Re: Ryan's 4" lift

["Ryan Moore" <baradium@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel M Brodsky" <jmbrodsky@domain.elided>
To: "Ryan Moore" <baradium@domain.elided>
Cc: <ihc@domain.elided>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 19:13
Subject: Re: Ryan's 4" lift


> Ryan,
>       Drive one wheel (back, then front) up an embankment somewhere and
> you'll see that the stock shackle will flip over center, try to return and
> be locked up in one direction.  Sure, you might get lucky and never have
it
> happen.

Once, I did do that, without my sway bar installed.  Didn't happen, got full
articulation, did not run out of shackle travel either.

Also, the triangle springs are supposed to be longer so that the shackles
will not flip.

> I've fixed 5 torn mounts for club members on the trail now.  The
> rear is especially prone to this, but it also contributes to the front
> spring, rear mount pulling out of the frame.
>
> Best of luck.

Another reason I like triangles.   On the front, I run my sway bar so it
wouldn't flip anyways.

Never heard about problems with the rear, definately don't have problems
with shackle flip back there.

>
>       Enjoy your lack of bumpsteer.  We others aren't so lucky.  'course,
I
> wheel at least once a month so, if you get your truck out pretty often,
not
> only will you want more lift, but you'll see more problems.  As an aside,
I
> hit the speed humps (more gradual height increase than speed bumps) at
> about 15 mph, and the bumpsteer is very pronounced.  b-u-m-p-s-t-e-e-r
> (geddit?  pronounced?  heh heh.)
>

My scout is my only driver, so I am not planning to give it more lift.  It
handles great how it is and I like that given the amount of highway miles I
get.  Drives great down the interstate or back roads.  I don't get to take
it through very rough stuff like you probobly see out there, so it's not as
important to be touching the clouds.

In fact, I think I don't want to change from the 3.07s on this scout either.
I'm perfectly happy with my current 16.1 mpg around town,  I only got 12.5
at 65 through that tropical storm last time, but I had probobly a 30mph
headwind.  I got 14.5 coming back, measurement taken right after topping
Monteagle (mountain I cross) at 60mph, with about a 10-15mph headwind.

Don't know what speed I'm going to use back down again next week, 60 is
sounding tempting for the milage...It's good to have the scout running like
it should again.

> Anyway, my truck lurches side to side, and there are several solutions on
> the table, and when I see which works for more than one truck in a

If you have such long shackles, do you have braces between the shackles (IE
between the two sides of each shackle) to stop them from leaning?  I've seen
methods of sticking square tubing there and it seems to work quite well for
those people.

> financially prudent manner, I'll go with it.  I have yet to see Fleck with
> a rig that he can drive on a regular basis, so I wanna see how his trail
> rig does on the street and vice-versa.  I understand about the safety and
> legal implications of all of these solutions, which is why I have not yet
> done anything either unsafe, OR illegal.
>
> JoelB
>

I still don't know about the legality of welding that pitman arm... I'd ask
the DOT about that one if you really want to make sure not to do anything
illegal.

In GA, 4" of lift over stock is technically the highest you can go
legally... they don't enforce that one though.

-Ryan