Suspension travel
10-01-2016, 07:44 AM
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Suspension travel
Can anyone give me average numbers on suspension travel, both for front and rear, for the average 90s sedan vs the average 90s pickup? I have practically no information on this, and I can't seem to find the right keywords to find it on Google.
I am assuming travel will be much less for the front end in order to reduce nose-dive while braking, but I can't be sure. I assume travel has two distances, being from stable (with recommended payload) to no load (going air-borne) and stable to max load (landing or hitting a hard bump).
Considering the front wheel angles out beyond the fender while turning, I can't imagine the front wheel can be expected to travel up inside the wheel well...but does it? It seems like it would be easy to allow for that on a rear wheel, since it's always straight.
The whole reason I'm wondering is every time I look at a car I see this tiny gap between the front tire and the rim of the fender and I think 'Why doesn't a speed bump make the tire eat the fender?' Maybe really stiff suspension just makes the front end hop before it can bottom out, or maybe the suspension arm just hits the rubber bumper on the frame before it can hit the fender. ..?
I know this is a huge, broad question. A link or some general info to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!
I am assuming travel will be much less for the front end in order to reduce nose-dive while braking, but I can't be sure. I assume travel has two distances, being from stable (with recommended payload) to no load (going air-borne) and stable to max load (landing or hitting a hard bump).
Considering the front wheel angles out beyond the fender while turning, I can't imagine the front wheel can be expected to travel up inside the wheel well...but does it? It seems like it would be easy to allow for that on a rear wheel, since it's always straight.
The whole reason I'm wondering is every time I look at a car I see this tiny gap between the front tire and the rim of the fender and I think 'Why doesn't a speed bump make the tire eat the fender?' Maybe really stiff suspension just makes the front end hop before it can bottom out, or maybe the suspension arm just hits the rubber bumper on the frame before it can hit the fender. ..?
I know this is a huge, broad question. A link or some general info to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!
Last edited by thoslos; 10-01-2016 at 07:56 AM.
10-01-2016, 09:18 AM
#2
Don't have hard numbers but have seen them before. Google front suspension and geometry. To measure your suspension travel in the front. Measure gender to rim first. Put front on jackstands and pulltorsion bar. Use a jack on a-arm. Jack to measurement you took to begin with. Then jack full up and measure, for up travel. Then full down for droop.
Remember IFS or IRS the wheel travels on a arch, so will be closer to chassis at full up and down.
maybe someone with more knowledge than me will chime in.
Remember IFS or IRS the wheel travels on a arch, so will be closer to chassis at full up and down.
maybe someone with more knowledge than me will chime in.
10-03-2016, 10:59 AM
#3
All vehicles and models very in wheel travel numbers, but in general most street vehicles only see a few inches of travel as it's all they require for street use.
For the IFS Toyota, it's roughly 7" travel I believe, it's really not much at all (which is why you see IFS toyotas lift tires so much). I think the actual travel numbers for different setups are here on YT in a thread about the Blazeland IFS Long Travel kit - your key limiting factor in the travel is the operating angle limits for parts like ball joints and cv axles. Of course this general travel number can change if you change the geometry of your truck - like having wheel spacers or wheels with less back spacing will make you wider = more perceived "wheel travel", but in actuality the IFS arms are still moving the same distance, you're just measuring further outward on that radius with wider stance. Hopefully this all makes sense, if not, there should be Youtube videos on this stuff.
In regards to your question about why do wheels not hit fenders -- lots of time these DO hit, lol. As wheel travels up, the arch pulls the top of the tire inward and allows it to clear what seemed to be little to no gap -- most likely on this type of lowered setup, they've "rolled" the fender and reduced the contact point inside the lip of the fender. They also usually do have stiffer suspension and thus less travel.
On a 4wd you have the same challenges since the tire gets sucked up inside the wheel well, but now we're dealing with a larger diameter tire than the fender was sized for from the factory.....so that's why you see people modify their firewalls with either some blows with a BFH or even going more invasive with tubbing the firewall. Same issue in front of fender if you've got a bumper in the way. On the inside you've got the issue of steering angle possibly making your tire hit the frame and/or suspension parts. Usually this is resolved with some combination of trimming/clearancing, wheel specs (like backspace, offset, width, etc) and other modifications.
Good luck!
For the IFS Toyota, it's roughly 7" travel I believe, it's really not much at all (which is why you see IFS toyotas lift tires so much). I think the actual travel numbers for different setups are here on YT in a thread about the Blazeland IFS Long Travel kit - your key limiting factor in the travel is the operating angle limits for parts like ball joints and cv axles. Of course this general travel number can change if you change the geometry of your truck - like having wheel spacers or wheels with less back spacing will make you wider = more perceived "wheel travel", but in actuality the IFS arms are still moving the same distance, you're just measuring further outward on that radius with wider stance. Hopefully this all makes sense, if not, there should be Youtube videos on this stuff.
In regards to your question about why do wheels not hit fenders -- lots of time these DO hit, lol. As wheel travels up, the arch pulls the top of the tire inward and allows it to clear what seemed to be little to no gap -- most likely on this type of lowered setup, they've "rolled" the fender and reduced the contact point inside the lip of the fender. They also usually do have stiffer suspension and thus less travel.
On a 4wd you have the same challenges since the tire gets sucked up inside the wheel well, but now we're dealing with a larger diameter tire than the fender was sized for from the factory.....so that's why you see people modify their firewalls with either some blows with a BFH or even going more invasive with tubbing the firewall. Same issue in front of fender if you've got a bumper in the way. On the inside you've got the issue of steering angle possibly making your tire hit the frame and/or suspension parts. Usually this is resolved with some combination of trimming/clearancing, wheel specs (like backspace, offset, width, etc) and other modifications.
Good luck!
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