BAMF 2nd Gen and 3rd gen rear shock relocation kit.

I think so.
And what about not doing a full weld at first but weld more than a quick tack, like say a couple 1/4 welds on each.
Then flex it and..

 

Anyone know the axle tube thickness for the 2nd gens rear axle? I figure I'll need this to dial in the welding parameter to glue the bottom mounts. I read 3/16" stamped steel on another site but wasn't clear if that was the older Toyota mini axles or these.

 

Are you wanting tube diameter or tube wall thickness?

 

Thickness. the plates are 1/4" so wondering if I should dial the settings towards that or something less?

 

I would find some scrape tube with the same wall thickness and scrape plate and cut to match tube and practice with technique and settings. But you will need to direct more heat into the thicker material. Another option is to do the set up yourself tac perches into place then have an experienced welder come over and finish welding them.

 

Thanks -- that is pretty much the plan. I have some old tube that I've already cut into smaller slices pieces and have been practicing cutting and attaching along the curve and sitting flat on the plate and working my way around. This is likely happening in February or March for me. I will be doing all the prep and the guy that did my sliders a few years back is will likely do the final welds if I'm not there yet. I did build my bumper from the Coastal Offroad kit a few weeks back which gave me plenty of practice along with all the scrap I'm messing around with, but I also understand this endeavor is much more critical -- Thanks

 

When you're welding the lower shock mounts, wrap a wet rag around the end of the axle so you don't melt the seal. Youll also want to change your diff fluid when everything is complete because you're gonna burn the fluid in the tube when you weld.

 

@JLee / So in the title it says leave about an inch of shaft showing at full bump, does that measurement include the black grommet dust wiper thing or do you need to measure above that if its seated at the bottom?

 

Just 1" of shaft showing so it would be just above that bump. I would keep it at one inch from metal on metal contact at full bump.

 

Hey guys, I'm one of the schmucks that missed out on the epic group buy a couple years ago. Still kicking myself for that, but I did at least buy a set of the relocation brackets on sale thanks to that troll a while back. Well, I think I can finally afford the shocks now, and I also just ordered the BAMF hangers and shackles to complete the project.

I'm seeking your help with a measurement, to figure out if I'll need wheel spacers. It seems like the most important factor is the effective wheel BS, but I don't know much about my wheels except that they are round and made from some kind of metal. I bet I could pull one off the truck and figure out how to measure the BS, but I was hoping to approach this differently, with a more direct measurement:



Would anyone who's successfully done this upgrade mind grabbing a tape measure to report the dimension above, when you get a chance? I'm requesting the distance between the inboard tire sidewall and the frame, measured on a level surface.

In my feeble mind, this seems like a useful measurement for determining clearance, as it takes into account the BS, spacer if present, and tire width. I suppose that your specific spring setup, shock diameter, and bumpstop configuration will also affect clearance at the limits of articulation, so it would be nice if you could also report details of your suspension setup, as well as your perceived clearance margin. For example, do your tires rub slightly against the shocks/brackets, or do you have room to spare at full stuff?


Example measurement: My truck currently has about 6-3/8" clearance between the tire and the frame on a level surface.

I apologize for asking for this measurement when the range of acceptable BS values has already been discussed on the thread. I am too lazy and stupid to deal with BS. I'm hoping a few of you could report this measurement, so I could get an idea of what the minimum value needs to be. It would make my life a little bit easier, and perhaps it might also help others in the future. Thank you.


Follow-up question: How do you break down the leafs to cycle the suspension? For what it's worth I'm currently running the AP Expos. All I remember from installing them that I urgently needed to go to a chiropractor afterwards. I assume I can unbolt it at the center pin?

Wait just one more question: Does anyone know of a spring that will carry a bunch of bed weight (800+ lbs?) while still allowing for a bit of uptravel? The expos carry the weight fine, but they're so thick, I'm barely off the bumps at rest. Switching to piston-style bumps smoothed out the ride, but I am probably wearing out the springs pretty quickly this way, and also it seems kind of stupid to be using the bumps to carry so much of the dynamic load. It rides well enough that I don't really want to change the spring geometry, but if there's a better leaf pack available for my truck, I'd like to swap it in before welding on the new shocks.

 

Assistance with the above questions would be appreciated. Parts are in now, so time is critical -- I'm easily within 1-2 years of actually starting work!

 

Your initial question is too dependent on tire/ wheel size as well as shocks that you decide to use. If the suspension only went up and down linear then it would be easy to answer that. That’s why it’s recommended install is as listed. Yes, pull leaf springs off, yank center pin, reinstall the main leaf. ( I added a temporary spacer w/ pin reinstalled to allow axle to track properly and space shock properly) Then bolt in upper eye of shock and cycle from there to match up lower shock mount for tacking in.

If doing leaf springs made you need the chiropractor, go ahead and schedule a couple visits that week… you’re going to be getting up and down and under 6 ways from Sunday unless you have a lift.

I also found it necessary for tire to shock body clearance to do a shackle flip… just couldn’t get enough room otherwise.

 

Only way to know if you'll need spacers or not is to fit the wheels on and flex em. My 35" tires on 16x8 wheels w/ 4.5" BS needed wheel spacers. I put on 1" wheel spacers and I've got about 1/4" clearance between tire and shock. This doesn't apply to everyone because shocks are different, weld location is different, wheels, leaf springs, tires. Alot of factors, so there is no real hard answer, you just gotta do it.

 

Thanks guys! I'm still clinging to the idea that this measurement is somehow relevant and useful. It doesn't matter what tire size, shock, wheel, etc. is used. It's just a distance that I'm asking folks to measure with a tape measure.

I understand that I'll just have to do the project to know for sure. Sometimes being stubborn and niave is how I learn things. I do appreciate your responses.

I'll schedule some chiropractor sessions and have the wambulance on speed dial though. Sadly no lift down here.

 

7 5/8"

 

Pretty nice little kit! Did the Bamf relocation, 14" Bilsteins, and Chevy 63s on a buddys truck. Can't beat the price for this setup.

 

Perty

 

Is that the DMZ frame box kit? Or ...?

 

Has anyone ran this setup with 12" ADS shocks? I have coilovers up front and would like to run ADS in the rear as well to keep things the same.

 

2.0 shocks would fit fine, don't think 2.5s would fit/clear all the way throught articulation