Moving the front axle forward...

[GoFastCrackPipe]

What are some things to consider when moving the front axle forward? I am planing on getting extended radious arms sometime in the next few weeks and have been thinking how to go about this.

 

[Madgyver]

Looks like you can do 2" without having to move the steering box But the coil cups and trackbar mount has to move.. Any more than that you will need to move the steering box forward.

 

[GoFastCrackPipe]

Thats exactly what I needed to know.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone done this? How far forward?

Also, while were on the subject, what is needed to move the rear axle back and how far can you go befor worrying about the diff hitting the crossmember?

 

[SaddleUp]

Dan. I went about an inch forward. Any further and I would have run into linkage issues with the track rod and the tie rods where they would have started hitting each other. Any more and I would need to move the upper track rod mount and the steering box. In the rear I went back about 3" which still clears the gas tank. (I'll never get enough compression in back to hit the cross member)

 

[GoFastCrackPipe]

Thanks for the info Rick! I know I asked you about this befor, but I couldn't remember how far back you pushed yours.
I am seriously thinking about switching to a fuel cell (I don't have a rear seat and I don't think that I will be puting one in anytime soon) so fuel tank clearance issues won't be a problem if I do this.

 

[45acp]

Ive got my rear back 4" with no work other than moving the hangers. It will be 5" when i get the other rearend under it (longer perches/ offset holes). At 4" the rear BARELY clears the gas tank, but it does clear. At 5" i plan on denting in the center of the tank a bit.

The front ive got 2" forward with no work other than moving the radius arm mounts. If you're using stock steering then i could see some bindage, but with heims like the stonecrusher setup it works fine. I dont *think* the tracbar is gonna bind too bad, but will have to see once i get it done and on the ground.

 

[SaddleUp]

Thanks for the info Rick! I know I asked you about this befor, but I couldn't remember how far back you pushed yours.
I am seriously thinking about switching to a fuel cell (I don't have a rear seat and I don't think that I will be puting one in anytime soon) so fuel tank clearance issues won't be a problem if I do this.

If you move the tank then you could go back further. Beyond 3" or 4" you will start to run into problems with the wheel well tubs though. My passenger side hits right now but not bad enough to worry about. I may have that corrected by the time SOB rolls around though.

 

[SaddleUp]

Ive got my rear back 4" with no work other than moving the hangers. It will be 5" when i get the other rearend under it (longer perches/ offset holes). At 4" the rear BARELY clears the gas tank, but it does clear. At 5" i plan on denting in the center of the tank a bit.

The front ive got 2" forward with no work other than moving the radius arm mounts. If you're using stock steering then i could see some bindage, but with heims like the stonecrusher setup it works fine. I dont *think* the tracbar is gonna bind too bad, but will have to see once i get it done and on the ground.

Mine come pretty close to each other running the Chevy TRO setup when the tires are turned all of the way to one side or the other if the frontend is flexed.

 

[GoFastCrackPipe]

So my next question is kind of off topic... how much longer would a C6/Klune-V/205 setup be compaired to a C4/D20? ;D

 

[68 Broncoholic]

For some reason, my axle is pushed forward 1" further than the upper coil cup. I figure I can move the upper mount an inch to help the bow but is it worth an inch?
I run a Scout box (pitman arm faces forwards), the trac bar mount on frame might need to be moved but my box is pushed up against it. Here's a photo.

I think the works all needs to be pushed forwards if I do this. The next problem is my 38's already touch the front body mount on the drivers side. This also needs to be re-modified.
I'd like to extend the front to help driveline bind.
As for the rear I think its easier to do. I already pushed my gas tank up 2" since I have a 2" body lift to work with. Now the clearance problem like stated is fixed. Do a shackel flip and raise the leaf mounts up high on the frame to compensate the shackle lift increase. Plus its increase ground clearance on the hangers and rear shackle. The rear tire is also very close to the fuel neck. All this has to be moved.
All I know is I need more wheel base after seeing all the Yotas climb up anything in their path. Plus you gain more stability when off camber.
Now for my question: When stretching the rear axle back, won't this add more weight to the front axle?

