edeslaur

Nice thread.

Shocks break off for 2 reasons
1. The mounts work fatigue.
1a. this includes the shock being the thing that halts the axle droop by fully extending (wham!). And then, only when the shock survives this kind of abuse...
2. The mounts don't allow the shock to fit at full compression.

I've broken shock mounts for #2 (I also broke a fully trussed axle the next time I ended up in the same place). I had Bilstein 9100s with their air bumps - way more shock/air bump than you're running.

Check your up-travel to make sure the shock is not too long fully compressed. Air bumps are not a "strengthener" when it comes to that, they are the limiter - they limit up-travel and become the thing that takes the abuse of a full compression hit so your shock/shock mounts doesn't.

If you're going to go hard enough to need air bumps, get some straps to limit suspension downtravel - they keep your shock from topping out and save you money every time.

Motorheadno13

Wow I haven't given it much though on how the mounts broke... Sort of naive and ignorant at the same time haha. I wonder now if the 8inch shocks were fully compressed as well, with the mounts being the next weak link.

I guess what I meant by air bumps helping with "strengthening" is how they limit up-travel in a more progressive and absorbing manner than stock rubber bumps.

I should consider limiting straps.. I was told at one point that the binding of the track bars at full droop will do the job just fine. That sounds a little sketchy though.

Did your setup have more travel or did you mean that in terms of quality?

edeslaur

Fox makes a good product.

2.5" shocks work much, much better than 2" shocks (every brand) for the same reason a 3" exhaust flows better than a 2.5" exhaust - way more surface area with that "small" increase in bore. The air bumps were also larger.

My rear had 18" rear shock stroke, front 12". Wasn't a Toy (shhhh...) In race setup, travel was 10" front, 14" rear (limit-strap limited to meet class rules).

I have Bilstein 5100s (2" shock, no reservoir) on my 4Runner now with a Blazeland long travel kit (12" front travel). Works fine to appx 2' of air, but over that, bottoms. I don't do that often, no cage and no limit straps yet and this is just an interim lift until I get the race-ready stuff (cha-ching!) so I can go hard-core and not worry about ball joints.

Plus these shocks aren't tunable (knew that going in, it's all good). Rears need more rebound dampening for the weight of all my crap back there.

Not sure what shock I'm going with when it's time - I got tired of waxing my 9100 shock bodies so they wouldn't rust.

Numbchux

I saw that. I'd love to get that idler arm.....but man, for that kind of money, I'll take my chances with a 5040 and brass bushings. And if that doesn't work, I'd probably spend the extra $50 for a Total Chaos unit.

bone collector

what size tire u running on your 4runner?? are you planning on lifting it?? i was just curious. i was wondering if you could "stack" a bj spacer and that uniball joint together with minor modifications.

Inu

I would think you could combine the uniball with a spacer on the bolt and lose most of the bumpsteer issue that im shure plauges the bj block design not to mention probly be able to run stock wheels.

Motorheadno13

The RRF idler arm is much stronger than the Total Chaos arm.

MaK92-4RnR

Motorheadno13 - Since you're the only person who's running these uniballs. Whats your opinion of it? Is this a better way to go for more travel than a ball joint spacer? what kind of travel do you think you could get with smaller bump stops?

MaK92-4RnR

Also, Im talking to Austin now. and he says this isn't a simple bolt on. He says welding is required... is this true?

deathrunner

Austin is the man.

91diesel

trying to revive a mildly older thread........
I don't understand how with the bumpstops and stock arms, he is getting 9" of travel. I have 1.5" BJ spacers + upper and lower low profile bumpstops and a redesigned upper shock mount with longer shocks and I'm only getting 8" from bumpstop to bumpstop (nothing else is limiting travel).
I was able to fully measure this out when doing some maintenance on the truck and had the torsion bar unbolted from the suspension. I measured from the top of the hub to a spot on the fender well. Full droop against the bumpstop and then jacked up to full compression against the bumpstop and it's only 8". It kind of sold me on eventually going for a blazeland LT kit I think. Anyway, I'd be interested in how he would get 10" with hiemed steering and that uniball set up. Does the uniball act as an even bigger BJ spacer between the bumpstops? Thanks for any reply

91diesel

This also got me to thinking that with all I've done to the front end to try and increase travel (and it is significantly better than stock) I wonder if the factory travel isn't more like about 4" from bumpstop to bumpstop.

N2Frodn

Tagging this thread.

Looking for something to replace my stupid bracket lift, this fits the bill perfectly.

jskijoe

Has there been any other updates on this mid travel kit? I'm in the process of removing my bracket kit and am interested in such a setup.

Zpd426

Broke an upper Ball joint on my BlazeLand coilover T100...

Im going to try to fab a way to install a upper uniball.

This shop still exist?

offset442

I followed this thread in from somewhere else where this was quoted as a mid travel system, here take a tour thru my photoBucket and have a look, got this down to just breaking birfeild joints now

I like the upper uniball adapter i think i might get one of those...........


I have been working on my own personal roll my own Mid travel system too, take a look might give you some ideas, im cycling 10.25 trouble free inches now, i still not done needs shocks and real bumps and a few other finishing touches but its mostly there now.
my threads for this build are on prirate4x4 in the toyota section " toying with the old idea of stretching out ifs on my 88 pickup"

http://s724.photobucket.com/user/offset442/library/