[nobes]

Hey from Tasmania.
I'm new to this site just this year and have caught the bug.
I've done a little to the car allready... But now it's time for a lift.

Currently I'm looking at running the following and would like some advice on if I am doing it correctly.

Keeping in mind I have rear drawers (25kg) and will be getting a front xrox style (no winch) hitch receiver style bullbar made. This could weigh 35kg at a guess.

FRONT
Dobinson struts
Jimnybits 2" springs with coil correction rubbers (I've been told the coil correction rubbers will lift the vehicle 20mm?. Does anyone have experience with this?
Diff drops
This should sit me around 70mm in the front.

REAR
Jimnybits 3"coils (really around 2.5" from what klutched has told me?) so I should be sitting very close to 70mm in the back now too?
Procomp ES1000 or 3000 3" lifted rear shocks with shock relocators
Tail shaft spacer

Would this be a winning combination for me or should I step up with stiffer coils?
I'm 90% on road. The rest is off-road touring with the occasional rutted out tracks with the boys.

With all the info on here It seems I don't really want anything higher that this as to keep the CV's happy still.

I also have 225/75R16 tyres to go on.

[Built4thrashing]

Why would you want a tail shaft spacer..... your not adding to your wheelbase and with lift the rear diff will rotate forwards slightly.

A spacer would only be needed if your moving your diff backwards..... and this is an expensive job and isn't really needed with the setup your aiming for.

[nobes]

Won't the yoke pull out of the rear of the transfer case slightly with a 2.5 - 3" lift
I've purchased rear lower and adjustable upper arms so this will most likely push the rear wheels back?

[Sco-tie]

Sounds good to me. I'm keen to see how you incorporate a hitch receiver in the front of an xrox bar.
Where did you get adjustable upper and lower rear arms? Tail shaft spacer shouldn't be needed with only 2.5in lift and those shocks.

[nobes]

A friend down the road makes bull bars and trailers so I'm going to show him a few pictures of what I'm after. I may still go a winch but the original plan was to have a winch mounted in a cradle so I can use it in the rear hitch also.
The upper arms are adjustable, the lower are fixed but I'm not sure if they are any longer. Got them direct from FTS 4x4.
I'm also doing a transfer case drop so it's possible I won't need a tail shaft spacer but even at the moment just jacking the car up a few inches it's easy to see the yoke pull out of the shaft so we'll see if it does pull out after a lift.
I'm still trying to work out what coils and rear shocks will be best.

[Sco-tie]

You see a movable winch sounds like a good idea but a quick google http://goo.gl/bFRPF6 will show you that when you want a winch in the front your nose is probable half underwater or mud or on an angle that doesn't let the hitch slide in because of an angle. I would go for a winch bar and just have one in there and even have a hitch reciever on the side for trailer reversing or recoveries or something like that. Ah I thought those arms may be the ones you are talking about. Others have found they aren't much longer than stock at all and the tab on the hinders clearance. The transfer case drop should fix any issue the lift could cause. I'm running 4.5in in the rear with the case drop and no tailshaft problem so 2.5in is nothing it can't handle. What did you pay for the arms delivered? As for coils and shocks, read around at what others have on here as each combination suits different styles. A good combo for all round quality, price and performance seems to be dobinsons coils and shocks.

[Sco-tie]

ninjamoses wrote:

Well took one of the arms off to measure it just to find I didn't have it adjusted anywhere near as much as I thought I had. So sorry all have decided to hang on to them for the time being until I can double check tyre clearances with both sides adjusted.

Took some measurements anyway in case it helps anyone else:

Metal sleeve ID: 12mm
Mounting width = 67mm
Minimum length of arm (eye to eye) = 455mm
Maximum 'workable' distance of arm (eye to eye) = 480mm

It measures 495mm eye to eye with it only just threaded on, so maximum workable length depends on how little thread you think is a safe amount. Looking at it I'd like to keep 15mm personally, hence the 480mm measurement above.

Standard GV trailing arm measures 470mm eye to eye.

[nobes]

Wow I just typed an essay and it's all gone cause I had to log back in!! Grrr.

Thanks for the control arm sizes. Seems the wheels can only be rotated forward 10mm then with the upper arms. I guess adjusting these would be more for a wheel alignment specialist to deal with to get right? Or you can take measurements from each side and get it close?
Paid $84 for lower arms and $96 for upper plus I ordered other things so not sure on shipping specifically. Paid $170 via surface but did also order snorkel, skid plates, panhard rod, coil correction and a few other smallish items
I reckon I'll give the VT commodore rear shocks a go, they seem like a good length for the 3" lift. Stiffness etc.. Who knows. Winch plus bar could be sitting at 50kg and I have home made rear drawers so possibly jimnybits springs maybe a little too soft. Nice and flexy though according to klutched so might get in contact with him. If I went dobinson springs I would need spacers to get it up another inch then I risk coil bind.
Yer like B4T says, it may not be necessary to run the adjustable arms. With only 3" lift the rear wheels shouldn't move forward that much.
4.5" in the rear? How much do you run in the front? And what combo springs/spacers do you use for that? I'd be happy with a near full 3" raise.

