2WD lift discussions

[TheLetterJ]

I also figured that all of the '02-'14 front ends would be interchangeable. I know the radius arm changed design as well as bigger brakes and swaybar links all in '08, but I'd bet they are still 100% interchangeable AS COMPLETE UNITS. Can someone post up a few pictures of their '92-'96 front end (engine crossmember/ beam pivot brackets) and radius arms and include a measurement from 2 repeatable points (front rivet on radius arm pivot bracket to the center of the bolt that connects the radius arm to the beam? Beam pivot bolt to ball joint or radius arm through bolt?) for each and we can compare?

I'm sure that Ramsey has worked with more than a few of each era and has the answer off the top of his head!

[Jsweezy]

So I haven't purchased a 2wd kit but I will say that I've sent an email to Camburg and never heard back. At the same time I also sent one to Weldtec and have had ongoing communication with him about his different kits and he has continually answered all of my questions without making me feel like a nag.

[REDOVAL]

Here are my experiences....

Action van lifts (in my opinion) are for the consumer who likes the look of a lifted van but doesn't actually plan to use the van for anything more than mild offroad. This is based on the drop bracket setup they use for the front end. This setup reduces ground clearance and offers no additional wheel travel. It just simply lifts the van to a new level with few performance benefits.

Camburg kits rely on many years of real offroad racing experience with Ford i-beam setups. They offer both a bent beam performance lift and a drop bracket kit. The drop bracket kit, as with the action van kit, has it's limitations and they are expressed clearly on the Camburg site. The bent beam kit is real nice, but it's quite expensive and doesn't offer an extended radius arm setup. Sure, they are tubular radius arms and have uniball pivots, but pivoting from the stock location does little to correct for the wild suspension geometry changes an i-beam setup has. Their kit also does not address the rear springs, which is probably the biggest performance item on the van.

Weldtec Designs takes the Camburg setup and makes it more affordable and available to the regular guy who isn't into paying more for a reputation like Camburg's. The kits are bent beam and have the option of extended tubular arms. The arms pivot on stock stem/bushings which can be limiting, though the setup has proven extremely capable in my opinion. Weldtec offers custom rear springs that really let the front end mods shine. The upgrade to the Agile tuned Fox 2.0 shocks is a must. The van acts completely different and feels like a well-tuned prerunner offroad compared to stock.

Take these words as my opinions only, but expensive isn't always better. If anyone is on the fence and wants a fun ride in my van to see what Weldtec is all about, let me know and we can go have some fun.

No matter which lift you choose, be sure to address the rear end and make it true 2wd with a locker. Doesn't make sense to have a sweet suspension setup and only have one wheel doing work!

Scott

[TheLetterJ]

The Camburg radius arms are 6" longer than stock. The brackets do bolt into the factory holes, but they pivot from the back of the bracket instead of the front like oem.

That being said... given the chance, I would without a doubt have gone with weld-tec. As said above, they have the WHOLE package. My Camburg setup is like a $4000 starter kit. The shocks are off the shelf fox's and the valving is waaaay off for a van. The rear is nothing more than a 2.5" lift block and oem replacement Bilstein's. To finish the job (and get my setup on par with Weldtec) by revalving the front shocks, replace the rear shocks, and have custom leaf packs made, I'd end up at least $5500 deep!! That will get you Weldtec's full setup AND a nice bumper, not to mention the headaches saved by going with a 1 stop shop.

[mikracer]

I happen to have a factory radius arm and a Camburg radius arm.

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by mikracer

I happen to have a factory radius arm and a Camburg radius arm.

I stand corrected, though I can't quite understand how you can extend a radius arm and mount it in the same location, unless the extended portion on the Camburg arms is simply in place to correct for the geometry change in caster from the lift. By comparison, the Weldtec arms mount about 8" behind the factory chassis mounts and locate the center line of the axle in the correct spot. Two ways, same results....better ride quality and increased /smoother travel.

I do like the Camburg design as they use the uniball joints. I'm seriously considering a coilover setup so I can free up room for increased droop travel and for air bumps. The freedom offered by the uniball joint is more than the stem type, but I am not yet certain if that is actually necessary or just something i "have to have".

Scott

[mikracer]

Originally Posted by REDOVAL

I stand corrected, though I can't quite understand how you can extend a radius arm and mount it in the same location

TheLetterJ mentioned in his post that the Camburg arms pivot at the back of the bracket while the oem radius arms pivot at the front of the bracket. It was hard to show the longer length of the arm in a picture with the Camburg bracket in the correct location, so I kind of lined them up to be able to show the longer length.

I'll try to take a pic from above.

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by mikracer

TheLetterJ mentioned in his post that the Camburg arms pivot at the back of the bracket while the oem radius arms pivot at the front of the bracket. It was hard to show the longer length of the arm in a picture with the Camburg bracket in the correct location, so I kind of lined them up to be able to show the longer length.

I'll try to take a pic from above.

Makes sense, but that is about 2" give or take on center line. Not arguing, just making an observation. The obviously longer radius arm length was one of my main considerations when choosing the WTD kit. When dealing with Camburg products other than van specific, they are the go-to for performance long travel beamed setups and the sheer quantity in the field prove it.

Scott