Spring over rear axle on 98 Rodeo

Post by **sudso** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:17 pm

Anyone know if there is a spring over axle kit available for an R9 series rodeo? It's a V6 if that matters.
By the looks it would give about 4-5" of lift although I'm really only after 2-3".
It has 6 leaves in total and dont sag even with a bit of a load so I'm thinking I might avoid the cost of new springs to get some lift and get those brackets and bolts away from the ground further.

There might be a thread somewhere already on this that I have'nt seen.
Are there any problems associated with this type of lift?

Post by **sudso** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:54 pm

just looked at big hairs post on spring over axles for the Rodeo.

Might just see if extended shackles will do the trick.

Post by **DAZZ** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:33 pm

If you SPOA the rear then the front will be too low and have no flex.

Then you will have to SAS the front. Not all bad though.
2" lift is obtainable with a play around with the rear leaf packs and a crank of the torsion bars.

Post by **sudso** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:53 pm

2" lift is obtainable with a play around with the rear leaf packs and a crank of the torsion bars.

Dazz, what do you mean exactly by a play around with the rear leaves.

I'm now just thinking (it hurts) of getting or making some greasable extended shackles and "helper springs"

Post by **Tiny** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:54 am

get your springs reset or replace them with 2" lifted springs & wind up the torsion bar

Post by **sudso** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:05 pm

get your springs reset or replace them with 2" lifted springs & wind up the torsion bar

They dont really need resetting as they "bow" well and hold a load well.
Just trying to find out some way of lifting the chassis 2" or so up from the springs

Post by **sudso** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:38 pm

spring rate is good so I'm looking into leaf assisted airbags now for the lift

Post by **Utemad** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:35 pm

I thought air bags were to help carry a load not to give lift.

Post by **sudso** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 7:15 pm

I thought air bags were to help carry a load not to give lift.

Thats what I originally thought but a susp. supplier/fitter told me that the Firestone bags give lift. They are the same as used on trucks and buses only for light commercial vehicles. Mine would go between axle and bumpstop with some bags having their own internal bumpstop.

He explained they work something like this:
You load nearly a ton in the back of the ute with little or no air in the bags.
The springs sag a bit of course so you pump air in the bags and it can raise it up about 3 - 4" which can finish higher than the usual height of the vehicle when it's got no load in the back and no significant air in the bags.
I've searched other forums and owners of these do claim some lift with them.
They are a bit dearer than poly airbags but they're a different material.
You've probably seen buses and coaches let air out on the door sides to let passengers on and off but if I got them I dont think I would bother with in cab controls.

I just like the idea of having adjustable ride height to suit the load/terrain etc. without going to the expense of lifted springs and adjustable coilover shocks etc. I think there'd be a slight loss of susp. travel though with these bags.

I will keep sussing out the claims of lift with the F bags guess I'll want to see one in action 1st. The susp. bloke told me where a Rodeo like mine is for sale that has the Firestone bags so I should check it out.
I will.

Will post my findings after i seen them work.

Post by **Utemad** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:03 pm

Those buses have proper air suspension though like a Range Rover. Not leafs with helpers. I would have thought that if you were to put an airbag between your bumpstops and used it to increase the ride height then you would need a considerable amount of weight on it so as not to ride like you have no suspension at all. As in really rough. Another point would be as you want to gain height I would assume this height is to improve your ute offroad. However I would also think that the airbags would really bugger up your wheel travel. As on one side your axle is already lower so using up part of your wheel travel already and on the other side you have something impeding your axles upward movement.

Just my opinion. I've never actually used this setup.

Post by **Tiny** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:23 am

the air bags will not allow flex, steer away from these

Post by **sudso** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:47 pm

Those buses have proper air suspension though like a Range Rover. Not leafs with helpers. I would have thought that if you were to put an airbag between your bumpstops and used it to increase the ride height then you would need a considerable amount of weight on it so as not to ride like you have no suspension at all. As in really rough. Another point would be as you want to gain height I would assume this height is to improve your ute offroad. However I would also think that the airbags would really bugger up your wheel travel. As on one side your axle is already lower so using up part of your wheel travel already and on the other side you have something impeding your axles upward movement.

Just my opinion. I've never actually used this setup.

the air bags will not allow flex, steer away from these
Both right.
I will steer clear of these and just get lifted springs and maybe extended shackles too.
Dont know what the supplier was thinking when he suggested these alone for lift

Thanks for the advice

Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Spring over rear axle on 98 Rodeo

Spring over rear axle on 98 Rodeo

s o a

sprung

SOA

soa

airbags

airbags

Who is online