MG Metal Works DIY kit knowledge share

[HintonbrosRV]

Originally Posted by amamdani

Thank you HintonbrosRV.
I will order both those products tomorrow.
What rear shocks do you use?
Brake lines, rear?

Rear Shocks Fox 2.0 P/N 985-24-061 (2ea). This what I used. The bottom attachment was a little too wide, so I trimmed them to fit. Maybe they fit w/ Sterling Axle, I dunno. I have a factory Dana 60 w/ Trac-Lok Positraction.

I didn't need to change rear brake lines. I did adjust brake line bracket on LH side of the frame above rear axle to allow some more length at full travel.

[Turbo]

Originally Posted by HintonbrosRV

In rear, I used the Sky Offroad Design's 4.5" rear shackle flip & 1" extended Shackles (78-97 Truck/Bronco). Several guys have used this w/ good results. Also used 6 deg pinion shims from WFO to help w/ pinion angle. With cc880s springs in front, this brought me mostly level. Adding a leaf will get you a couple more inches.

I like this approach. So you left the spring perches at 0 degrees and used the shims to adjust the angle instead. That correct?

[CHEMMINS]

Hey all,

Let me first off say there is a wealth of info here. I've been reading now for what seems like ages.

Now to the task at hand. It appears that I have a bit of a rarity when it comes to builds. Mine is a 1992 E350 clubwagon with an EFI 460 and E40D. Now I have talked to Michael about the trans and converting it to 4x and have come to the conclusion that the easiest option for the t-case is to rock a divorced NP205. Helps with driveshaft angles, is a drop in with a new x-member and no messing around with the stock trans.

Now the question begs...

I have access to a ton of f250's and 350's of a broad range of years. Mostly rolling chassis. With the 1992 is there anything anyone can think of that might be problematic with an MG kit? And if you were selecting the gold standard donor truck, what would it be.

6 - 8" height is goal overall if that makes a difference in the donor truck.

Seeing as this is Just in the infancy stage, I want to catch all the minute details and idiosyncrasies as soon as possible before pissing away cash.

[HintonbrosRV]

Originally Posted by Turbo

I like this approach. So you left the spring perches at 0 degrees and used the shims to adjust the angle instead. That correct?

Yeah. Since I didn't change rear axle I didn't adjust pinion angle via perches. Honestly, I didn't actually ever measure my pinion angle as I should have. I had seen another website or on facebook that guys used the 6 deg shims (which is the largest I could find) and seemed to have good results (no vibes, etc). I've got about 4000 miles now since modification and am very happy with it so far.

[HintonbrosRV]

Originally Posted by CHEMMINS

Hey all,

Let me first off say there is a wealth of info here. I've been reading now for what seems like ages.

Now to the task at hand. It appears that I have a bit of a rarity when it comes to builds. Mine is a 1992 E350 clubwagon with an EFI 460 and E40D. Now I have talked to Michael about the trans and converting it to 4x and have come to the conclusion that the easiest option for the t-case is to rock a divorced NP205. Helps with driveshaft angles, is a drop in with a new x-member and no messing around with the stock trans.

Now the question begs...

I have access to a ton of f250's and 350's of a broad range of years. Mostly rolling chassis. With the 1992 is there anything anyone can think of that might be problematic with an MG kit? And if you were selecting the gold standard donor truck, what would it be.

6 - 8" height is goal overall if that makes a difference in the donor truck.

Seeing as this is Just in the infancy stage, I want to catch all the minute details and idiosyncrasies as soon as possible before pissing away cash.

I wouldn't expect any issues w/ MG kit. Buy one if you haven't already. Donor truck ideally would be the newest axles [2013 to 2016] with lowest miles that you can afford, with a preferred gear ratio that you want. Searching this thread along with data provided with MG kit will likely answer most questions.

Get er done.

[spazegun2213]

So this is going to sound like a silly question..... I know most people shoot for a 4-6" lift with this kit, but how easy would it be to get 3" or less? Could someone run OEM springs and get a lower lift? I know most people use the CC880(s) and blocks or customer leafs in the rear.

[b. rock]

You'll run into issues with constantly hitting bump stops, or your oil pan. The engine - axle clearance on the vans is what drives the lift height.

[spazegun2213]

Originally Posted by b. rock

You'll run into issues with constantly hitting bump stops, or your oil pan. The engine - axle clearance on the vans is what drives the lift height.

I figured, given you need to trim the cross member as well. But, the quigley and other older 4x4 conversions seem to have a much lower lift?

[b. rock]

They did, and they rode on those bump stops a lot. That's partly why the RIP kit from Agile is so popular - it increases the lift a bit so you actually use get to use your springs on the up travel.

A TTB conversion can keep a lower lift because it's a hybrid between IFS and solid axle. If you want a lower lift but 4x4 that could be your route, although I'm not sure who is doing those anymore.

[spazegun2213]

Originally Posted by b. rock

They did, and they rode on those bump stops a lot. That's partly why the RIP kit from Agile is so popular - it increases the lift a bit so you actually use get to use your springs on the up travel.

A TTB conversion can keep a lower lift because it's a hybrid between IFS and solid axle. If you want a lower lift but 4x4 that could be your route, although I'm not sure who is doing those anymore.

Good to know! Thanks for the info.

As for a TTB conversion, I'm sure that is a LOT more expensive and complicated for what its worth.