Rear suspension options? 12"-16" travel, 6"-8" lift

[bronchole]

I want to look in to options for my rear suspension so I can get it caught up to my front suspension. I think I am at about 6"-8" of suspension lift from stock. My front is running 12" of travel (6 up/6 down). I think the up on the rear can go probably about 10" up before the 35" tires start to hit things. I would like to plan for 38" tires. I think that drop will be about 4"-6" from its sitting height. That will be limited by bind on the double cardigan joint at the transfer case. I'll measure that as part of the development.

I am looking for something flexy for rock crawling but capable of adapting to a wide range of load.

I am currently running:
- Full width 1994 Ford F150 8.8
- 35" BFG mud terrian tires on steel bead lock rims
- Traction bar
- 4" lift springs from Summit racing
- axle over and extended shackles (that sounds more like 10"-12" of lift)
- I have to significantly limit the up travel to keep the springs from going past flat.
- Air shocks with internal bump stops. I can air the shocks up for towing or down for flexibility.

Right now I am thinking of a custom set of leaf springs to go back to axle under. That should greatly improve my up travel. I have some 2" air bump stops I can incorporate to limit the up travel. Maybe a limit strap at the differential to protect the driveshaft joimt. For load carrying and towing I could integrate a pair of air bags attached to the frame side and cups on the axles side.

Any other ideas you think I should look at?

 

[410Fortune]

You need Chevy 64” springs
You can have them Re arched for 6-8” of lift and put them soring under
Your front spring hanger will have to move forward
On a ranger or bronco ii we would also flip the rear shackle hanger and run an inverted shackle, impossible w an explorer w springs under the frame rail

Chevy 64” leafs available in like 10 different spring rates for a ranger I use ones for a 2004 Chevy 1500 standard cab short bed small v8 (2200# spring weight or so)

There are a few explorers on this forum running Chevy 64” springs, arched, spring under

 

[bronchole]

That was one of the options I was considering. Thanks for the input.

 

[Blown]

I have always wanted to set-up a triangulated 4 link and loose the old leaf springs, much more expensive though.

I got great travel out of a set of custom, multiple leaf packs, I had made with 1/4" thick leaves that flexed great, must have been 7-9 leaves. I liked the ability to tune springrate with adding or subtracting leaves. I have seen the Chevy springs work great as well.

 

[bronchole]

I have looked at linking the rear and going with some type of coilover setup. even considered a horizontal coilover and bellcrank type setup. Biggest problem is the gas tank. It is right in the way.

 

[Blown]

I wonder how big a gas tank you could fit where the spare used to go and if you could source one cheap from a U-Pull? A 4 Link is more work for sure than some properly set-up leaf springs and like not that much better at wheeling for the time and expense. That's why I didn't go there.

 

[bronchole]

If it wasn't for having to limit the current setup to keep the springs from going beyond flat I would be perfectly happy. I have learned that when you reverse arc the springs, they don't last very long.

I am leaning towards the 64" Chevy springs. I just need to decide if I can go full outboard on the frame and keep it over the axle or under the frame and under axle.

Just looking for various ideas, see the pluses and minuses, maybe find some ideas I had not considered....

 

[410Fortune]

the more "linked" suspensions I have around here with heims and spherical bearings the more I like my leaf spring rear ends
Giant Motorsports sells the "link killer" which is basically arched springs based on the chevy 64's spring under
With full width you could go outboard the frame and invert the shackle like a chevy = massive travel and a much smoother ride

 

[bronchole]

Oh crap, my credit card is starting to smoke:

16" travel Explorer rear suspension kit

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Oh crap, my credit card is starting to smoke:

16" travel Explorer rear suspension kit

the money running away haha

 

[bronchole]

Alright, with the full width axles I can move my springs outside the frame rails. I can invert the shackles also. I can make whatever custom mounts necessary to mount the ends. What I need to do next is to determine what travel I need from the springs. How much compression from ride height and how much dropout from ride height. Probably should get a rear axle weight at normal operational load also. Then start shopping for springs.