96 s10 blazer, getting a 5.3L

[miniwally]

I have no experience with the ORI struts. I understand them to be kind of a bypass air shock. Meaning:
They are tunable somewhat from the outside. Most of the tuning for valve changes has to be done with the shock taken apart
They use air as the spring
They use oil as for the shock forces.

Racing we can blow through a 2.5" coil over with valving, a 2.5" triple bypass that has a bump zone in it and a 2.5" air bump with 2" of travel. Bottoming out can lead to bad things in a short period of time.

Keep in mind though that you can bottom out anything. Trophy trucks bottom out, that's just how it is.

Between the 3 things we have there is enough tuning potential to over come hard bottom outs.

IMO, you need a bump stop. If you bottom the ORI's you put all that force into the mounting bolts. They bend, trust me on this one. We bend bypass shock bolts from shock forces alone.

I ran a hard metal to metal stop with cheap poly bump stops for a few years on the buggy. Then I went to the King air bumps and never looked back.

Like I would plan for an area in front of or behind the ORI for a future air bump. Put a solid stop or whatever in there for now but don't rely on the shock bolts for your final bump stops.

 

[ssyork]

After listening to your advice, I ordered a set of theses today. Pretty basic, (2"x2")but should work. If I start hitting them a bunch I will have to find a deal on some bumps. Thanks again for sharing your advice and knowledge. I need all the help I can get!

 

[miniwally]

Looks like that will work.

Make sure to mount those well. Keep in mind that if you are getting into them they are taking all of the vehicles front weight with some speed behind it. There can be a lot of force transfered through the bump stop.

If you can, mount them inline with the shocks. Meaning in front of or behind the shock but not to far inside of the shock. Once you spend a bit of time articulating the suspension you will see that the farther towards the center of the vehicle the bump is the less it will get used in articulation. Once far enough inboard they are not even used in articulation and can actually bend the axle if you hit them hard enough. Most likely not going to happen in your case but something to consider.

You have the right idea getting something on there and seeing how it goes. It took me a few seasons to start driving hard enough to need a good bump stop.

 

[ssyork]

I got the fans mounted up last night and most of the radiator mount done. I still need to squeeze a cross bar across the top under the hood. There is a little over an inch between the winch and rad. There is also within a 1/16" of being the same distance between the fans and pulleys that there was before. They didn't hit before so they should be fine with a stiffer frame and not running 20 year old motor mounts anymore.

 

[ssyork]

So its been awhile since I updated anything. Been busy working away. Here is a pic of what my front end is turning out to look like. The exo cage will come across the top into where the cut tube is. I have the d side fender on too, just got excited and took the pic first. Any opinions of changes yet? I have the exo started too. Still waiting on a battery box and links, both supposed to be here this week.

 

[folkenheath]

Looks tough man, keep it up. I want to see the suspension cycle, just the 49th time, the first 48 you should get everything sorted out!

(I know I moved stuff several times after thinking it was right, the articulation took a LOT more room than I expected).

 

[ssyork]

Looks tough man, keep it up. I want to see the suspension cycle, just the 49th time, the first 48 you should get everything sorted out!

(I know I moved stuff several times after thinking it was right, the articulation took a LOT more room than I expected).

Thanks, I'm a little worried on long it will take me to get cycle and get everything into place.

so its been a bit since much of an update, just plugging away. Also knocked out a rear roll cage on a utv, figured a little practice before I did the exo wouldn't hurt. I got the front end together, just have to bring the exo into it. I narrowed the front by 20 1/2", pretty much the width of the headlights. Then I brought the fenders in to match somewhat. This is my first attempt at body work so don't be to harsh. I had to fully cut them apart because they are so rounded, no like the old chevys with flat fenders. Then I welded a chunk of what I cut off in behind them, covered them with kitty hair, then body filler and rattle can. I'm pretty happy with them for my first attempt. put together a grill to give some protection since the factory one won't fit anymore. Started main hoop on exo also. My links should be shipping today, so memorial day will be tough, but I'm trying to have it rolling by then so I can take it to the race in Powell and tune computer/play around.

 

[stan1688]

Lookin' good. Can't wait to see it all finished up.

