CK5
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rear suspension-3 link or 4 link????

and limiting straps and a suck down winch if you can afford it.i run a chain to keep mine from unloading.i run no bumpstops cause mine was set up that way but you might need thoose as well.you can set them up on your links if you want to

yep controlling your suspension if it has lots of flex is very important and will enhance the capability of your truck overall
 
been thinking about using airbags mounted mid way on the lower arms.that way i can adjust as needed for weight in the truck and foce articulation if needed.
i think a 10" bag would give enough travel.
a search for airbags doesnt cover it.mostly just overload bags.
good idea or bad?
 
The more volume in a bag i.e. bigger it is the better the ride. Problem being is that once they get so big it makes them susceptible to damage.

I am not so sure I would trust an airbag in your kind of wheeling they are very hard to puncture but it would suck to lose pretty much all your lift on one side
 
the reason i dont like coils is they are not adjustable.lets say you get it all done take it out and your not happy with it.then you gotta try to find some coils that have the right spring rate.pita imo.plus you have to buy shocks and decent ones at that,by the time you do that then you have as much in it as i do in air shocks and i can change my spring rate on the trail if i wanted to just by adding oil.coilovers are nice because you can get mutiple spring rates and change them out as you please on the trail.you have to think you are going out for days at a time if you get a set of springs you arent happy with then your out even longer.just some food for thought.coil kinda go along with quarter eliptical it works but not the best option anymore

If your changing spring rates on the trail your doing something wrong. I have run the same spring rate for 6 years, recently added a LOT of weight to the rig and still decided to keep the same spring rate. With coilovers we did have the ability to just adjust the ride height to what we wanted with the spring rate.

I will say this. It's all about the shocks. Quality and longevity have a cost. It may be time or money but it all cost something.
 
ive only added N2 to my air shocks when they were put on.ive never messed with them on the trail,but i could if i wanted to and i could change the ride height like you stated
 
Its also possible to adjust ride height with coils.
Adjustable mounts.
As far as dependability, IMHO ,coils have all the others beat.

16  lf upper coil mt.JPG

18  left side view cl.JPG
 
how many times has it been offroad though?and on an escursion where you are gone for day?im gonna venture and say never for the excursion and neither has mine.mine has been offroad plenty of times.ive been in a truck with coils before and for the little amount of money air shocks are (in comparrison to coilovers) id take air shocks all day long.
 
how many times has it been offroad ... id take air shocks all day long.

Plenty of offroad use...even all day at times with a quad in the back.

For your application ( no body or weight over the rear axle) airshocks may be a good choice.
However this thread is geared towards a Blazer carrying a load.
 
me personally,if i was gonna take all the time and spend the hundred of dollars of rod ends,tube,misalignment spacers and bolts i wouldnt waste my time with some used coild springs that i cant adjust.plus i look at things like if i was somewere and it broke what would i do.most of the place i wheel have vendors on site.them having an air shock-likeley and used coil out of something-unlikely.its whatever floats your boat but if you ever felt the diffrence you would be amazed just like i would if i rode in something with coilovers.if i EVER did my front id only use coilovers.mabye i just like to overbuild things or do it right the first time.thats prolly why my front isnt linked yet


as far for the OP id only go coilovers or king 2.5s or air bags in his case.2.5 air shocks are expensive though
 
I think its Far more likely to blow an airshock than break a coil spring...

But thats just me.:D
 
yep they are easy to blow if your limiting straps arent setup right unlike mine.ive prolly seen at least 10 cases of people loosing coils and them getting bent on the trail.last ride i was on the guy drove his there,bent both springs,broke both shocks.he was pretty much screwed.i kept wheeling while he was figureing that out.if i had ever even thought about coils that changed my mind right there.proof

061.jpg

062.jpg



in the meantime here is what i did on that ride till i decided to leave them
sat there

047.jpg


also look at the treands how many people run air shocks/coilovers vs coil springs?there is a reason behind that
 
me personally,if i was gonna take all the time and spend the hundred of dollars of rod ends,tube,misalignment spacers and bolts i wouldnt waste my time with some used coild springs that i cant adjust.

Using air shocks or coilovers can easily double or triple the cost of linking a suspension. Nothing to sneeze at.



plus i look at things like if i was somewere and it broke what would i do.most of the place i wheel have vendors on site.them having an air shock-likeley and used coil out of something-unlikely.

I'm still using TJ coils in the rear of mine, I have 3 sets that I got for free with little/no effort (two of them were brought to me). It couldn't possibly be easier to find spare or replacement springs than that.


Now, of course, they're not the ideal option. Basically, coilovers are. But they run $500 a set.

My suspension works pretty damn well with free springs and $25 shocks.


I will be almost certainly be going to coilovers before next season but it will be to replace the leaves in the front before it will replace the coils in the rear.

Cheap coils CAN work just fine, you just have to find a set that has the length and spring rate close to what you need.
 
Using air shocks or coilovers can easily double or triple the cost of linking a suspension. Nothing to sneeze at.





I'm still using TJ coils in the rear of mine, I have 3 sets that I got for free with little/no effort (two of them were brought to me). It couldn't possibly be easier to find spare or replacement springs than that.


Now, of course, they're not the ideal option. Basically, coilovers are. But they run $500 a set.

My suspension works pretty damn well with free springs and $25 shocks.


I will be almost certainly be going to coilovers before next season but it will be to replace the leaves in the front before it will replace the coils in the rear.

Cheap coils CAN work just fine, you just have to find a set that has the length and spring rate close to what you need.

also to add to all that.the terrain changes alot.west coast and east coast are 2 diffent animals.i have hear the air shocks arent good out there especially at the hammers.the most pimp option is theese :D

http://www.oristruts.com/dp3strut.html

theese are really nice as well

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/NEW-Ballistic-Hybrid-CoiloverAir-Shock_p_1649.html

the guestion is with all the gear he runs would the best option for him be coils.id say no but thats just me.not even air shocks.if i was him id save up and go for coilovers
 
I doubt air shocks can support a loaded non hacked up blazer without complications
 
coilovers would be nice if they could be packaged so they didnt intrude into the interior.also when we run in its loaded heavy then unloaded at camp and run for a week or so.the ability to adjust would be real nice.with the stock 52s it is squated 4-5" when loaded.

i have been looking at the different types if link suspensions and have decided on either a 4 link or the try link-upper wishbone style.
i have seen them done with heims at all connections and with bushings on one end of the links and bushings at both ends.i know they flex better with the heims but i am kinda worried about durablity due to us running in mud and glacial silt all the time.could i run a johnny joint at the frame end on the lower links to hlep keep them out of the stuff and run a bushing at the axle end and be ok still?
 
There are several rebuild able joints out there. The ones I have used have been summit machine joints. Pretty nice and easy to rebuild if you have the right tool. which is very small and can be packed easily. Rebuild kits for them aren't that much. You can use pretty much any combo of bushing, flex joint, heim you want, but if you reach the heim or flex joints capacity (alot are way less than you may think) the bushing will get chewed up. Which can lead to as many problems as a worn heim.
 
i personally perfer heims but for your aplication id prolly go bushings all the way around.

howdiy-do you know air shocks are based off unsprung weight?have you ever reserced a 2.5 air shock?
 
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