MJP2's Build

My new parts arrived from All Pro. The bolt on the left is machined to work with the rack & pinion on my truck.


As it fits in the kit:


They also shipped me their long-travel rod ends (on the right) to avoid binding when pushing my suspension.


The machining on this piece is amazing.


And a silly thing here. Installation of this kit was justification to get a new BFW.

 

Back on the truck, things came together quickly.


Installed, minus the cotter pin at the wheel end. I'll install that after re-torquing everything.


The passenger side came together quickly. Both sides can probably be done in about an hour.

Now it's a matter of getting an alignment and I can get back to bashing on the truck again.

 

Not on this kit. That boot is to keep dirt out of the pivot ball on the old linkage and isn't needed.


Would probably be a good idea to cover that area regardless, but the stock boot can't be removed without destroying it.

 

That looks COLL!!!

 

I got my fuel cell back from Fuel Safe the Monday before Christmas and finally had a chance to install it this past weekend. I'll snap some shots and post them soon.

More importantly, I'm considering a slight change of direction where the racing is concerned. Class 7sx is restrictive, will be a brutal ride, is competitive, and costs a lot to enter races as there's a purse for the winners.

I'm looking to do this more for the experience of racing rather than to win, so the sportsman class is looking more attractive. Fewer rules and restrictions, I could run long travel up front for a more comfortable ride, the entry fees are far less than they are for the competition classes, and there appears to be more camaraderie as the entrants are in it for the experience and challenge rather than the prize money.

It's just a thought right now and I'm going to give it a few days to settle in and see if I'm still good with it, but I figured I'd throw it out there and see if anyone has any opinions, thoughts, advice, or just plain snarky comments.

 

This is exactly why I turn to you guys for advice.

 

It's really not much of a change and the build costs are about even between the long travel and what I'd do for 7sx. The rear suspension is already on its way out in favor of a spring-under, so that leaves just the front. For that I'd wrap the stock LCAs in metal, add another pivot point on the frame and another arm on each LCA for more strength, set up a second set of shocks with custom mounts, etc., etc.

The safety equipment I already have in place is required for any racing class. Basically, very little of the money I've spent becomes negated with the class move as I need to rework so much anyway.

I like experiences more than attitudes, and I'd hate for some racer to get pissed at me because I held him up and resulted in a loss of prize money. I'm not in it for the money, so racing for the sake of racing sounds more appealing at the moment.

Money's always a concern, of course. Entrance fees for the SCORE sportsman class is about 1/3 less than it is for 7sx, so that's also a motivator.

Being indecisive sucks.

 

Thanks!

 

No problem on the spring under question. I've asked and got tons of different answers, few of which made much sense to me.

It comes down to usable wheel travel. With the leaf pack on top of the axle, there is a limited amount of physical space between the top of the pack and the truck frame and/or bumpstop. Move that leaf pack under the axle, using an appropriately longer leaf setup with more arch to keep the ride height the same, and you have a lot more room for up-travel.

The longer leaf pack also has the benefit of being able to flex more with the right shackles, so it can be made softer over a larger range of travel before nearing full compression and firmness.

Sportsman presents a convincing argument considering my goals here. I think my mind is made up but I'll give it more time before I drop more cash.