Diy4x rear shock inboard x-member on 'Burbs

[G-Force8]

I have heard mention of a few people having some fitment issues with Diy4x's rear-shock inboarding crossmember when trying to use it on suburbans.

I called Diy4x and the person I talked to vaguely remembered someone having to return one of them after continually failing to get it to work. Apparently there is a difference in the frame design significant enough to cause some problems.

Can anyone verify this? False alarm? I don't have a K5 or pickup to sit side-by-side for a comparison of my own

 

[mnstrburbon]

when i looked the k5 and sub where different.

 

[G-Force8]

when i looked the k5 and sub where different.

Thats what I've heard,but the question is "how" different?

 

[BGKYK5]

If your question is "can I make a K5 inboarding kit work on a sub?", I would recomend selling the K5 kit and buying a new sub kit. You can probably sell the K5 kit for nearly the price of a new sub kit if it is in good shape.

 

[G-Force8]

If your question is "can I make a K5 inboarding kit work on a sub?", I would recomend selling the K5 kit and buying a new sub kit. You can probably sell the K5 kit for nearly the price of a new sub kit if it is in good shape.

I never bought the k5 kit and they don't advertise one for 'Subs. A model for K5's and a model for Pickups is all they advertise and the guy I talked to at Diy4x really couldn't tell me anything definite on the fitment of either unit on a Suburban. I would think this issue has come up often about their product,but all he could tell me was "I think there was a guy who tried to use a K5 crossmember once but couldn't' get it to work and sent it back. The frame is different"..........

 

[BGKYK5]

They say you can get a custom one, I bet they know how to do one for a sub. Dunno who answered the phone, but ask for Kert. He'll know.

 

[G-Force8]

They say you can get a custom one, I bet they know how to do one for a sub. Dunno who answered the phone, but ask for Kert. He'll know.

Will do

 

[ba3jbrown]

I installed the 235k kit on my 91 burb. I had to drill holes and move the fuel lines by pulling them away from the frame. I also installed the lower shock mounts. Made a huge difference in that it settles the rear down. Now, I just need to get the front done the same.

 

[BGKYK5]

I had to move fuel and brake lines on my K5 too, but that was easy enough.

 

[G-Force8]

I installed the 235k kit on my 91 burb. I had to drill holes and move the fuel lines by pulling them away from the frame. I also installed the lower shock mounts. Made a huge difference in that it settles the rear down. Now, I just need to get the front done the same.

I mentioned the inboard idea to Stephen at ORD and he said the configuration like Diy4x makes causes sway issues when driving on the street and recommended keeping the shocks out-board of the frame with a tab on the axle tube near the backing plate and one on the upper part of the frame

something I'm considering

 

[ba3jbrown]

That is true. That's why all the new Fords and GM have the shocks outboard of the frame. There has been no issues with sway or handling. In fact, the rear is more pliable due to the shocks leaning inboard. If I want to stiffen the rear up I can lean the top of the shocks out.

 

[BGKYK5]

There are two potential issues:

1. placement of the lower mounts - the further from the wheels, the less effective the shocks are.

2. The angle of the shocks - the more angle the less effective the shocks are.

With the inboarding kit you can mount the shocks the same distance from the wheels. If you look at the stock upper shock mounts you will see one is angled forward and the other rearward. With the shocks at the outermost position on the inboarding crossmember, the angle inward is about the same as the stock angles fore and aft.

There are other implications for how you mount your shocks (axle wrap etc.), but as far as the damping effectivness of the shocks goes, I don't think there is any difference if they are inbarded as I described.

Another thing to think about is the angle of the shock relative to the frame and axle with lots of articulation. It is really tough on shock bushings if the shocks aren't inboarded.