Hands-On Help with a Rear Shock Relocation

Hello CO TW members,

Am planning and putting together parts for a rear shock relocation on my 01 1st Gen. There have been a few that have completed this rear shock relocation onto the rear axle and have raved about the increased performance that a 10" stroke shock can do for the rear end.

I'm looking for someone with a welder and welding skills to help me with this project (plus possibly the ability to lift the bed off the frame, too). I'm happy to pay for your labor and assist in this project. I am competent in wrenching though certainly no master (carpentry is more my trade). Bonus points would be for someone that has already completed this that would be willing to help.

Am planning based on the write-up from another guy on here: https://adventuretaco.com/how-to-to...ning-leaf-spring-cycle-and-mount-positioning/

I am happy to come to where you live if you have the space to work on this over a weekend day. I'm hoping to have this project completed by mid-summer. Would be flexible with what schedule fits.

Please PM or respond if interested or know of anyone that could help!
Many thanks.

 

Since your on the western slope, maybe @In4aride

 

Awesome. Well that's pretty darn close to me, I'm in Gunny. I'll hit you up with a PM later today. Thanks for responding

 

It's a lot more than a weekend project to do it right, including cycling the leafs, setting bump height, boxing the frame, getting rid of the LSPV, relocating the tail pipe etc.

If you just want to burn some mounts on and get it close that's one thing, but if you want to do it properly and are looking into other big projects on your truck, I highly suggest just buying a welder and taking the time to learn.

 

I certainly wish to learn to weld, it would be a great skill set to learn; though it just doesn't seem like I have the time or finances (outside of this project) to purchase a welder at this moment. Suspension that is on the truck is in its replacement time frame so in the next few months it is my hope to get this project completed. Thank you for the encouragement.

 

Here's a fun fact. Zane's truck now resides in Colorado Springs with my son.

If you want to take a look at the setup, and are near Colorado Springs, hit up @GuideWithVegvisir.

He is currently working on getting his license, so the truck will be spending a lot of the time parked in the parking lot of his barracks... but I think he'd enjoy meeting some TW folk in local area of operation... lol

 

This picture makes me smile.

 

Update: I was fortunate to get help from Mike @In4aride today on this project. He and I kept diligent through the day and were able to get the new 2.5 smooth body 10" ADS shocks installed as well as frame reinforcement plates that we were able to incorporate to the mount for the top tube. All well before dark and without hardly any hiccups.



I had initially thought we'd do steel tubing on top of the frame, like a few folks on here that had, and Mike had the great idea to nest up to the inside of the frame instead. Ultimately, we decided to hole saw through the frame and run the tubing through on each side, aligning ideally with the Trail Gear frame reinforcement plates.




You can just see the capped end sticking out on the right side of the frame plate - second to last hole:


Then the slowest process of the day was Mike (mostly Mike, I was just the labor guy handing tools and agreeing with ideas) figuring out the final mounting spots for the bottom mounts to the rear axle. We'd already "unpacked" the leafs first thing in the morning so we had an idea of how much compression and sag they'd have to inform Mike in how much up and down travel the shocks would have with our tentative top and bottom shock mounts.




After all was welded and the numbers were looking ideal. A quick coat of rattle can primer and then we were off to get the hardware, an exhaust pipe elbow (for redirecting the shortened tail pipe) and pipe clamps for the remote reservoirs.



A final coat of black and we were into mounting the new ADS rear shocks - valved specifically for our 1st Gens. Compressing the shocks with ratchet straps and a bit of coaxing and wallah the shocks were in their new home.



If you are considering upgrading your suspension, or a rear shock relo - definitely give ADS a solid consideration. I have their front 2.5 coilovers - again valved specifically for the 1st gens. They are made in the USA, and the quality is IMHO hands and feet above the other "top" brands. If you want to know more see why here: https://arizonadesertshocks.com/3018-2/ - pretty cool side by side comparison.

Anyways, big thanks again to Mike. If you're in need of armor or welding services, consider his fabrication business - www.warfabarmor.com. Solid guy

Oh and the big plus of the day - we didn't have to take the bed off to complete this project. Easily the icing on the cake!

A great day with an outcome that makes me quite happy.

 

I’m wondering if just welding on the frame reinforcement plates will be good enough for me. I noticed yet again that my bed (frame) flexes a bunch when off road they way I drive when I went into Arches the back way last night.

I know boxing is best, but would plates be 50% as stiff? 70%?

I’m not jumping (much) other than decompressing the suspension over water bars.

 

Adjust your resi's so the hoses are not rubbing on stuff. It's a thick hydraulic hose but will wear over time.

I bet that your shocks are way to lightly valved like all the ADS I have seen and revalved. Push it hard in the dirt a few times and ask @Squeaky Penguin about his Hogwarts valving.

Looking good!

 

Good idea! Mounting them ideally was an after thought yesterday. We didn't expect to get that far day one. My plan today is to wrap things with pipe insulation today and figure out "happy" places so that said rubbing doesn't occur.

They may be tight in their valving. I shall find out in time I guess! Then as things go looks like I can hit you up for some shock services

 

Thanks man! Great to meet you as well. I'll definitely be in touch about some weld-on sliders

 

A great question - certainly beyond what I could comfortably tell you. You could start with a piece by piece approach until you find the "ideal" flex for your rear. Plates may be a great start....then maybe boxing. Hard to say. Best of luck!

 

start with uncrossing the resi's so 1 is above and 1 below the tube. And get some hourglass rubber resi mounts to space them off the tube your clamping to if you don't already have them. No need to wrap the resi hose if they are not rubbing on anything.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll post a pic later when I get things tidy-ed up back there
Never heard of those resi mounts...is that something specific? Or are you generally referring to something basic?

 

Similar to this.

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/prothane-shock-reservoir-mount/22261

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/fabtech-shock-reservoir-mount-kits/6056

 

Gotcha. Spacers basically to hold them apart. Prob do two per resi if mounted to just the tubing...maybe one set for them to each other top and bottom like you were saying. These make sense...thanks!

 

Ads runs their OE line of shocks at a lower nitrogen pressure off the line because “it’s not a race car”. Have you experimented with just upping the pressure to see if that changes the “softness?”

 

Not the sexiest AND function before form:


$10 trailer tire tube to "pad" the resis on the pipe clamps and DOM tubing and some gorilla tape to keep it fastened. Works just fine I think and the hoses are no longer touching!

Thanks @TMFF for the suggestion

 

You can only bandaid it for so long before the lack of valving catches up. I've done that with friends trucks back in the day, FYI SAW's are good to about 350 psi.