Mojave Rebuild and Random Projects Build Thread

Thank you!!!!

So the lack of shackles and hangers boiled down to two things... First is simply time, I don't have time haha. Second, after getting into it I realized they would be zero benefit with these leafs. They are just too flat, they don't droop very much and they just aren't going to use the full range the rear end can make. I loosened the bolts on the shackles and even with the single leaf in there, they wouldn't move forward and aft much more than about 30 degrees. So the factory rubber will do the job for now... Once I get a custom leaf pack built and I go to re-cycle the rear suspension we will see what it can do. I cut the parts out for the shackles so if time permits I might just make them for fun and stick them on there!

 

@jberry813 is this shackle hanger design the one you are going to run?

 

Yes was meaning the hangers he was going to design. I'm in the market for some new hangers since I made the mistake of buying a shackle flip and now want to go back inverted hangers. So before I do that I will continue to follow your build to see what you come up with as well as this thread

 

I heard the vendor was a bad ass mother fu..er

 

Well that's good to know! Now I don't know a whole bunch about suspension geometry (which is why I ended up with the shackle flip) but I am trying to learn lots. Would this drop style hanger that @MojaveMadman was designing be a better idea then go back to a upgraded stock hanger? Of course will have custom leafs for either set up.

 

My hanger probably won't happen... as I mentioned above I want a shackle that's taller than stock so the leafs behave better. Even my 1" drop with 1" longer previous design won't fix that... so I'm not sure it's worth the effort... I know what @jberry813 is talking about and you will want them, even with stock geometry because the bushings will be much nicer and they will be able to allow for more suspension droop and wheel travel. You will get there!!!

 

Well that sounds great to me! Is there any way to get more uptravel while being spring over with out going super negative arch. I can tell by looking at the way Toyota made the rear suspension it's not ideal. Would a longer shackle increase the arch which would increase up travel? Or am I just way out to lunch on my thinking . I need to go to suspension school

 

Longer shackles would fix it, but with them being under the frame, there is no space to go longer using the factory setup... If you wanna max out bump travel then SUA is the way to go. But you lose daily drive-ability when you go SUA. It's all compromises...

 

I figured that would be the answer. Was trying to have my cake and eat it to

 

Update! Got all the stuff under the fenders done. Still need to build the cross bar for the rear shock mounts. I can already tell the rear shocks need a little tuning and after talking a bit with @jberry813 I think we got this all figured out, faster rebound is needed! But so far I am really liking it and the potential is huge!

For those who want to know what a deaver J66 pack looks like in pieces, here you go!



And here are some final pics under the fender.







Also started on the front suspension today. Was hoping to get moving on my bypass mounts. But... after getting the suspension apart and cycling everything, it was apparent that the project was a little to big for my current time line. I have a trip in 12 days and can't jump into a full front end rebuild right now. So I took advantage of where I was and trimmed the inner fender well area. Lots of plastic, bend and trimmed a pinch weld and did some further cab mount chopping from a poor job by the previous owner. Now at full compression I can go full steer in both directions with no rubbing! Got my new Kings installed and this thing is ready to party for a while!!!



And this is how it sits for now. I have a few hundred pounds that will got "permanently" mounted in the bed for most driving which will bring the ass down a little bit and give me the much needed weight it needs right now. She is a bit of a sleeper. Looks like a mall crawler that will pass you in the whoops!!!

 

looks great

 

How does the SUA affect daily driving?

 

SUA will more than likely be a little more flexy driving around town. With more up travel and the longer shackles most kits provide for these setups it's just hard to keep the rear suspension planted in a corner. There are some more Coker ways to explain this that leaf spring experts could explain in greater detail. But the result is the same, more movement in the rear end with both street and off-road driving. Great for off-road but not ideal for read driving, especially with a loaded truck. SUA will be more sensitive to rear axle weight changes. Not recommended for most folks who want the truck for multi purpose use. My 12" of SOA travel works pretty darn good because it's well controlled wheel travel. Get extra credit and have Deaver or Alcon build you a custom leaf pack for your specific needs and you will love it!!!

 

Chris, awesome build! Love what you have done so far.

I have a question.

Can you please tell me where you measure from when calculating your wheel travel? I'm curious. Thanks.

 

These are subjective I guess. I have seen @jberry813 explain these as well.

The straight up and down is 12" measured from the u bolt plate to the compressed hydro bump directly.

The articulated is subjective. With my wheel spacers it's measured from the center of the wheel spacer. If I went wider it would be more as it is a combination of things. The bump stop location, width, compression on one side, droop on the other....

Best answer, focus less on the number on the tape and more in performance. Does it work the way you want? Can you get over the obstacles you attemp? Are there any mechanical problems or does everything cycle clean? It's just a number, and some would argue a dick measuring number at that. I typically stick to straight up and down (flat axle, not articulated) as a guide to see where I am, but my no means a strict rule. Do what works best for your rig!!!!