You Ever Wish You Were Lower?

[Yeller]

Post up the measurements from the top of the axle tube to the frame. Paul knows those off the top of his head.

Yeah .3 is no bueno.

 

[phred]

I like lower. My 74 is 2.5” with 1” body and some minor trimming to run 33’s. My 78 is 4” on 35’s. The 74 handles and drives much nicer than the 78 even with front and rear sway bars. I’ve got about 4* caster on the 78 so it steers and tracks great even at 75mph but the extra inch on an already top heavy truck is kinda hairy.

 

[Shimmy]

Post up the measurements from the top of the axle tube to the frame. Paul knows those off the top of his head.

Yeah .3 is no bueno.

i thought i read somewhere:
Stock
Front 7"
Rear 6"

But that doesn't make sense... that would mean my 3.5" lift is 5". my measurements are:
front 12.25"
rear 11.25"

I have duff HD coil retainers and WH rear super shackles. I dont think either of these add height right?

 

[DirtDonk]

Are you sure the Skyjacker‘s were 3 inches? I thought they had a 4 inch kit like Trailmaster. Maybe not. Rancho had a 3” though and they were red too.
Even if not, weren’t they a linear rate spring? With the new Duff stuff being I believe the variable rate, you should feel a difference in the street ride. It might make it lean a little more initially into corners, but it should not be bad. And like you said, it won’t be due to an extra half inch and ride height. More due to a softer initial spring rate.

I’ve been running variable rate for a long time and they handle pretty good. But a really stiff front spring is actually going to have the advantage in cornering I would think.
I guess it comes down to just wet spring rate the old Skyjackers had.

Plenty of people still use radius arm drops. They just fell out of favor slightly because of the loss of ground clearance, and because more and more people don’t like the look of the extra stuff hanging down within eyesight.
But you’re correct in that, other than custom radius arms, they are the way to get caster back and correct the angle of the spring cups to reduce spring bow. And sometimes to tilt the axle back to better line up the track bar with.

 

[DirtDonk]

i thought i read somewhere:
Stock
Front 7"
Rear 6"

But that doesn't make sense... that would mean my 3.5" lift is 5". my measurements are:
front 12.25"
rear 11.25"

Where exactly are you measuring? Is it from the top of the axle tube to the bottom of the frame rail? Anything custom or in the way in those areas?
I know that I’ve probably seen or read what you’re working with, but I don’t remember off the top of my head

 

[Shimmy]

Where exactly are you measuring? Is it from the top of the axle tube to the bottom of the frame rail? Anything custom or in the way in those areas?
I know that I’ve probably seen or read what you’re working with, but I don’t remember off the top of my head

correct. top of axle tube to bottom of frame rail.

 

[abn373]

Are you sure the Skyjacker‘s were 3 inches? I thought they had a 4 inch kit like Trailmaster. Maybe not. Rancho had a 3” though and they were red too.
Even if not, weren’t they a linear rate spring? With the new Duff stuff being I believe the variable rate, you should feel a difference in the street ride. It might make it lean a little more initially into corners, but it should not be bad. And like you said, it won’t be due to an extra half inch and ride height. More due to a softer initial spring rate.

I’ve been running variable rate for a long time and they handle pretty good. But a really stiff front spring is actually going to have the advantage in cornering I would think.
I guess it comes down to just wet spring rate the old Skyjackers had.

Plenty of people still use radius arm drops. They just fell out of favor slightly because of the loss of ground clearance, and because more and more people don’t like the look of the extra stuff hanging down within eyesight.
But you’re correct in that, other than custom radius arms, they are the way to get caster back and correct the angle of the spring cups to reduce spring bow. And sometimes to tilt the axle back to better line up the track bar with.

Damn, its been a lot of years. I thought they were 3" Skyjackers and linear...and the rear I had I think....2.5 springs that I pulled a leaf so they were 4 not 5 leafs. Just replaced with Toms 11leafs and it sits a bit higher in the back but I have driven 2 miles and then I started front coil swap so thats not anything

 

[abn373]

Damn, its been a lot of years. I thought they were 3" Skyjackers and linear...and the rear I had I think....2.5 springs that I pulled a leaf so they were 4 not 5 leafs. Just replaced with Toms 11leafs and it sits a bit higher in the back but I have driven 2 miles and then I started front coil swap so thats not anything

Maybe they were 3" Rancho and the rear were Skyjacker leafs? Funny how after 20 years I cant remember now.

