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Torsion/Coilover Conversion

GJarrett

Elite Explorer
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Tampa, FL
City, State
Chief GPS'um and Still Lost Native Texan
Year, Model & Trim Level
'99 EB 4x4 "Herc" RIP
My Explorer "Herc" is dumping the torsion bars and going coilover. I still need a little advice on the shocks and coilovers.

I just received the RCD brackets I ordered and took some guesstimate measurements. It looks like once I get the brackets on, the static mid-point eye-to-eye shock length is going to be somewhere around 12.75" or so with the half-axle level (stock height; no TT-style lift).

Since the shock mounts are not all the way out at the wheels I am fairly confident that the 5.0" travel Fox shocks will provide enough tire travel to max out the CVs. Mimicking a 1.75" torsion twist probably means that the resting shock length might be somewhere around 13.75" (?) SO.....

I am thinking that the Fox 2" series coilover shock with 5" travel might work as perfectly as I will be able to find (compressed length 11.3"; extended length 16.4"). After reading other posts, especially in the gazillion-post "RCD mount and numbers" thread, I'm thinking I'll go with an 800lb coil and it looks like it needs to be 10" in length (?)

My questions:

1) Has anyone actually done this yet - a torsion/coilover conversion that is NOT combined with a lift kit? If so I would be very interested to hear about it.

2) Does this sound right like I'm on the right track? Should this shock and coil length/springrate work? Might another shock/coil combo be better?

3) ...and where can I get the best prices on Fox shocks and coilover springs?

I want to sort this out in the next day or two, get my order in, and get Herc back to work.
 



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My Explorer "Herc" is dumping the torsion bars and going coilover. I still need a little advice on the shocks and coilovers.

I just received the RCD brackets I ordered and took some guesstimate measurements. It looks like once I get the brackets on, the static mid-point eye-to-eye shock length is going to be somewhere around 12.75" or so with the half-axle level (stock height; no TT-style lift).

Since the shock mounts are not all the way out at the wheels I am fairly confident that the 5.0" travel Fox shocks will provide enough tire travel to max out the CVs. Mimicking a 1.75" torsion twist probably means that the resting shock length might be somewhere around 13.75" (?) SO.....

I am thinking that the Fox 2" series coilover shock with 5" travel might work as perfectly as I will be able to find (compressed length 11.3"; extended length 16.4"). After reading other posts, especially in the gazillion-post "RCD mount and numbers" thread, I'm thinking I'll go with an 800lb coil and it looks like it needs to be 10" in length (?)

My questions:

1) Has anyone actually done this yet - a torsion/coilover conversion that is NOT combined with a lift kit? If so I would be very interested to hear about it.

2) Does this sound right like I'm on the right track? Should this shock and coil length/springrate work? Might another shock/coil combo be better?

3) ...and where can I get the best prices on Fox shocks and coilover springs?

I want to sort this out in the next day or two, get my order in, and get Herc back to work.

Try downsouthmotorsports on ebaymotors to get the shocks. Very cheap and great customer service. A 5" shocks should work fine, explorers only use about 5.5" of shock shaft. Maybe look at a 6" just to be safe and have a little more room to play with mounting points and so on.
 






Just an FYI -- there seems to have been about a 5%-10% price increase on Fox shocks that took effect at the beginning of this month. This made me depressed for a minute because I ordered my shocks only 2 days after!! (Either that or Baja Concepts lied to me!!)

So having said that, I'm not sure if these guys have the best prices anymore but here are the two places where I got my four shocks from (all Foxs):
FullSizeXJGear:
http://www.fullsizexjgear.com/index.html
Baja Concepts:
http://www.bajaconcepts.com/bajaracingproducts/index.cfm

Both places have superb costumer service. FullSizeXJ does not stock them but I think are "drop shipped" (main contact for FullSizeXJ is Richard Burrow). Baja Concepts said they did stock them but its been a week and still no rear shocks to cuddle with, but then again its coming from across the country so I'll give it a few more days until I ask for a tracking number.
 