[Built4thrashing]

Don't drop the transfer....... you will loose clearance and get hung up on the transfer case cross member.

I run 8omm of lift in the rear of mine with no issues at all on stock control arms. All I had to do was put in a Panhard bracket that lifts the diff end of the panhard.

As for front coils.... do some research on what the spring rates are...... or look at running the XL7 front coils. they have a higher spring rate as the XL7 are heavier than the GV but the front suspension setup is the same.

[Built4thrashing]

Also dropping the transfer will change the angle of the motor and it may cause the fan to foul on the radiator cowl.

[Sco-tie]

I have dropped my transfer and actually have more clearance as its a solid piece not the bulky folded stock one. I also have no issues fan or engine related from it either. It's not needed but its a way better bash plate than stock at the least

[atari4x4]

^ this

[Built4thrashing]

Sco-tie wrote:

I have dropped my transfer and actually have more clearance as its a solid piece not the bulky folded stock one. I also have no issues fan or engine related from it either. It's not needed but its a way better bash plate than stock at the least

I looked into doing that and after talking with someone with knowledge in engineering the stock one was way stronger than anything made from flat plate. Plus factory one was lighter.

[nobes]

I've mangled the crap out of my original transfer crossmember and only been on 3 trips. Gets hung up on it all the time. Factory sagged height and no skid plates yet doesn't help.
I think the FTS transfer case drop lowers it something like 20mm however because the original folded piece is 40mm or so in height you gain about 15-20mm just as you mentioned.
I read all through your build of your trans crossmember B4T. Seemed like you were onto something there. Started to look a lot like the FTS style. There's no doubt that folded metal can be very strong in regards to the original but it is rubber mounted and I wonder how strong it really needs to be.

[Sco-tie]

Sure it's heavier but that's the point of having a bash plate that can now support the vehicle weight on it rather than crumble. I have no doubt that the 14mm Steel in it is plenty strong enough compared to that waste of folded sheet metal I pulled off it. I don't know how the stock one could be stronger but I don't doubt it under normal road conditions but taking off road hang ups and belly outs and rocks I think the plate fairs better. Expensive yes but I'm more than happy with mine it does the job and I don't have to think about it.

[atari4x4]

Built4thrashing wrote:

Sco-tie wrote:

I have dropped my transfer and actually have more clearance as its a solid piece not the bulky folded stock one. I also have no issues fan or engine related from it either. It's not needed but its a way better bash plate than stock at the least

I looked into doing that and after talking with someone with knowledge in engineering the stock one was way stronger than anything made from flat plate. Plus factory one was lighter.

pretty sure we were all in on that convo.

[Gwagensteve]

We're officially "someone" Atari!

[nobes]

I've noticed B4T is running 60mm front lift 80mm rear. Is it necessary to have less lift on the front to have the car level?
I was going to run a spring combo front/rear of 70mm. Would this have the front sitting a lot higher than the rear?

[henno]

Like all things, it depends. For instance, my Dobinson kit sits slightly higher in the rear than the front.

[Sco-tie]

Most lifts will be aimed to have the rear slightly higher that way you can load it up and the rear will compress and give you more flex and maintain a high ride height off road. The front end doesn't change weight nearly as much as the rear does and I hardly notice any change in the front height when i load the rear. I have 4.5in in the rear and 4in in the front.

[henno]

Yep. Exactly why I have decided not to put spacers in the front despite my initial plans. Loaded up it rides "true" rather than drag its arse. If the trade off is stiffer springs for a more 'level' ride height both empty and under load, I'll take a tiny bit of funnycar stance.

[atari4x4]

Gwagensteve wrote:

We're officially "someone" Atari!

[nobes]

The only spacer I'll be using in the front is the coil correction spacer and it's going to be a guess as to how high they will lift the front with 50mm coils.
I'll be happy for a 70mm lift and a little higher stance in the rear.
I might start a build thread later if I feel like showing off all what I've done.

[Sco-tie]

This is what 2in Dobinson coils with a 1in spacer in the rear and the coil correctors in the front looks like

[atari4x4]

that's a nice height, would sit level with a bit of load in it & ride pretty good.

[nobes]

Is that with 225/75R16's?. That is a nice height. Hmm very tempted on the dobinsons now. Thanks

[Sco-tie]

Those are 235/75 Ats a tad bigger than 225/75 but not much and no scrub. But my 225 muddy Is bigger than his At. Tread depth and sidewall add a bit of diameter and width

[henno]

Sco-tie wrote:

But my 225 muddy Is bigger than his At. Tread depth and sidewall add a bit of diameter and width

Yeah, my 225's were almost 30's.

[Built4thrashing]

nobes wrote:

I've noticed B4T is running 60mm front lift 80mm rear. Is it necessary to have less lift on the front to have the car level?
I was going to run a spring combo front/rear of 70mm. Would this have the front sitting a lot higher than the rear?

No that's not correct..

Im running 4omm coils with a 40mm spacer in the rear and a 20mm spacer in the front. A 20mm spacer in the front gives you about 40mm of lift....

[nobes]

Awesome. Thanks for clearing that up. Pretty much know which way I'm going now. Thanks all.