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First gen shorty suspepension help

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:22 pm
by mrx78u
G'day guys,

Now i've finally finished the EFI conversion, the next thing on the wishlist is some suspention improvements. Basically what i'm going for is 40mm lift and a bit more flex. I don't want to add a leaf or anything as I don't carry a great deal and I still want my suspension to work, and not be too stiff.

Here's what i'm looking for. Rear leaf springs (40mm lift), Front/Rear shocks (40mm lift) and i'm told i'll probably need to upgrade the torsion bars as well.

What's the point of my question? Well i'm looking for some reasonably priced gear, i've been quoted something in the $2800 area for an OME kit!!

The above in EFS suspension works out to be about $1400, don't know what the gear is like though.

I was hoping to do a full suspension freshen up, so if someone could also give me an idea of what parts I should replace while i'm at it.

Any advice would be appreciated greatly!

Cheers,
Mick.

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:32 pm
by J Top
I wouldn't bother replacing the T/bars and what about extended hangers or a rear spring over, not sure where the springs are on a leaf paj
J Top

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:34 pm
by -Scott-
J Top wrote:I wouldn't bother replacing the T/bars and what about extended hangers or a rear spring over, not sure where the springs are on a leaf paj
J Top
I agree - only replace the t/bars if you have a winch hanging off the front. Otherwise, stiffer bars only cause your front end to lift a wheel sooner.

You could look at a spring-over, but I expect that will be way too much lift, and you'll never lift the front end far enough. Measure from bottom of bottom leaf to top of the axle tube - that's the lift you'd get.

If you're not interested in carrying extra load, you don't need stiffer springs - you need to make your existing springs work better. Start with fresh (urethane) bushes on the springs and hangers, and ensure they're well greased.

I'd also recommend finding a suspension specialist (I'd use Fulcrum if there's one where you are) to reset your existing springs for you. They should come back pretty and clean, hopefully with friction pads between the leaves.

Shock absorbers are the key to a good suspension - there's a reason why some people pay huge sums for Bilsteins. Buy quality. There's a number of good brands out there, and everybody has different opinions on what works - hit the search button!

Good luck,

Scott

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:57 am
by klrevo
-Scott- wrote:there's a reason why some people pay huge sums for Bilsteins.

Scott
how expensive are they??? cos my shorty came with them on and iv never had anythign else, but yeh they seem to do pretty well, pitty theyre not a bit longer in the rear, but i dont overly notice them top out either and they still work a treat...

i didnt realise they were that expensive???

dean ;)

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:07 am
by mrx78u
Hey, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!