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Rock crawlin suspension

Blue90

Blue90

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Soo... I'm sure their is a thread out there that already asks this question but I cannot find it so I'll just ask. :o I have a 1989 Blazer stock that i want to make into a decent rock crawler. What lift, and lift height would be the most ideal for flex (without doing the 52" spring swap)?:confused: I want to fit 37 or 38" tires. I plan on swapping out the axles and cutting is not an issue.
P.S. this will be a trailer queen
 
My rant is that I would stick with a factory spring and do a shackle flip for the rear, lots of flex due to a relatively flat spring. Look at the spring rate table on the home page, might give some insight.
 
Sorry, it's in the tech articles off the home page
 
bent72 said:
My rant is that I would stick with a factory spring and do a shackle flip for the rear, lots of flex due to a relatively flat spring. Look at the spring rate table on the home page, might give some insight.
Click to expand...

off the shelf springs, bds or tuff country front...but 52 or 56" swap is HIGHLY recommended...the extra flex is incredible. rear, atleast do a shackle flip and 56s and a zero rate.
 
off the shelf I would agree with BDS is or tuff country. If you want more thant that and dont want to do the 52 swap then that leaves custom springs. They are a lot but for a DD I think my alcans are worth every penny, and they flex pretty good too.
 
Ill place a vote for 52s up front and 56s with a shackle flip in the rear. I dont run that personally but mine is a dd for now but I have seen some pics from member with some wicked flex.
 
52's or 56's in the front are a good setup if you have crossover or full hydro steering.

If you want to stick to straight bolt on stuff go with BDS or Tuff Country springs in the front and a shackle flip in the back.
 
yeah xmillion on the 52"s, you want something that simply bolts up or is there another reason you dont want to run them? I did the 52" swap on mine and its great, gonna be swapping in 64"s in the rear poretty soon
 
lochenjons said:
yeah xmillion on the 52"s, you want something that simply bolts up or is there another reason you dont want to run them? I did the 52" swap on mine and its great, gonna be swapping in 64"s in the rear poretty soon
Click to expand...

Well I didn't want to do the 52's cause I wanted something that would just bolt up and go. BDS I've never herd of them before. What does it stand for?
 
Don't care what it stands for, I know they will warranty springs! Nuff said! :rolleyes:
 
I think if you read the About Us section on the BDS page you'll find out what it stands for. Don't let it deter you from pursuing them. They don't have a minimum requirement to buy - :haha:

Personally, I think they flex great for my DD. You'll prob want more for your rig. This is a 6" full spring kit...
MeonRTI.jpg
 
Overall for rock crawling I'd keep the lift at around 4" or less to keep a lower center of gravity.

In the rear I'd install a shackle flip, switch the brackets around and install factory 56" springs. I like doing a 2.5" shackle flip with a 6" shackle. The 6" shackle will allow full travel on the 56" spring and the 2.5" flip keeps the lift in the 4" range.

Front I'd use 3" Tough Country EZ rides. Move the frame hanger futher forward - like what's done for a 52" spring swap - and install longer shackles. This will give you better shackle angle.

You're still gonna want to do crossover steering.

If you have more money to spend, you could get some Alcan springs. Or spend some more and get ORD's front link suspension kit. :deal:
 
No lift or very little lift , cut the fenders a whole hell of a lot , install some safety tubes , and then run large tires .
 
mrk5's setup (52's in the front, 56's in the back with the shackle setup he described a few posts up).

DSC00318.jpg



The lower you can keep it, the better IMO. My suspension is at stock height and I would have it even lower if I could (interference between the crossover steering arm and the springs).
 
That's just sick. That's one stout RTI ramp!
 
It's actually pretty light weight considering. Chris (38377k5) spec'd it out for me on Solid Works using 2"x3/16" angle as the material. It's the standard 20° ramp that would allow a suburban or longbed to reach a perfect 1000 score and even just a little over 1000.
 
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