 

[komodo72]

When you moved the front forward only by changing the radius arm mounts, other than what you said about the steering do you have any binding with the coils or shocks while flexing? This sounds very tempting to try when I get my new radius arms. I wonder if it worth the saved time.

 

[smitty]

I would like to see some close up pictures of yall,s front and rears moved please. Thats been on my list also.Thanks

 

[mxpaz]

Mine is 4 inches forward in the front and 6 back in the rear.

 

[SaddleUp]

When you moved the front forward only by changing the radius arm mounts, other than what you said about the steering do you have any binding with the coils or shocks while flexing? This sounds very tempting to try when I get my new radius arms. I wonder if it worth the saved time.

With mine at about an inch forward I can hear the front springs pop when I flex them to the extreme but it has never caused any issues.

 

[SaddleUp]

I would like to see some close up pictures of yall,s front and rears moved please. Thats been on my list also.Thanks

There really isn't much to see on mine. At only an inch forward you would need to look pretty hard to even see it. In the rear the only way to know it is moved back is to look at the front leaf spring frame mounts where I cut them off and moved them back (and up). From the side it looked like the tires were too far forward before I did it and now look centered. It took about 1 1/2" to get it to look centered and then I compensated for the rest by putting Gorilla Warflares on and centering them over the tire. In the first pic below you can see where the mount was moved. The second pic was in progress and shows where the inner portion of the original mount was before I moved it.

 

[ORVP]

OK pushed a full 3 here.

I love it. There are the above things to take into consideration. All I have had to do is move the ps box forward and relocate the trackbar. The coil buck can be moved on the lower portion of the raduis not having to change the frame bucket. Watch oil pan issues as well. Believe it or not currently I have big oll bump stops and havent moved a thing until the rest of my steering parts arrive. So you can push just be carefull and watch all angles including front drive line with wil have to lengthen and possibly change C bushings.

 

[SaddleUp]

So my next question is kind of off topic... how much longer would a C6/Klune-V/205 setup be compaired to a C4/D20? ;D

How long is the Klune-V setup and how does it mount to the C6? I can get measurements of the C6 with or without the adapter and the 205. I'm guessing the length would be somewhere between the C4/D20 and my C6/203/205. Mine is long enough that I swapped the front and rear drivelines. The reason I moved the rear back was to enable the driveline length to work using the front one. (Which as you know had to be replaced with a heavier 1330/1350 one anyway) I still run a stock rear driveline though as the front one.

 

[tonto]

I moved my front end forward 2” and no matter what anybody says plus the 2” I moved the rear end back it does make a difference, I’ve gone over obstacles with much more ease than other E.B. in front and behind me.
To do it correct IMHO I feel you need to move everything on the frame connected to the front end forward, track bar mount, spring buckets and the full-size 4x4 steering box worked good in stock form with the pitman arm facing forward, mount as close to the spring bucket and re-mount the track bar mount off the inside of the frame, not moving the track bar mount may get the track bar into the diff. cover.

 

[45acp]

When you moved the front forward only by changing the radius arm mounts, other than what you said about the steering do you have any binding with the coils or shocks while flexing? This sounds very tempting to try when I get my new radius arms. I wonder if it worth the saved time.

On mine, i dunno. I havent had it off the jackstands yet. Hopefully will find out in a month. We did the same thing on a buddie's a few years ago and he has no coil bind problems. Looking at the coil with the rig parked you would barely even notice a slight lean in the coil. Ive wheeled with him alot and with the front 2" forward and nothing moved but the arm mounts it works great. He does have heim steering.


I also forgot, on the rear im going to have to extend the wheel tubs. Its fairly obvious that there will be rubbing at stuff once i get the 37's on. Im not really into asthetics, so im just going to cut out the back of the tub and add on to it Arkansas style. ;D

 

[GoFastCrackPipe]

Does anyone have any pics or a write up of how you extended the wheel tubs? I think it would be pretty straight forward... cut, add a section, and weld.