I think it needs a little lift.  What do you think?







I havent been wheeling in ages.  I'm going in 4 weeks, in one of our Trackers, so time to start building!

Stage one is going to be fairly mild and the IFS stays. 

Here is the plan:

32x11.5" BFG MT KM's
15x8 2.75" BS wheels
Tcase gears
Locker or spool in rear
beefed up steering

Suspension:
 - 2in Body lift
 - 1.25" OME springs and struts
 - Plasma cutter

Beef'd up CV joint options?

Looking for input on the suspension.   Are the OME struts worth the extra travel?  Seems like it would be helpful, but they are pretty pricey.   I'd rather not add the spring spacers if I can help it.  I dont mind cutting, as long as I dont have to get into the floor boards and it can be domne without making it look ghetto.   Think it will be enough lift with some cutting.

3 inch "floor jack" lift.

I dont mind cutting, as long as I dont have to get into the floor boards and it can be domne without making it look

For 33s I think you will have to cut/bash the footwells. Either that or do an 8" bodylift  , the suspension lift won't make any real difference to clearance as the tyre will still come up just as far.  You could do the front end widening mod which will move the wheel centres further forward, don't know if you will have enough travel in the stock driveshafts though. OME struts are good but 2" strut (not spring) spacers will give you more travel.
Edit: I've seen the stuff you do and it looks very good. While you're about it how about a stut brace for the Track/Kick? that would help reinforce the stock turrets.

The tires are 32x11.5 not 33's.  The wheels are 2.75" back spacing, so the tires are pushed out about 1" from where they would normally be.  This helps with rubbing on the frame, but actually makes it worse at the back of the fender in the front.

I dont see how a strut spacer could give you any more travel???   I can see how it would give you more down travel vs. what you would have if you did some suspension lift and made no other changes though. 

I'll think about the strut brace.  Seems like strut spacers themselves would be a helpful thing to be available though.  Those would be quick and easy to do if people want them.

How about some more power to turn those big tires?

Zag

I think it needs a little lift.  What do you think?







I havent been wheeling in ages.  I'm going in 4 weeks, in one of our Trackers, so time to start building!

Stage one is going to be fairly mild and the IFS stays. 

Here is the plan:

32x11.5" BFG MT KM's
15x8 2.75" BS wheels
Tcase gears
Locker or spool in rear
beefed up steering

Suspension:
 - 2in Body lift
 - 1.25" OME springs and struts
 - Plasma cutter

Beef'd up CV joint options?

Looking for input on the suspension.   Are the OME struts worth the extra travel?  Seems like it would be helpful, but they are pretty pricey.   I'd rather not add the spring spacers if I can help it.  I dont mind cutting, as long as I dont have to get into the floor boards and it can be domne without making it look ghetto.   Think it will be enough lift with some cutting.

3 inch "floor jack" lift.

Hi Jim,

Looks like fun in the making... I'd suggest taking a few moments and reading through the technical section in the article archives. It could give you a few good ideas.

-Eric

I dont see how a strut spacer could give you any more travel???   I can see how it would give you more down travel vs. what you would have if you did some suspension lift and made no other changes though. 

Good looking Ride Shrock Where the strut spacer/flip helps out is when you reach the level that your springs fully compress before the strut up travel runs out. Due to bump stops, longer springs or coilspring spacers. You are correct that it wont give you any more than stock wheel travel, it just corrects the stock struts form being limited after suspension mods.

The OMS struts are worth every penny. The cost kept me form getting them for a while untill I rode in Hagens Tracker (WOW what a difference) It rode so much better that I had some ordered on my way home form Wisconsin.

You will be close with 1.5" springs and 2" body and 32's, even with a healthy dose of plasma cutter. I fit some 33x12.50 BFG MT's on 15x10 rims (4" BS) with a Calmini 2" suspension lift and 3" body lift. It took alot of cutting including the floorboards. PM me if you want a pic or tow and I'll send them to you.

