Shock Travel? New Bilstein's are bottoming out!

[bsquared]

Hey Guys,
Just installed new Bilstein shocks I got from WH and they don't seem to have enough up travel left for articulation. I've got a 2.5" WH suspension lift installed around 2012. In addition, it has 1" relocation lift blocks on the back axle. Pic of the boxes shows they sent the correct shocks for a 2" to 4" lift, but I just can't see how these will survive.

At rest the shocks have 3.5" of up travel front and back. When articulating it seems the back axle is the one that moves the most. Raised the passenger front tire up by 17.5" and the back driver tire is tucked nicely up in the well, but the shock is bottomed out. All fine and good for street driving, but if I go wheeling the shock is going to be my "new" bump stop and is going to get wasted. (still have quite a few inches before the bump stop comes close to the axle)

Sure appreciate any input from those that know more about suspensions than I do. Front shocks don't seem to compress nearly as much as the backs during articulation. Paul?! Appreciate any insight before I put them to the test offroad!

Cheers, B2

 

[DirtDonk]

Let me see if I can find a slightly shorter shock. Hopefully they have a shock that falls somewhere in-between the 0-2 inch and 2-4 inch versions.
Because yours generally fit that 2-4 inch range, you with your 2.5" are at the lower limit, as you found. So naturally the shocks are longer for you than they would be for someone with the full 4 inches.
I actually put longer shocks on mine that look to be about like yours are just for wheeling though! Everybody had different needs, just like every Bronco is different.%)

First though, when you're on level ground did you measure to make sure you got the full 2.5" lift from the springs? Would be unusual for you not to have with our springs (they're usually high, rather than low) but it does not hurt to get measurements.
Looks like the stock rear mounts too, so that's easy to work with. No changes to the lower mounts by chance? For instance to fit a rear disc brake setup, or new custom axle housing, or such?
And finally, while you've got the tape measure out, get a mount-to-mount measurement of the rear setup. Again, when you're sitting at ride height.

Thanks.

I find it interesting that your rears are compressing in the first place. Obviously due to the angle that they're mounted, the rears travel roughly half the distance that the fronts do for the same amount of wheel travel. But luckily(?) our Bronco's rear suspensions really do flex.

Sorry about the hassle. As you figured, it's fine on the street, and that's where most Broncos spend their lives. Good for you for planning to take it off roading.
What kind of trails? As mentioned, yours is actually set up the way mine is with the RS9000's for better droop of the suspension. Did that specifically for the type of Sierra rock trail wheeling I like as a matter of fact.
Figured any full compression I give it is going to be light and slow (not jumping over dunes in other words) and would not likely break a shock mount. And I wanted it opposite wheel to have as much droop as possible, and the compressed side stops before my tires hit the body anyway.
Works great for me.

We'll see if we can get you squared away with a shorter shock. Not as easy with Bilstein, due to having fewer numbers to choose from. But with luck something will be easy to dig up.

Paul

 

[WILDHORSES]

I would not recommend a shorter shock but you can trade them in if you like. Use your actual working measurement for best results. Here are the options.
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/category/Bronco_Shock_Absorbers
Unfortunately they don't make these in .5" increments so you have to pick the best for the set up. I think we have but let me know if you want something different.

Two things to deal with suspension travel, bump stops and limiting straps. If you are jumping bump stops and straps will be a must with the current suspension. Stock shock mounts are not really good for articulation. Taller towers and inboards in the rear are a easy way to achieve much better results. Just food for thought we can work with you whatever you want to do.

Jim

 

[DirtDonk]

I may sometimes beat him to it, but he usually has the better, more well thought out answers...;D

Paul

 

[bsquared]

You guys are awesome! Thank you Paul and Jim for your great answers and willingness to make it right. I just checked and I've got 18.5" at rest. I looked at the other options and I guess what I've got is the best fit for these stock mount locations. Someone sent me a link to your inner shock hoop, which is wicked cool, but I'm not sure if I want to go that route just yet.

