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Do you worry about _full_ droop?

Mastiff

Mastiff

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I want to get a new front driveshaft for my K5. In choosing U-joints, the question came up about how much max angle I need. So I proceeded to jack up the front end by the frame to see what would happen. It turned out that the first thing that happened is the front driveshaft hit the crossover exhaust pipe and stopped all additional down travel. A few days ago I went to the exhaust place and asked him what he suggested. His immediate reaction was that I was crazy because that would never happen anyway, and he saw no evidence of contact (never mind I've been in build mode for years). In the end I told him to fix it anyway (he moved it closer to the crossmember and down a little, unfortunately. Long headers prevent going above the shaft).

With that long intro, I just wanted to know if most of you guys even know what would hit on your suspension and if you care? With soft springs, I'm finding it challenging to have it not be shocks, brake lines, driveshaft or something else undesirable. When I asked about limit straps a while back I got few responses. I don't plan to get airborne, but I don't know how much stuff can move just bouncing around, or dropping off a little ledge or whatever.
 
I do but my main focus is wheeling.

If stuff hits stuff its gonna break. Maybe not the first time But eventually.

It's sometimes hard to do.

Limit straps are a perfectly acceptable way to prevent this but you gotta measure carefully
 
If your wheeling and get crossed up, you'd be surprised how much drop you can get while the other side is pushed up. It's definilty something you need to keep in mind. Nothing wrong with limit straps. That's the preferred way. If it's not the limit straps it's gonna your shocks or brake lines or something else you don't want to lose.
 
I don't hear about or see limit straps hardly at all for some reason. If you only worry about getting crossed up, that at least makes things simpler with regard to the driveshaft since the diff doesn't drop much. I think I will look into some limit straps though, it's just a matter of whether to go with a single in the middle or one at each corner. Corner is probably simplest since I could focus on just keeping the shocks from bottoming out since that's probably the limiting factor and the hardest to do anything about.
 
I think it's probably because most people that use straps are on links or desert bombers. I'm probably going to use them on the front axle because I'm not ready for the amount of droop 52s provide. I usually see the straps mount up on the frame and then down where the shock is so they're more or less parallel.
 
I'm pretty sure my diff moves farther down when my passenger side is drooped and driver is tucked, than when I just have the frame jacked up. Limit straps are fine, the reason why nobody talks about them is cause most of us are out to get as much travel as possible. I don't even run bump stops, springs be damned I'll replace them when they break. lol My front 14" travel shock are just barely enough, so they don't max out either way. My rear 12" is not enough but I can't help that until I change the mounting locations, so they over extend. Don't care, if they rip off the upper mount, well it wasn't meant to be :D Other than that, all else is good.
 
Mastiff said:
I don't hear about or see limit straps hardly at all for some reason. If you only worry about getting crossed up, that at least makes things simpler with regard to the driveshaft since the diff doesn't drop much. I think I will look into some limit straps though, it's just a matter of whether to go with a single in the middle or one at each corner. Corner is probably simplest since I could focus on just keeping the shocks from bottoming out since that's probably the limiting factor and the hardest to do anything about.
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Definitely do it at the outside edges. That's where your droop is coming from. They should pretty much follow the shock. It's function is the same in concept as a bump stop. Only one stops bump at compression and one stops damage at extension.

K85 Octane said:
I'm pretty sure my diff moves farther down when my passenger side is drooped and driver is tucked, than when I just have the frame jacked up. Limit straps are fine, the reason why nobody talks about them is cause most of us are out to get as much travel as possible. I don't even run bump stops, springs be damned I'll replace them when they break. lol My front 14" travel shock are just barely enough, so they don't max out either way. My rear 12" is not enough but I can't help that until I change the mounting locations, so they over extend. Don't care, if they rip off the upper mount, well it wasn't meant to be :D Other than that, all else is good.
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I was close to needing them with my deavers. They drooped and flexed enough I probably should've done them but I had bigger issues keeping the tires out of the body at compression.
 
There is really no reason for them to have to be on the outside corners.

Most important thing to remember with limit straps is they stretch. Different brands stretch different lengths.
 
RuffStuff looks to have some quality straps at decent prices. They told me 10% is a good estimate for stretch.

Their straps say "ass vault" on them though, which I wouldn't necessarily choose... :dunno:
 
blazinzuk said:
Ass vault straps work well used em several times
:rotfl:
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R1319-full.jpg
 
Looks like I was concerned for nothing, at least up front. The springs finally drooped out with 3" to spare on the shocks. The driveshaft looks like it's about to separate though. Next to check the rear.

20160103_105106.jpg


20160103_105451.jpg
 
if you re-read what my original point was, when it crosses up on the suspension, your droop will be a shit ton more, a forklift test would be better unless you can find a place to really flex it out.
 
Smokinthehippies said:
a forklift test would be better unless you can find a place to really flex it out.
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x2 on this . best to options for true testing . and do it with shocks off and measure for correct fitment . and don't use them as limiting / bump stops .

and at the point of driveshaft in that pic if you were real world if hard throttle in 4x4 I be betting that shaft would pop out under axle wrap .
 
I typically use an engine hoist to articulate stuff. Easier for me to get than a forklift.

Also remember the front axle will point the pinion down under power due to axle wrap. I prefer to have 2" of slip left at maximum articulation
 
Smokinthehippies said:
if you re-read what my original point was, when it crosses up on the suspension, your droop will be a shit ton more, a forklift test would be better unless you can find a place to really flex it out.
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Yeah, I read it. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a fork lift or RTI ramp to lift one corner in any kind of controlled way. I did cycle it on a stump in my back yard, but it wasn't maxed out. Hopefully this test will suffice to get a new driveshaft... I have a hard time seeing how crossing it up would make the diff drop significantly more. But, point taken that I could still potentially max out my shocks.

Anyone have pics of limit straps on a leaf sprung vehicle? I'm having a hard time identifying good mounting spots that don't interfere with other stuff.
 
blazinzuk said:
I typically use an engine hoist to articulate stuff. Easier for me to get than a forklift.
Click to expand...

What do you connect to? I think I went down this road a few years ago. I think I recall guys with junk wheels and stuff like that.
 
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