Help me oh wise ones.....
I'm looking for input on resolving the underwhelming front suspension performance on my 1998 4WD. After a weekend trip (Plaster City for you So Cal/AZ people)with tons of whoop-dee-doos, I've decided that the front end is just too soft on compression and too fast on rebound.
I can easily bottom the front just hitting a set of whoops slightly too fast, (e.g. at 10 miles per hour instead of 5!). At 10 MPH, it's a bummer having to always monitor every foot of terrain to make sure a whoop doesn't sneak up and bottom the front end right out.
Right now I have the torsion twist at a modest 1-1/4", Edelbrock shocks and 31's. I've had the Edelbrocks on for at least 1 year and thus can't remember whether the stock front shocks might actually have been better at resisting bottoming.
I have a theory that Edelbrocks' IAS system might actually be working against me. For instance, when I did the torsion twist, I noticed immediately that the cranked up torsion bars easily overwhelm any rebound control offered by the shocks - any kind of road dip snaps the front end back up very quickly after compression. I haven't heard other torsion twistees voice a similar complaint. I think about Edelbrock's "before and after" ad copy that shows a truck going over a speed bump, where having softer suspension reacting quicker would keep the truck more level. Perhaps they've valved these babies for a better street ride and are really just marketing the off-road angle for competitive reasons (versus a Bilstein type product that's already more traditionally associated with OR driving.)
I'm a realist and know we have heavy vehicles, but I'm holding out hope that there are other shocks available that have a more progressive compression/rebound curve. As it is I feel like I have almost none right now in most OR situations, hurting an otherwise decent off-road performer.
Thanks for your input!
I'm looking for input on resolving the underwhelming front suspension performance on my 1998 4WD. After a weekend trip (Plaster City for you So Cal/AZ people)with tons of whoop-dee-doos, I've decided that the front end is just too soft on compression and too fast on rebound.
I can easily bottom the front just hitting a set of whoops slightly too fast, (e.g. at 10 miles per hour instead of 5!). At 10 MPH, it's a bummer having to always monitor every foot of terrain to make sure a whoop doesn't sneak up and bottom the front end right out.
Right now I have the torsion twist at a modest 1-1/4", Edelbrock shocks and 31's. I've had the Edelbrocks on for at least 1 year and thus can't remember whether the stock front shocks might actually have been better at resisting bottoming.
I have a theory that Edelbrocks' IAS system might actually be working against me. For instance, when I did the torsion twist, I noticed immediately that the cranked up torsion bars easily overwhelm any rebound control offered by the shocks - any kind of road dip snaps the front end back up very quickly after compression. I haven't heard other torsion twistees voice a similar complaint. I think about Edelbrock's "before and after" ad copy that shows a truck going over a speed bump, where having softer suspension reacting quicker would keep the truck more level. Perhaps they've valved these babies for a better street ride and are really just marketing the off-road angle for competitive reasons (versus a Bilstein type product that's already more traditionally associated with OR driving.)
I'm a realist and know we have heavy vehicles, but I'm holding out hope that there are other shocks available that have a more progressive compression/rebound curve. As it is I feel like I have almost none right now in most OR situations, hurting an otherwise decent off-road performer.
Thanks for your input!
