What's Your Front Down Travel?

[scatter]

You're making the right decision Phil. I've been talking with Jeff several times today and we've been designing stuff over the phone. You're right on him wanting to do it right. It will all work out in the end and I appreciate you leaving your rig for a template. You might have a few extra cut and weld spots, but nothing that can't be covered by bondo....

[Stumpalump]

It's amazing how many 4x4's wind up with your dilema. What you are dealing with is the real part of doing any lift and it gets bypassed by so many because "it's hard". You wound up with the wrong shocks. Lowering your lower shock mount can salvage them or extending your bumpstops and posibly limiting travel may save them.

This how to do a lift that works: Lift rig with springs and leave shocks off. Drive onto a ramp to test flex and see what hits. Trim sheetmetal, swap rims check break lines and e break cable ect. Flex it till it hits and measure for bumpstops. Don't foget to turn wheels on the ramp to check steering clearance. Install bumpstops and repeat obove steps adjusting your stops for max travel while allowing extra compression of bumpstop durring a real hard hit. Get back on the ramp and measure your collapst lengh of your shock mounts. Reduce the measurment by the thickness of the amount your bumpstops will compress on a hard hit and thats your colapst length for your shock. Measure the extended length for good measure to make sure a shock that meets your required colapst measurment will not limit droop. If it does then live with reduced droop (not so great) or relocate your shock mount for a longer shock and start the measurment process again.

This is the hard part of a lift and is 90% of the time short cutted. Springs ,lift blocks, brake lines,and bolt on shocks are easy. BUMPSTOPS ARE THE KEY TO ANY PROPERLY WORKING LIFT AND SUSPENSION. BUMPSTOPS BUMPSTOPS BUMSTOPS! Do them first. Then measure for your shocks. Screw what anybody tells you will fit unless it's stock. People want bolt on goodies but....... I never have been happy without a day of ramp testing measuring and fitting. I know it's hard but the payoff is big. Real big. You will be able to fly down a bumpy road and not worry that you will hit anything but good bumpstops and you will have max flex or articulation. If looks are all that matters then need not apply but if you want it right then build in pefect bumpstops and get the pefect shock lenth for your pefect bumpstops. Now we are talking suspension. Anything less is not ment to go off road but sure looks cool.

Sorry for the rant but the un glamorus bumpstops are really the key to a suspension modification of any kind. It's amaizing how many limit their up and down travel or not and live with a suspention thats not a system.

I have a RTI (Ramp Travel Index) ramp in my back yard. If anybody coming thru Colorado wants to get on it to evaluate what thay have the ramp is available. 714-293-1067 cell.