Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi All,

Playing with the suspension in my 89 lux, got some second hand rear springs to lift the back end and just done that and very happy with the results.

Now im looking to the front end - have been reading through my searchs for the last while and saw it mentioned that you can put the origional rear springs up front??? i measured it up and looks like they would fit and considering the front springs are just about flat it sure would lift it at least 50mm.

obviously this appeals as it would be cheap . fact of life im on a limited budget.

My rear springs are definitely after market, all the bushes were still looking new etc and i noticed some blue paint under the dust. but i would have thought they were too stiff for the front end being out of the back of a 1 tonne ute??? do you just remove the load leaf at the bottom of the pack?

IM happy enough with the flex out of the front end as it is but need it a little higher plus my front springs are not even anymore - the drivers side is about 40mm lower than passenger.

Anyone done this? or is it a wives tale and not worth it?

ok so fo those who dont know this is what they mean when they say RUF i.e 'rear up front'.

ideal for a diff relocation, but you need an adjustable torque rod and drag link i.e about $600...

The spring locator is 40mm further forwards - which brings your front diff 40mm further forward.

I am now wondering if i can re drill my spring perch 40mm further back to keep my diff in the same place and avoid all the other stuffing around?

from what i can read you also need extended shakels to take advantage of the spring length increase.

SO NEW Q - is it dodgy to re drill a spring perch? the new hole would be approx 25mm center from the edge of the perch.

I cant see it being an issue as the perch will still take the load the same and all the locator does is stop it shifting back and forth...

Ta

This is not really worth doing unless you go X-over or high steer steering. You will get great flex but the J-arm won't hold up to the angles and stress.
Your best off doing it all in one hit than stufffing around bits at a time.

That my 2 1/2 cents.

You normally re drill your perches to get the diff 35 foward so there's no reason you can't do it to go 35 back only thing with ruf is you can't run a standard shackle due to the length of the main wrap with the weight of the car on it the shackle will be maxed out and hitting the chassis alowing no more uptravel of the spring will ride like crap and probaly end up bending a shackle or fixed pin or breaking it all together.
As arron's 2 1/2 cents, Don't half arse it.

Sic Lux wrote:You normally re drill your perches to get the diff 35 foward so there's no reason you can't do it to go 35 back only thing with ruf is you can't run a standard shackle due to the length of the main wrap with the weight of the car on it the shackle will be maxed out and hitting the chassis alowing no more uptravel of the spring will ride like crap and probaly end up bending a shackle or fixed pin or breaking it all together.
As arron's 2 1/2 cents, Don't half arse it.

I have longer shackels to suit, and have read about needing to do the high steer conversion.

Q is do you need the high steer conversion because the diff normally moves 40mm forward? or because you lift the front end a few inches?

If i Redrill the perch to keep the diff in the same place, I cant really see how its any different to a normal lift job, with longer shackles?

I dont want to do a half arsed job, but I cant go spending 600 dollars on the two components. The front works fine at the moment but the front right spring is pretty stuffed now and not sitting level, I am happy enough with the way it performs but need it a bit higher so i dont jam my wheels in the arches, let along whel they go a inch bigger.

You use x over or hi steer, to get the j arm away from the shock etc, x over uses the ifs box and the pitman arm swings left to right, instead of the standard box running foward to back.

Ive just completed it, am welding the ifs box bracket on today and im away.
Its not a engineerable friendly mod though.

I redrilled the perchs to move the diff FOWARD even more than putting the rears in do , getting the tyres away from the guards, allowing bigger tyres, and a better approach angle.

berad wrote:You use x over or hi steer, to get the j arm away from the shock etc, x over uses the ifs box and the pitman arm swings left to right, instead of the standard box running foward to back.

Ive just completed it, am welding the ifs box bracket on today and im away.
Its not a engineerable friendly mod though.

so its the diff comming forward and thus bringing the shock forward which makes it contact with the j arm?

If you have longer than standard shocks in now, you should notice the j arm is binding up on the shocks etc at full droop, and the draglink etc gets alot of stress from the angles etc it is put on, x over hi steer, removes the drag link all together.

Shock hoops are something good to do also, ill do mine next weekend, the shocks are on about a 3.5inch angle off vertical now.

The longer spring within reason the better it can flex/work.

I should have got banana extended shackles, at compression they'll hit the body mount so that will need to be soughted out.


If you cant do it your self and source alot of the parts cheap it becomes an expensive exercise

Extend the front tailshaft, mine needs to be extended by roughly 6 inchs.
Shackles
Bush kit
U bolts if the threads have been beaten up by rocks
ifs box
mount kit
80 series pitman arm
double arm (cast or welded) welded is illegal on road but so are alot of things
steering rod.

I think I will give it a try, then when fitted flex it up and check tolerances etc, as from what i can tell it should work.

I would do the work myself, but im simply not interested in shifting the diff forward and all the other things that go with it. I can get enough places i want to go at the moment so it doesnt need to become a complete wepon and needs to stay a daily driver.

just need a touch more height up front.

will see how it goes and report back.

Theres easier ways to get more height without doing ruf. if thats all you want it for

I was considering body lift, or just finding some suitable second hand springs when someone else has decided they need to go higher.

but then noticed that my front springs are really dying and need sorting sooner rather than later.

had pulled out my rears and they cost nothing so for the sake of undoing a few bolts and drilling two new holes, i dont have to move the diff, it has to be worth a try, then its just new shocks and brake lines to worry about.

Just cut the brakeline bracket off the chassis and reweld it onto the side, that will give another 3 inchs or so, so no need for new lines. why do you need to go higher? to match the back? or tyres scrubbing? if there scrubbing just redrill the perchs, one of them has a hole 35mm back drill it out to 16mm and re drill the other side.

sweet tip on the brake lines, i had looked at them and though hmm, ill fit the suspension then i reckon i could gain more out of whats there.

It had 31's and they rubbed a little, i currently have 32's which came on a new set of rims i had to buy they are rubbing alot and the drivers side is sagging more and more every time i go off the black top, meaning they scrubb easier and easier. the new rims will eventually be clad in the 33 inch muddies i have sitting in the shed. this is where i will really need the extra height, it will still rubb a bit im sure but the extra height should at least improve it.

Put another leaf in the drivers side, and redrill the perch back 35mm so as to move the diff away from the firewall/guard. cheap and easy.

berad wrote:Put another leaf in the drivers side, and redrill the perch back 35mm so as to move the diff away from the firewall/guard. cheap and easy.

You won't need to extend the tailshaft if you re-drill the perches?

if you put rears up front and re drill the perchs as in to move the diff toward the front another 35mm you will.

If you just re drill them with front springs i dont think you would have to , although it might be close to coming out with articulation etc

berad wrote:if you put rears up front and re drill the perchs as in to move the diff toward the front another 35mm you will.

If you just re drill them with front springs i dont think you would have to , although it might be close to coming out with articulation etc

The ruf springs will shift the diff forward 40mm - so i plan to re drill them to keep the diff where it was designed to be, so i dont foul on anything else as a result, the moment the diff moves i have to change to much stuff.

probably run 5 leaves in the left and 6 in the right. they are a pretty heavy set of leaves that were in the back, so it should work ok. if not ill try something else and all it will have cost me is some time.

thanks

berad wrote:if you put rears up front and re drill the perchs as in to move the diff toward the front another 35mm you will.

If you just re drill them with front springs i dont think you would have to , although it might be close to coming out with articulation etc

No dramas, it has already been lengthened when I put the extended shackles in