Keep us updated on how it goes.

Zig

Zig, Yeah email the pics over.  I'd like to see 'em.

Eric, I've soaked up everything in the tech section already.  Good stuff.

Zag, maybe later.  The tcase gears should do the trick offroad. 

My pics are at the house, I will see if there are any on line.

Zig

Here you go. This is the set up mentioned above.

Zig









I'll try to find some better pics tonight at the house.

Zig

if you don't want to cut or bash the floors then you will need more lift, bottom line.  Your going to need some good suspension lift and i would say a 3in body lift.  If i was going to be building a truck to showcase my very nice products then I wouldn't hack the floors and fenders,  use the correct amount of lift for your tires and make it look good.

So whats about drivetrain Jim?  lockers front and rear, steel up front, Yota CV's, whats your direction?

Stu

The tires are 32x11.5 not 33's.  The wheels are 2.75" back spacing, so the tires are pushed out about 1" from where they would normally be.  This helps with rubbing on the frame, but actually makes it worse at the back of the fender in the front.

I dont see how a strut spacer could give you any more travel???   I can see how it would give you more down travel vs. what you would have if you did some suspension lift and made no other changes though. 

I'll think about the strut brace.  Seems like strut spacers themselves would be a helpful thing to be available though.  Those would be quick and easy to do if people want them.

My 33s are nearer 32, I found the same problem when I tried using wheel spacers to move the tyres away from the footwells.
The strut spacers give lots more travel, if you remove the spring and raise the arm up till it hits the bump stop you will find that the strut still has 2" of travel left. Lowering the top strut mounting lets you use that travel, you get something like a 45% increase in wheel travel. The OME struts give around 1.5" of extra travel because they are longer. I'm not against using the OMEs, I have a pair myself (with a lowered diff and strut spacers) but if you have the facility to make the spacers it is a very cheap way of getting a lot more travel.

After reading and rereading, + getting the 33's on mine today,  With lots O rub.

I believe that the lift you mentioned mild sheet metal trim and the Hagen front end widening just might be the trick. 

So whats about drivetrain Jim?  lockers front and rear, steel up front, Yota CV's, whats your direction?

For now it will be rear locker or spool and tcase gears.   I havent quite flushed out all the pro's / con's of the suzuki steel housings and what good options there are for beef'd CV's axles, but from whati've read, sounds like I'll probably be grenading the front axles and housing pretty quick. 

I thought i'd kinda start simple and see what breaks, so I can keep an eye out for fixes and stronger replacement parts we could offer as products.

Quote

So whats about drivetrain Jim?  lockers front and rear, steel up front, Yota CV's, whats your direction?

For now it will be rear locker or spool and tcase gears.   I havent quite flushed out all the pro's / con's of the suzuki steel housings and what good options there are for beef'd CV's axles, but from whati've read, sounds like I'll probably be grenading the front axles and housing pretty quick. 

I thought i'd kinda start simple and see what breaks, so I can keep an eye out for fixes and stronger replacement parts we could offer as products.

My experience ...

I spooled the rear and after some tough runs decided I needed a front locker as well. So I got a lockrite/ezlocker up front too. Still have the aluminum housings (but 26 spline in the front diff). I'm running 1.75" spacers all around, and have BEAT on it to the point I SHOULD have breakage. None yet. I'm also still running the auto locking hubs (which should help in breaking stuff). No problems so far.

I know I WILL break it at somepoint, but every run I push it harder and harder, and still doing fine. Also, I'm not talking mild trails. The little "golf cart" has been in some really hairy stuff and still drives out and home.

Just FYI ... I do run on the street ... parts/beer runs, and also 60 miles or so to the trails (and the 60 miles home ) ... the spool isn't bad for mild street use. 60-65 is the fastest I try to go too ...

Thanks for the info SnoFalls.  What size tires are you running?