 

[folkenheath]

Looks like your making progress, I hope you make your goal, it's coming up quick!

Don't forget to cycle the suspension AND steer it at the same time. When I articulated and steered the axle to the extremes simultaneously is when it surprised me where stuff would come in contact.

 

[ssyork]

Looks like your making progress, I hope you make your goal, it's coming up quick!

Don't forget to cycle the suspension AND steer it at the same time. When I articulated and steered the axle to the extremes simultaneously is when it surprised me where stuff would come in contact.

Great advice thanks for reminding me.

 

[MNorby]

Send Scott up a 44 TSL spare I have to help cycle with. If that wide ass tire clears than any 40 should be fine. How close is the door clear that top tube when openning?

 

[blazinzuk]

not sure how you are going to brace up the cage Scott, but I have done a couple exos on trucks similar to yours. You really can't have enough bracing in the roof. Xs on everything and gussets everywhere. An exo like that, the roof is where alot of the side to side rigidity comes from. \

Unless of course you have a different plan like bracing it to the body or something like that.

Still the roof bracing is pretty important on an exo like yours

 

[ssyork]

There is over 1/2"of clearance between door and top tube. The back of the front door and the main hoop is close though. I was planning on doing an x over the top plus one down the middle from front to back. Plus a window bar and one connecting the shock hoops too. I am not planing on going to the body andwhere, but if need be I will. Figured every corner would have either a tube gusset or a small plate one. The whole 4 door does make the exo a little more challenging.

 

[blazinzuk]

Its just really hard to get exos to hold up well on side rolls. Since part of their job is to protect the body I brace the ever livin crap out of the top so the side bars don't end up into the body.

One idea i had but never got to try is to bend a small peice of thinner metal, like 1/8" so you can weld it to the B pillar on the truck and extend it out to weld it to the B pillar on the cage. Dimple it for strength, that gives you alot more side to side bracing.

 

[ssyork]

So if I did something like that, how would that work with still being on body mounts? Wouldn't I end up tearing it apart or the body sheet metal with the body mounts still trying to flex? Sound like a good idea, just talking it through my wee little head

 

[MNorby]

I think Scott's rig, like mine the cab is still rubber mounted so tying it to the cage will be a problem. I did that on my old K5 and after I did it rattled and squeaked like crazy. That and his B pillar is his back door, would have to cut door away to get to actual cab structure. On mine being a pickup cab I have a decent pillar behind cab with an X in it but not easily done on a SUV body.

 

[blazinzuk]

So if I did something like that, how would that work with still being on body mounts? Wouldn't I end up tearing it apart or the body sheet metal with the body mounts still trying to flex? Sound like a good idea, just talking it through my wee little head

so the exo is going to the frame?

If so it should stiffen up the whole structure enough to mitigate any flexing of the frame. But since you have body mounts you would want to integrate the cage in several spots otherwise like Matt said it will more than likely have issues of some sort.

Besides the dimple die you would need would be small and everyone loves dimples!

If I did any bracing of the cage to the body I would try to do enough to the whole thing acts as one structure. I have actually run thicker plates on exos and tied them into an internal seatbelt bar but not on a 4 door, that just makes everything harder

 

[ssyork]

so the exo is going to the frame?

exos and tied them into an internal seatbelt bar but not on a 4 door, that just makes everything harder

yes it is going to the frame everywhere. Yeah this whole suv, 4 door station wagon I call a trail rig makes it tough some days. Besides there are not a lot of them out really built up to look at and get ideas from either. I haven't seen another narrowed front s10 blazer, and only one or 2 trucks. I'm sure they are out there, just not many of them.

 

[MNorby]

a guy could cut a hole in the roof and floor and do a X in the B pillar behind front seats and go to frame or sliders. Would have to oversize the hole a little then use some innertube rubber or something to kinda seal up the hole around the cage and that way that cage wouldn't be attached to body still but be more supported.

 

[blazinzuk]

yes it is going to the frame everywhere. Yeah this whole suv, 4 door station wagon I call a trail rig makes it tough some days. Besides there are not a lot of them out really built up to look at and get ideas from either. I haven't seen another narrowed front s10 blazer, and only one or 2 trucks. I'm sure they are out there, just not many of them.

Yep your definitely "special"