I didnt mean to hijack post. Seems relevant to the post

 

[sprdv1]

Negatory.. only if I had a street rig

 

[sprdv1]

Anyone else have these late night thoughts that prevent them from sleeping? First world problems huh?

LOL, happens to us all

 

[Shimmy]

Negatory.. only if I had a street rig

and that consideration is definitely part of my line of thinking. i love the look of my lift but i don't need it for the street and my bronco will likely never go off-road

 

[Spaggyroe]

On my 69, I run a 3.5" Wild Horses suspension lift, a 2" body lift, and 35's.
I run duff's t-rex arms, 7 degree bushings, and a hellwig anti sway bar.

I run the thing down the freeway at 70-80 no problem.

No, I don't think I would want to go lower (or higher). I like it right where it's at.

E.B.'s definitely struggle with not having enough caster. That needs to be addressed for a driver grade rig.

 

[Shimmy]

On my 69, I run a 3.5" Wild Horses suspension lift, a 2" body lift, and 35's.
I run duff's t-rex arms, 7 degree bushings, and a hellwig anti sway bar.

I run the thing down the freeway at 70-80 no problem.

No, I don't think I would want to go lower (or higher). I like it right where it's at.

E.B.'s definitely struggle with not having enough caster. That needs to be addressed for a driver grade rig.

so about 11* in corrective caster thru bushings and the t. rex arms? how's your pinion angle?

 

[abn373]

so about 11* in corrective caster thru bushings and the t. rex arms? how's your pinion angle?

consider adjustable (or non adjustable) radius arm drop brackets. unless your are rock crawling and worried about catching the brackets, they solve a ton of caster issues and I believe pinion angles as well, but that is probably something Donk is more knowledgeable on. They really don't hang down that far and you can only see them from a distance. Fine for mudding, trails, and street.
Here are my adjustable brackets with OEM radius arms, 3" lift and 7 deg bushings. If I hang them up on something I am in over my head anyway

 

[71 CA Bronco]

The way we used to do it when I was a kid (and I'm sure Paul can attest to this.) was to cut the brackets off and weld a small block of rectangular tubing between the frame and stock bracket. Some even bent their arms to achieve better caster. We didn't have Wild Horses on speed dial back then. It had to be home made and cheap.

 

[Spaggyroe]

so about 11* in corrective caster thru bushings and the t. rex arms? how's your pinion angle?

My actual caster numbers came in at something like 7 degrees.. My pinion angle is about as much as one would want to deal with.
A cut & turn would be a better solution, but since my bronco is mainly a pavement pounder, the pinion angle doesn't worry me.
The ~7 degrees of caster makes it drive and track straighter than any other E.B. that I've ever had.

 

[Shimmy]

My actual caster numbers came in at something like 7 degrees.. My pinion angle is about as much as one would want to deal with.
A cut & turn would be a better solution, but since my bronco is mainly a pavement pounder, the pinion angle doesn't worry me.
The ~7 degrees of caster makes it drive and track straighter than any other E.B. that I've ever had.

well since i've already ordered my duff arms i'll just stick with that and report back on how my caster is after install. thanks for the input

 

[DirtDonk]

consider adjustable (or non adjustable) radius arm drop brackets. unless your are rock crawling and worried about catching the brackets, they solve a ton of caster issues and I believe pinion angles as well, but that is probably something Donk is more knowledgeable on.

They're very good at what they do, but still the only things they address are caster and axle (coil spring and trackbar mount) angles. Both are good things though!
Literally the ONLY thing that can correct both for caster and pinion angle is the good ol' cut-n-turn. There is no other aspect to this that can do both because you literally have to turn the two components in opposite directions to get them where they need to be.

The way we used to do it when I was a kid (and I'm sure Paul can attest to this.) was to cut the brackets off and weld a small block of rectangular tubing between the frame and stock bracket.

Some even bent their arms to achieve better caster. We didn't have Wild Horses on speed dial back then. It had to be home made and cheap.

Yep, good old 2x4 1/4" thick metal tube was the go-to fix for a ton of stuff back then! Here you have your new custom bumper, frame extension, radius arm drop, and inline-6 to v8 conversion brackets! It's a floor wax AND dessert topping!
Bending radius arms and I-beams on Fords was such a standard practice in the early days that most alignment shops had the fixtures to do it. Any big truck shop worth their reputation could bend them up as quick as they could get them connected to the chains.

 

[sprdv1]

well since i've already ordered my duff arms i'll just stick with that and report back on how my caster is after install. thanks for the input

Good luck..