Outer Limits 4x4 Board

With the 3 inch lift, why do you have to space the rear bump stops and how do you do that?

gadget wrote:With the 3 inch lift, why do you have to space the rear bump stops and how do you do that?

You have to space them out because the compressed length of the shock becomes longer and longer as you get longer shocks.
The distance between the shock mounts when the Patrol is hard down on the bump stops is constant and at a bit under a 3" lift the rear shock starts becoming a problem.

Shocks are not designed to withstand the weight of the whole vehicle after it has been jumped etc and you will experience what TomO experienced and that is stuffed shocks. Sometimes people will wonder why their shocks are too soft. It isn't the shocks fault but they are stuffed.

Later in the week I will make up some bump stop spacers because I have a feeling that it is a widespread problem with 3" lifts.

If someone wants to volunteer to make up some for me I will buy them off you. It is just a matter of un bolting your upper mount and bolting in a spacer such as steel.

Cheers
Shane

Why is it (as with my new lift - being fitted tomorrow I might add) that you need the bump stops lengthened at the front, but the back are fine?

If the new shocks and new springs are the same all 'round, I don't quite get that. If anything I'd have guessed the back being heavy with gear was more likely to full-compress it's springs from time to time.



EDIT: it was the back that needed fixing, and the front that were fine. My mistake!

Tom0 wrote:Why is it (as with my new lift - being fitted tomorrow I might add) that you need the bump stops lengthened at the front, but the back are fine?

If the new shocks and new springs are the same all 'round, I don't quite get that. If anything I'd have guessed the back being heavy with gear was more likely to full-compress it's springs from time to time.

It has nothing to do with how much weight there is. 1 tonne mulitpled by speed means a lot of force on something that has been designed to take nearly no force.

However, it does depend on the length of shocks that you have on both the front and rear. Most people will send out front shocks that are 555mm extended up front. If this is your case then you will just get away with not doing bump stops up front.
On the rear most people send out shocks that are 695mm extended. If this is your case then you will need a 1" spacer on the rear.
If you listen to your mechanic, I suspect you will be bagging out your new shocks in 6 months or so time depending on your driving.

Cheers
Shane

My 3" lift goes in today!

- Dobinsons Coils, Lovells shocks
- Rubber Castor correction bushes
- Extended Brake hose for rear, existing rear goes to the front
- Brake bias bracket
- Disconnects all 'round

And ...
- Possibly some work to stop the 285/70s rubbing at full lock... they rub now, but that's pre-lift, and I'm not sure if they'll rub after (anyone have experience?). If so, I guess steering stops altered to restrict steering?
- Bump Stops, +1" on the bum end. I'll see what my mech comes up with to space them out.

Picking it up tonight...

33s rubbing with 3" somethings wrong. my 35s dont rub with only 3" and i have had 36" simex on and they didnt rub either

NEWS
It appears that, on my 08 at least, the rear brake hose can't me moved to the front. You'll need an extended one for the back, and 2 extended ones for the front.

j-top paj wrote:33s rubbing with 3" somethings wrong. my 35s dont rub with only 3" and i have had 36" simex on and they didnt rub either

No, they rub without the lift.
And they don't rub by height (far as I know - never tested it)
They rub at full lock - by width. They're 285s (11.2")

Got my 3 inch kit put in today, looks good and rides well. will be testing it on the weekend.

Mine went in today too. All good. Nice ride!
My vote for Shane at Suspension Stuff.




The rubbing was just the mud flaps- which will come off shortly.

Looks good!

Good on you TomO
You just need a few scratched and scrapes. Are those side steps up to it?

Shane

My last patrol had similar stock alloy steps - i beat the crap out of them, bashed them back down to horizontal a few times with rocks or a log so I could open my doors, but they lasted. These might too...

I'll start with them, anyway.

O-Ooohhhh...

Air bag light is on now, flashing at me.

What part of installing a lift would affect my air bag? I checked the fuse (under the dash, assuming that's the only one), which is fine.


Also, just doing the sums to see how tall I now am for car parking purposes...
31" > 33"
3" lift...

