take your life in your own hands everyday. Look at six flags and disney world. What holds those roller coasters together. A welded seam.
names were deleted...
Once again, enjoy!I've cut and pasted this from our local Jeep List, the names are not included to protect the innocent/idiot, please note that I have invited the driver of the Woody with the scary steering/UCA's to visit our Tech Forum, where we welcome all who are seeking knowledge on how to build a better XJ.......heck, we even accept Sean R......
XJEEPER
***** wrote:
"It's not just the material, it's the geometry. Building an upper arm that looks like a Z is just silly. Engineers may go by what they were taught in
"engineering school" and I hope to hell they do. Then, they go by what they are taught in the real world. Yes, the stock arms are flimsy, they are optimized to work within the design parameters of a stock jeep, plus a safety factor. Of course you have to beef them when you go to bigger tires, etc. But control arms are designed to handle immense axial loads, by putting angles in them you are introducing bending moments that the tubing and the welds, let alone the stock material, just cannot handle.
I didn't even mention the spacers, they are near the bottom of the list, along with the shock extenders. If you cannot see why your upper arm and pitman arm mods are insane, then it's a complete waste of time to even suggest that 4.5" spacers might be a bit much.
Sheesh, I can't even believe you are defending what you have done, and that you have done it on a fullsize vehicle that weighs double what your XJ weighs just adds insult to injury.
Let me guess, that pickup with the 44" swampers has 10-bolt axles and does just fine too, right?
Yes I take my life in my hands everyday, and everyday I pray that some wannabe engineer clown like you isn't heading straight for me or my family in some half-***ed, cobbled together death trap like the cherokee on your website. Yes a welded seam holds rollercoaster rides together, a well designed seam that holds together well designed parts according to established engineering principles, vigorously tested, evaluated, and so on, to meet exacting safety standards and with exacting safety factors.
Look, I'm not the fun police. I worked my *** off last year lobbying our state legislature and rallying 4-wheelers statewide to change the law to allow higher lifts on 4x4s, with the belief and faith that 4-wheelers (at least in my state) would keep the lifts legit. We got the law changed, a first ever in the nation. It was somewhat conditional, the DPS promised that they'd be following the stats to see any increase of accidents or rollovers. So far, so good; they won't be asking to get it changed. In fact, we may have started a trend: the Rep called me the other day and mentioned that the DPS has asked him to submit a bill relaxing window tinting.
I'm not against home-grown suspensions either, and I see a lot of them, good and bad. Thank God most are on competition vehicles, such as ARCA and UROC rigs. The good designs work and last, the bad ones don't. And cages and helmets keep the fools in the gene pool for another day.
You have every right to endanger your own life, but like my high school VP said to me on numerous occasions in his office, "Your right ends where his nose begins." Your ego is getting in the way of your sense. You have multiple bad suspension modifications. Please deal with it.
Regards,
*****"
* * wrote:
> Yes i drive it and have had the death wobble. The arm held up fine. As for the upper control arms look what thin metal the factory used. The spacers i used between springs i have seen on several jeep cherokees on the web.I have completely built a steering setup for a chevy truck on 44 swampers with a 427 big block and it goes offroading every weekend. I have no problems with the way i lifted my jeep. I have seen the factory bent arms break from defects in the material and it was from skyjacker suspensions. I deal with engineers on a daily basis and 90 percent of the designs i wind up redesigning because the engineer does not have real world experience. He simply goes by what he was taught in engineering school. If the book says it will work then it will work. That's bull. I don't mean to offend your engineering skills and don't take it personnel. You take your life in your own hands everyday. Look at six flags and disney world. What holds those roller coasters together. A welded seam.