I have been trying to slowly look at this also...It will be nice to see the turn out
 






Baja Concepts said they did stock them but its been a week and still no rear shocks to cuddle with, but then again its coming from across the country so I'll give it a few more days until I ask for a tracking number.
Well to follow up my previous post: yes Baja Concepts does indeed stock their shocks -- my 2.5s came in today :)
 






the only problem you are going to run into is that the coil is going to rub your upper control arm. i came to the conclusion that i will eventually get air shocks just as IZ did for his SAS. they are much smaller in diameter then a C/O setup so that way you avoid the rubbing on the control arm. i also forgot that you will need to trim the bumpstop in order to make the coil clear.

EDIT i also read that you want to run a limit strap so that if you do max out the C/O you dont damage it in anyway.
 






the only problem you are going to run into is that the coil is going to rub your upper control arm. i came to the conclusion that i will eventually get air shocks just as IZ did for his SAS. they are much smaller in diameter then a C/O setup so that way you avoid the rubbing on the control arm. i also forgot that you will need to trim the bumpstop in order to make the coil clear.

EDIT i also read that you want to run a limit strap so that if you do max out the C/O you dont damage it in anyway.

Or just buy a set of these and it wont rub... And yes you want to run limits straps, but more to avoid maxing out your lower ball joints, but also to avoid over extending the shock.
 

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couldnt the factory control arm be trimmed?

Cant wait to see this Gerald, I am so damn sick of the torsion bar front ends, they ride like crap IMO makes my TTB look like a dream come true and thats saying alot
 






couldnt the factory control arm be trimmed?

Cant wait to see this Gerald, I am so damn sick of the torsion bar front ends, they ride like crap IMO makes my TTB look like a dream come true and thats saying alot

We actually took measurements with the 1 piece uppers on both sides. At ride height its fine, but if you hit full droop, or bump it will come very close to hitting. Even with the BTF uppers or the camburg uppers it is a very very tight fit.
 






I'll have to ask my friend how air shocks perform on a normal road vehicle cauz he put a pair of SAW 2.0s on his S10. The problem, as some saw in the last King of the Hammers (KOH) is that air shocks dont take continuous up and down motion very well (as you might see running desert) due to the nitrogen/oil mixture soaking in the heat from friction (which results in fading). Clearly, the way to do it would be coil-overs and an after-market upper arm.
 






Thanks for the info guys. Right now I'm on a mission trip with my church so it will be next week before I can follow through on this. I'll keep you posted.
 






Today I took off my stuff (wheel/tire, shock, torsion bar, bumpstop) to get to work and get some preliminary hard numbers.

I test fitted the RCD brackets and then took measurements to see what the real shock length needs to be. I was a little surprised; I knew that the CV setup didn't allow for much travel but I had no idea how little. With the shock and bumpstop removed the only limiting factor to the travel is the CV, so I installed the RCD brackets and noted the compressed/extended length at both ends of full CV travel - it was 11.0" compressed and 14.5" extended: only 3.5" of shock travel! :rolleyes: Out at the wheel it's farther than that of course, but inboard at the shock mounts that's all it is.

The 3.5" travel Fox coilover would be perfect but it's 1.5" too short. It looks like the 5.0" travel Fox with a compressed length of 11.3" would be the closest choice but I'll have to use limit straps to prevent excessive droop. I'm shopping right now - researching the suppliers you guys gave me and I'll make an order today or tomorrow.

I'm still thinking 750 or 800 lb coils after reading a couple of other threads but cannot decide which yet.
 












Has anyone used QA1 shocks?

QA1 has two shocks that are very close to what I need. One is 10.125" compressed and 14.0" extended, and the other is the same only one inch longer. I'm think I'll buy the first one, let the 14.0" extension be the stop for the CV at full droop, and trim my bumpstop for stop at compression. I could insert an extra washer or two on the upper mount to space that shock down a bit and get real close to the exact same compressed/extended dimensions that I have.

Also the QA1 shock is $159/ea and the cheapest I've found Foxes are in the $215~235 range. My thought is to buy one QA1, see if it works, and if so immediately order the other.

Has anyone here actually used QA1 personally or have any insight into the company?
 









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I personally dont have any experience with their shocks but they sure make quality heim joints :). I've read a few good things about their shocks from road guys, like on hot-rods and the likes.
 






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