Lift 3" = +76.2mm (might be more/less - Shane?)
Tyres was 275/60R17 = 178.75mm of rubber, now 285/70R1 = 199.5mm of rubber = +20.75mm
Heights by specs 1855mm, >> now ... = 1952mm

Anyone with 33"s and a 3" who can tell me if they get under 2.0m car parks?

Tom0 wrote:
Anyone with 33"s and a 3" who can tell me if they get under 2.0m car parks?

i fit into 2m carparks with 35" so you should be fine.

It will raise it 3" plus however much you were sagged previously.

At the new car lot GU's range between 60-65mm at the front bump stop inside the coil.

Shane

j-top paj wrote:i fit into 2m carparks with 35" so you should be fine.

I'm I'm 1952mm with 33" you should be + 1 inch with 35" so 1977mm, minus any sag, so that makes sense.

Tom0 wrote:

j-top paj wrote:i fit into 2m carparks with 35" so you should be fine.

I'm I'm 1952mm with 33" you should be + 1 inch with 35" so 1977mm, minus any sag, so that makes sense.

farks me what actual height i am,
but i use my uhf antenna as a guide.
if it hits then take it slow. if it doesnt then im fine.

i think the antenna is about 2.1M.
each carpark is different but

lets just pretend that i wanted to now go 4 inch lift can i just change the coils and be done with it or is there other stuff to do aswell?

GUpatrol02 wrote:lets just pretend that i wanted to now go 4 inch lift can i just change the coils and be done with it or is there other stuff to do aswell?

It is the general consensus that you have to change your pan hard rods at least.

I have some info in my web site. If you go into the 4-5" lift section and then into the kits section which is the first one at the top, I have info in there that will help plus how much all this is likely to cost. Mates Rates of course.

Shane

Already got the adjustable panhards, what about castor bushes, i have 2 degree rubber ones would they do

GUpatrol02 wrote:Already got the adjustable panhards, what about castor bushes, i have 2 degree rubber ones would they do

Most kits out there are 4-5". You really need to get yourself some more correction. Castor plates, drop boxes, drop arms etc.

I would personally recommend at set of upper adjustable control arms.

Shane

G'day mate,

as you can see here, I need to adjust for castor and my springs are only 2.5". Three inches without castor correction will push you out by a lot more than you think. The reccomendation at this height is drop boxes, then castor plates, then bushes (in order of preference). From what I was told by those in the know when I was investigating, by the time you are hitting 4" lift you need to consider adjustable panhards. As you have these, I would suggest that using your 2 degree castor plates will have your spring looking somewhat like mine. This will not wreck your vehicle, but bushes and springs will wear out faster. Also, you will now be turning slightly into the ground which increases wear on tyres, pressure on sterring set-up and can affect your turning geometry so as to over stress your CV set-up. However, lots of blokes run springs looking like they do in the pic and get away without trouble. It all comes down to how finicky you are!

Hope that helps
GFN



Picture is spring with half load.

At 3" i had the castor correction bushes done. That should be enough, right? What's going to wear out faster for me now?

looks too clean.
wheres the dirt,mud,dents,scratches etc...

Dagnammit. I haven't even had it a full week yet, and it's only been lifted for 2 days.

the weekend isnt too far away

Tom0 wrote:At 3" i had the castor correction bushes done. That should be enough, right? What's going to wear out faster for me now?

You will be fine, I was more commenting on the bloke who was talking about the theoretical 4" lift. The only real problem you will have is that your bushes will wear out quicker as the castor correction has them thinner on one side (as you no doubt saw when you bought them). However, this is a small price to pay for correct geometry.

Looks good either way. My castor descrepency looks a little more extreme than it needs to because the springs are only half loaded. It is quite a lot less when taking the full weight.

Cheers
GFN.

P.S. I am no expert, just an avid listener.

Guy From Nowhere wrote:... (as you no doubt saw when you bought them)

Them round thingies with the hole through them? Yeah... I TOTALLY noticed.

The rubber ones seem to last better then the poly ones but they haven't been around for long enough to write a thesis on it.

Shane