Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
- CentralWAbaja
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Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Ed what are you able to get for ride height with your setup? Ground clearance at ride? same question at bump?
It is not Mickey Moused.....It's Desert Engineered!
- fl_buggy
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Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
I tried to join, but before I can browse the forum, u need to make a "welcome post", but I'm locked out from posting, so I'm stuck. Can you ask one of the administration to help? My email that I used is [email protected]
- CentralWAbaja
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- Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:05 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Done!
PM me if there are more issues and we will not cloud this discussion with that stuff
PM me if there are more issues and we will not cloud this discussion with that stuff
It is not Mickey Moused.....It's Desert Engineered!
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- Posts: 1126
- Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:02 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Lee this is it now. I used 1/8" for the center piece and dimple died the holes, the side plates are 3/16" and the inside gussets are 3/16". There is no twisting as everything is in alignment with each other.
Daron I made my arms 4" longer and 2" wider and these shock mounts are back by the link pin but raised from the link pin for a better angle. I do not have any pics at the moment of the arms but they are very beefed up with 1 1/4"x 5/8" bar off of my first shock mounts and the arms gussets and then boxed with 3/16" plate over that. I have the same 12" of travel and am using 4" droop for ride height and 8" more to bump. The car is apart like the pic above at the moment but as I recall it has 14" of ground clearance at the beam at ride height and about 6" or so of ground clearance at bump. Right now I am working on the new lower bumper mounts as I cut the old ones off to do this work. In this pic it is at full droop of the shock, I will be strapping it up a 1/2" from here, and it clears everything at full shock droop. also in this pic the mounts and the arms are not finished as in no center plate on the towers and the arms are not fully gusseted or plated.
Ed
Daron I made my arms 4" longer and 2" wider and these shock mounts are back by the link pin but raised from the link pin for a better angle. I do not have any pics at the moment of the arms but they are very beefed up with 1 1/4"x 5/8" bar off of my first shock mounts and the arms gussets and then boxed with 3/16" plate over that. I have the same 12" of travel and am using 4" droop for ride height and 8" more to bump. The car is apart like the pic above at the moment but as I recall it has 14" of ground clearance at the beam at ride height and about 6" or so of ground clearance at bump. Right now I am working on the new lower bumper mounts as I cut the old ones off to do this work. In this pic it is at full droop of the shock, I will be strapping it up a 1/2" from here, and it clears everything at full shock droop. also in this pic the mounts and the arms are not finished as in no center plate on the towers and the arms are not fully gusseted or plated.
Ed
- CentralWAbaja
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- Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:05 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
So bottom arm mount with a "Banana mount as some call it" gives more clearance at droop, and the further down that arm that shock mounts give it a more progressive rate. One other thing that can be done is to do an extended lower shock eye helping with that interference at full droop that is experienced with my arms. It lets the arms droop out further before binding comes into play.
Man I love the way you think Ed nicely done!
Man I love the way you think Ed nicely done!
It is not Mickey Moused.....It's Desert Engineered!
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Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Thank you CWB Since droop is where it was when I built the first suspension it is as low as it can go because of tie rod clearance. Your banana mount name sounds like the term used for old dirt bikes when they had banana swing arms that were curved. I tend to think in old dirt bike thoughts as my old front suspension was like a 76 Honda and my rear was like my 77 RM Suzuki and now so is my front
I had a old piece of plastic cutting board mounted on the arm with 6 holes in it like I did the plywood towers and I moved the shock to all positions and this is what I settled on, with the mount so far back on the arm I am not getting much mechanical advantage so it is taking almost all of the 10" shock travel to get my 12" wheel travel but I am fine with that.
Ed
I had a old piece of plastic cutting board mounted on the arm with 6 holes in it like I did the plywood towers and I moved the shock to all positions and this is what I settled on, with the mount so far back on the arm I am not getting much mechanical advantage so it is taking almost all of the 10" shock travel to get my 12" wheel travel but I am fine with that.
Ed
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- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Thanks for taking time to post the pix. Looks and sounds strong. Although you aren't heading that direction the idea of shock on the top A-arm has me curious.
Silly question: how much higher can the shock towers go before they start to obstruct your view? I see it in rails as you sit differently but kind of curious how far you can go on a Baja
Silly question: how much higher can the shock towers go before they start to obstruct your view? I see it in rails as you sit differently but kind of curious how far you can go on a Baja
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Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Ed mentioned I'm setting my steering up like his and I am. His car was such a pleasure to drive. I logged about 80 to 100 miles driving on the EBA in a variety of conditions. The main difference is Ed is using a Saginaw 525 manual box and I will be too.. Steering is very light and surprisingly responsive considering the steering ratio. Bump steer is non existent, or extremely minimal in about 8 to 10 inches of travel. After that it is a bit noticeable, like hardly noticeable. He is not running any steering dampners or power steering. I had been driving for about 15 or 20 miles, we were going down a very rocky secton and hitting a 8 to 10 inch boulder was pretty common. I found myself not trying to avoid the rocks and letting the front tire hit them. I honestly couldnt tell i just hit one. The suspension soaked it up and there was not even a flinch of the steering wheel. Much different than my car which would of tried to rip the steering wheel out of your hands.
- bajaherbie
- Posts: 9959
- Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:07 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
Ed, are your shock towers tied together with the horizontal tube near the top?
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Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.
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- Posts: 1126
- Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:02 pm
Re: Any tricks for a Class 5 Unlimited front suspension?
No but they are very strong with the center piece welded to the beam tube and the gussets on the inside. Also the shock is in alignment with the towers so there is no side thrust.bajaherbie wrote:Ed, are your shock towers tied together with the horizontal tube near the top?
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Ed