Thanks for the replies and I will holler back at ya if I'm looking to make changes. It is very surprising to see that my front coils weren't compressing nearly as much as the rear springs were. I'll do more research. Many thanks for your replies! Cheers, B2

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks!
Yeah, that sometimes goes against intuition to see leaf springs flex more than coils. But some things have changed over the years. As "long travel" as the fronts of our rigs were, compared to other vehicles at the time, other things have become the limiting factors now.
With leaf spring tech being what it is today, even with the shock moving at only half-speed, so to speak, the rear suspension can still tax them because it can flex like crazy!

The front springs do still work very well, and so do the shocks, but the radius arms and track bar literally become torsion bars, so when they're flexing up they're resisting movement more and more as they twist. Think of the front as having three sets of springs then. With some having more flex potential than others.
At some point, the front suspension just runs out of movement even before the coil springs and shocks have reached their limits.
Hence things like long-arms and other geometry tricks to raise the travel limits another notch each time you reach a limit. Then you end up with taller shock mounts for longer shocks, high-angle driveshafts so the u-joints don't bind, even longer brake lines, taller bumpstops (not as easy on the front sometimes!) and any other trick you can think of.

At some point then, your rig goes from a relatively stock multi-purpose utility vehicle to a tube framed buggy with 38" of wheel travel that is no longer much fun to drive on the street.%)
That, or you end up like NVRSTK, with a multiple years-long thread showcasing how you accomplished it all in one package. Easily, with just a few "minor" mods... ;D

Just adding taller bumpstops used to be accepted practice as the first thing we did when increasing lift height and wheel travel AND tire size. Both to keep the tires out of the sheet metal and the shocks from becoming the travel limiters. But we've gradually gotten away from them as the first step, in our search for more and more wheel travel. But that's when you run into other limitations, as we're seeing here.
They can still be a key component in this equation though and are pretty much guaranteed to be part of a really high-tech, or race-oriented build. For all the right reasons.

Obviously you still have bunches to think about. No problem at our end. Just let us know.
Oh, and by the way... How do they work on the street now? You like the way they ride and handle so far?
First set of Bilstein shocks, or a seasoned user?

Thanks again.

Paul

 

[68ford]

When you articulated your bronco and bottomed out the one side on the rear, how much more droop/extrension dosnyou have left on the other side? If your not near fully extending the shocks you should be more than good getting a shorter shock. I assume they come in 2in increments?

 

[WILDHORSES]

When you articulated your bronco and bottomed out the one side on the rear, how much more droop/extrension dosnyou have left on the other side? If your not near fully extending the shocks you should be more than good getting a shorter shock. I assume they come in 2in increments?

This is a good question to answer.

I also took your 18.5" ride height and I would say we could bump the rear down just a little. You lose 1" of travel in the shock (extension in this case) but you should gain 1" on the compression side. Might buy you a bit more articulation. Just shoot me a PM if you want to swap them out and we'll get the ball rolling.

Jim

 

[nvrstuk]

68 Ford and Jim at W/H...this is what I asked him several days ago when he posted this on a FB page...

Check your articulation at all 4 corners and then you WILL KNOW what you need...

Just saying...

Good luck

 

[bsquared]

Hey Guys, sorry for the late response...been bowed up the last few days and haven't been able to log in.

Obviously you still have bunches to think about. No problem at our end. Just let us know. Oh, and by the way... How do they work on the street now? You like the way they ride and handle so far?
First set of Bilstein shocks, or a seasoned user?

Paul, Yessir, my first set of Bilsteins and I like them very much! My poor original WH shocks from the kit were toast, so it's a whole new world. Many thanks for your insight!

68Ford, Jim and NvrStuk - Pass side had roughly 6.5" showing when the DS was fully compressed, so I still had 3" of extension to go. Many thanks and I've learned a lot since posting. Thanks for the offer of the return, Jim and Paul, but I think I'm good now. I'd like to keep the 9.5" of travel that these have on them. I'm might relocate my rear upper mounts to get the most out of them. VERY much appreciate your time and service! Cheers, B2