1" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

[ramses]

1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

I want to get another inch of clearance in the front of my 73 K20 with the "Zero Rate Add a Leafs" but im worried about my front driveshaft after I install them. Will it be long enough and will the add a leafs make the driveshaft angle much worse?

 

[Stephen]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

The inch of lift shouldn't mess up the driveshaft as long as it's the right length to start with. One way to check would be to jack the truck up on the frame, check how far the front droops down, then see if the shaft has enough travel to go 1" farther down. I don't think you'll have a problem.
The angle depends a lot on what lift you have now, the zero rates won't change the angle, but the ride height will. On a stock to 4" lift, it shouldn't be a big deal at all.

 

[ramses]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Sorry I should have clarified what I have on my truck already. It has a 6 inch Tuf Country EZ ride lift. Its the stock driveshaft and it was almost not long enough after I put on the lift kit, so im a little worried about adding the 1 inch add a leafs. I want to run 37 inch tires on it and I think an extra inch in the front would help keep them from chewing up my fenders, though a lot of people tell me I could run 37's without the 1 more inch, since its a 3/4 ton and sits quite high now.

 

[ramses]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Nothing else to add anyone?

 

[stallion85]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Cut your fenders, you don't need 7" of lift for 37" tires. Do a little trimming. I have 35's on 2.5" lift with know rubbing at full flex. Of course I trimmed pretty well. /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif

 

[Stephen]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

You're definitely pushing it with that front driveshaft with the 6" lift. You should still be able to mock it up like I explained above to verify for sure that it will work.
I'd agree about the lift height though, I'd trim the fenders to fit the tires, or maybe look at doing our 1" body lift instead so you don't mess up any driveline angles at all.

 

[ramses]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Trimming the fenders is out of the question, my truck is in too great of shape to do anything like that to it, plus I dont like the looks of it when fenders are cut, not on a daily driver. A body lift is not practical to me either, because of many reasons I wont go into at the moment. The driveshaft is long enough for the suspension to fully decompress, but I dont know how much more there is left on it. Ive seen tapered blocks on another site that seem like a good idea. If my driveshaft is long enough for them, they would help with the angle problem. Are tapered front blocks a good idea? They also have the offset holes, which I could use to move the axle back so my driveshaft would reach, that is, if it wouldnt make the tires rub. Also, what about longer front shackles? Are they going to cause the same problems as the blocks? What about a combination of the two? Tapered blocks could even out the bad pinion angle from adding the shackles couldnt they? If all else fails though, how much would it cost me to have a driveshaft made that was slightly tougher than stock, longer, and could handle the angles?

 

[miniwally]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

You might want to consider calling Stephen. It seems like you have enough questions that a good phone call might get you the information and the parts you need.
ORD makes a tapered zero rate.
I don't know what your reasons are for not wanting to do a body lift but my advice is to consider the 1" body lift. It makes things a bunch easier down the road when you are working on things under the truck.
Just give Stephen a call.
/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[Stephen]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

A call might be good.
Here goes:
You can't move the axle back, that will make tire clearance way worse.
Anything you do to the angle on the front needs to be built around the castor angle, not the pinion, especially since it sounds like it's not going to see a lot of 4wd time. That rules out tipping the pinion up to help out the driveshaft.

Unfortunately, you're kind of built into a box here. You won't clear the tires without getting the fenders out of the way somehow so you have to trim them or lift it. If you lift the suspension, you may need a new driveshaft and may run into some angle problems that get really expensive to solve.
This may not be as bad as it sounds, I've never run a similar combo without trimming for offroad use. You're really to the point that you need to work in small increments while checking out the effects carefully as you go.

Putting the suspension at full droop and checking to see if the driveshaft will work an inch or so farther down will go a long ways in figuring out how this will work.

 

[85mudblazin]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

If you never go off road then dont worry about it, your truck will never see full droop on the road so if you have enough driveshaft length to get to full droop now then dont worry about it.
-Chris

 

[backcountry]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

What happens when and if he sells it or lends it to someone and they go offroad? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[skratch]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

A: you never ever ever lend your ride to someone else!

B: once it's sold to someone else it's not his problem anymore

Why are you always trying to stir something up? /forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif

 

[ramses]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

I do go offroad with my truck, its in 4wd a few times every week for some reason or another, even if im not fourwheeling. I want to be able to take it offroad without having to worry about anything tearing up if the suspension flexes all the way. In the winter its in 4wd about as much as 2wd because it snows quite a bit here. I dont want a body lift because there are too many things ill have to fabricate to get it to look and operate the way it does now. (lifting the bumpers up, reinforcing the bed some way, raising the gas tank up, ect.) If I was making a fourwheeling only truck I would do a body lift and trim the fenders, but im not ruining an almost completely original 73 truck with under 50,000 original miles on it. But im not just making it a show truck either. It has to look good but be able to function completely as good as it would without any of the modifications. I know thats hard to accomplish but thats what I want and I anticipated having trouble getting things right on it. Whats the difference in castor angle and pinion angle? I thought pinion angle was what put my driveshaft at a bad angle? What are the drawbacks to tipping the pinion angle or the castor angle and how can you do it? Ill have to wait a while before I can get my truck on a lift to see how much more length I have left on it, but I know its not much. How much would a new driveshaft that could handle the angles and was longer cost me? I dont think ill need anything more than an inch for the 37's to clear, if even that much. If 33's dont rub on my friend's stock half ton truck then I dont think I even need any more clearance for 37's, but I guess ill find out. Id still like to level the truck out though.

 

[backcountry]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

[ QUOTE ]
A: you never ever ever lend your ride to someone else!

B: once it's sold to someone else it's not his problem anymore

Why are you always trying to stir something up? /forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Skratch,

What is your expertise on vehicle accidents? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

I promote safety, how about you? /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

 

[skratch]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Taken to PM's rather than Hi-jack.

 

[ramses]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Come on everybody where ya at?

 

[Stephen]

Re: 1\" Zero Rate Add a Leafs?

Pinion and caster angle are welded at the knuckle, pinion angle is pretty obvious, caster angle is the angle on the ball joints or kingpins looking at a side view. The lower ball joint should be about 6 degrees ahead of the upper ball joint. This gives a stable steering system with return to center ability.

A high angularity CV jointed driveshaft would run about $400 give or take a little. You might be able to do some grinding on your existing CV joint to get a little more angle.