Easy Shock Measuring

[Recon!]

So I have been getting a lot of stuff done on the ol' K5 and it's getting close to putting on some shocks. I've seen a few different ways of measuring, a hi-lift to pick up a wheel (which to me is unsafe, so I won't be doing it), a fork lift to pick up a wheel (which I don't have access to), use a cherry picker to lift a wheel (nope), or an RTI ramp (negative, ghost rider).

Is there a way to get a ball park measurement so that I can run some el cheapo shocks for some shake down runs while I still work the bugs out of my set up? I read some where on here or pirate or the interweb of crazyness that you can measure at static ride height, then add 5", subtract 5" and that will get you close?

I'm not really sure, I've been searching and hoping and dreaming and while I want to have a billion inches of useful travel and all that, I know that the 14" Bilstein's I picked up cheap won't fit with the setup I have going on. So I guess when I get the SD shock towers in up front I may be able to use them up there, but I'm not holding my breath. I may just sell them.

The set up I have right now
Front: 4" Pro Comp springs, zero rate moved forward 1.5" on a D60 with 37" IROK's.
Rear: ORD 4" shackle flip, 5" shackle, 1" taller perches moved back 1.5" on a 14 BFF with...wait for it....37" IROK's. The rear set up for shocks is not stock at all, it is a funky home made inboarding semi hack job that I hope works out for me. If not, I'll pony the cash for DIY4X's inboarding setup.

Gratuitous Photo:

 

[tRustyK5]

You can run a 10.5"-12" rear shock in the stock location with that lift. Up front 10.5" will work too. If their cheapies I'd go with that...

Any ditches nearby you could get it crossed up in? If not, make two wood ramps, put one in front of a front tire, and one in front of the diagonally opposing rear tire. Then the wood ramps only need to be half as big to flex the suspension the same amount as a single ramp. 2 feet should be plenty for a pair of ramps.

Rene

 

[Stomis]

Theres really no reason to not lift a wheel with a high lift BUT I do understand being leery of it.

That being said with a leaf spring suspension you can take a string from spring eye to spring eye then measure from ubolt plate to the string. Thats your max uptravel before you negative arch your springs (this is also the measurement for bumpstopping your suspension too).

So if you measure that and come up with 3in then I would say set your shock mounts to have 4in of exposed shock and run 10in collapsed. I have 14in shocks all the way around on my rig setup like this.

Of course this does require making and moving mounts. If your looking for stock mounting locations I'm sure plenty of people will be able to give you workable partnumbers or measurements.

 

[Recon!]

That being said with a leaf spring suspension you can take a string from spring eye to spring eye then measure from ubolt plate to the string. Thats your max uptravel before you negative arch your springs (this is also the measurement for bumpstopping your suspension too).
Huh?
So if you measure that and come up with 3in then I would say set your shock mounts to have 4in of exposed shock and run 10in collapsed. I have 14in shocks all the way around on my rig setup like this.

Of course this does require making and moving mounts. If your looking for stock mounting locations I'm sure plenty of people will be able to give you workable partnumbers or measurements.

They will not be in the stock location. I am prepared for some inboarding/fabbing of an upper mounting area and I already have some good lower mounts but they are not welded on yet since I haven't finalized the top mounts just yet.