Rear End Set Up HELP! Shock length

OK....lol I want to buy the All pro rear end kit... for my 97 4x4 yes i know I have to move the hangers..... but i dont wantthe 5125 shocks.. i would like to put some FOAs on there... the shocks that come with the kit are billy 5125 9" shock
9" 5125 9.24"Travel15.11" collapsed24.35"Extended

The FOA 2.0 10"
Collapsed is 16.3" Extended is 26.3"
[SIZE=-1]16.3"[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]---------[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]26.3"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]16.3"[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]---------[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]26.3"[/SIZE]



Would my uptravel be that horrible? if i added 1.5" all pro shakles would that fix that? I want as much travel as i can get with out using a bed cage...
Also I would have to weld shock mounts on the axel right? Because the eyes on the shock arnt bushings... please give me a list of all the things i need to do... or even if this is the best route? I want 285s on my truck and i want as much flex as i can get Give me some set ups people use! I want my rear end dialed! I WANT A MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

what you need to do is get the leaf pack, install it, take out all the leafs besides the largest one, use a block of wood to replace the rest of the leafs.
use a jack and jack up your suspension to full bump, and full droop, measure, and make sure you have a shock that fits.

keep in mind you will probably need to angle your shocks like this /\ .

its hard to tell you what shock to get unless you cycle the pack


but maybe someone can assist better than me..

 

FOA's are crap. Horrible workmanship & customer service is nonexistant.

You don't need to buy the kit, just buy the leafs and use whatever shock you choose. 10" shocks are too long to place in the stock location. Anything over 8", your down travel will be limited by the shock body, therefore, you will not be taking full advantage of the shock travel. If you add shackles you'll wear out your leafs much faster. If you go with an 8" shock you can keep them in the stock location without having to weld new mounts to the axle. Bushings or heims have nothing to do with new shock mounts. If you get a u-bolt flip kit you'll need to weld new shock mounts on the axle, however, a u-bolt flip kit is not necessary.

 

Technically this is the correct way to measure but this might be beyond his skill level. 8" shocks are max for stock location unless you want to weld a new cross member to raise the height of the upper shock mount.

 

my cousin has FOAs on his jeep and never had a problem with them and he beat the hell out of them...
The reson i want the kit is because it comes with the break lines and shocks. I talk to kurtis from all pro he said 9.25 is what comes with the kit that being said I think they found that the 9 inchers work the best idk. But any 8 inch shock will work? do you think the leaf packs are nice? how will it ride? i just want as much fles as i can get maybe later on i will mount to the axel and have a mount above the cross member..

 

I have the AP standard leaf pack. I used to run 8" Bilstein 5125 shocks in the stock location until I recently upgraded to 10" Fox shocks. I haul ass across the desert and do a little 2wd rock crawling. I welded a new upper cross member and welded new lower shocks mounts to take advantage of the shock travel. 9" shocks will work but you'll sacrifice travel and you'll probably need to extend your bump stops so the shocks don't bottom out.

Unless you're racing in the desert, an 8" shock will work for you without having to modify anything.

 

I will second the FOA's are crap thought.

Mine would constantly leak, never held a nitrogen charge and when we pulled them apart there were a ton of metal shavings mixed into the oil that were clearly from the machining process. I wouldn't touch another set of them if you paid me, complete trash. Swapped to Fox as soon as i could.


The 5125s are a much better option for you if you're trying to save some pennies

 

can you pm me pics!!! i would love to see it!

 

FOXES OF ASIA! hhaha alright ill stay away

 

yea haven't heard many good things about FOA..

that said, even with the 9'' billies you will need biger bump stops to keep them from bottoming out in the stock locations. Not a big deal if you don't wheel real hard. But if you do and flex the rear out a lot, no matter what shock you have will die from the seals getting pounded.

You need to get your lift setup and then cycle it without shocks and measure how well it flexes to get the best idea on extended and collapased lengths. You can then figure out if you need a longer bump or even a longer shock to really use the travel your could be getting.

 

2001 Prerunner

 

For what it's worth, you can fit 12" travel 7100 short bodies under your bed, in the stock locations. They are 16" collapsed and 28" extended.


See my thread over here: Since I posted over on ttora, I've gone with longer shackles, which have netted me more droop and the longer shocks are great for that:






Clearing my slider:



I've been very happy with the 7100s. Check out my build thread for more detailed information.

 

hmmmmmmmm now that you said this what about the 7100 sb 10"?! 14 collapsed and 24.25 extended!

 

^Yep. That's about like a basic 5125 setup length-wise.

 

I will say that in the last year or so FOA shocks have come up in quality a lot. internals are much better machined and overall a better shock. also customer service has always been top notch in the pat 4 or so years i have delt with them. I had 10" dual rate coil-overs on my 85 long travel truck and have more on the back of my fj40 FOAs are a great budget shock.

now saying that, i just bought icons for the front of mine :lol: and will be ordering bilstein for the rear either 7100 or 9100 series.

 

what valving did you get?

 

I just went with 255/70 because I haul heavy loads with my rig. If I didn't, I'd go softer.

 

Question for you did you take any leafs out? Cause I have the same set up I mean I duplicated everything you have in the picture with the cross member and everything. Problem is it rides like hell lol amazing flex but rides like a brick. I have light/med valving on both compression and rebound and running 150 psi. And it rides like crap. Just seems like that valving wouldn't be that stiff...

 

I did not remove any leafs and my psi is also 150. My ride is much stiffer than is used to be in the streets but in the desert it rides great. I used to run Bilstein 5125, 255/70 (I think) and it was much smoother in the street. I'm sure by making the valving softer it will make a difference but I haven't gotten around to that yet. What kind of shocks are you running?