dromomaniac

Please post your Blazeland suspension and steering set-ups:

shocks?
Torsion bars?..Coils?
Leaf Springs?
Ball joints? Uniball?
Idler Arm?
Tie rods?

...And, anything else that is pertinent.

What kind of off-roading do you use your rig for?
How does your set-up work for you?
What would you like to change?

Just want to centralize this information for ease of use to those of us considering the BL long arms.

Thanks!

BlazeN8

I think this is a great idea for a thread! Its only been two days......but its off to a slow start. If you do a keyword search and type in "Blazelander2013" you should be able to find some good build threads. If I get some time I could post a few photos of customer rides.

dromomaniac

Yeah, this thread is obviously not ready for the world. Thanks for the search tip.

StangBanger

Seriously!? Nothing? You guys are killing me. Blaze whenever you have some time please upload a few rigs with the kit. If I can I'll post whatever I can find online so we can at least have some visuals.

Zpd426

Ok ill bite, 1996 T100 3.4L, front tructrac 2.0 fox RR coilovers 600lb springs 50/60 valving.
Rear detroit locker mini deaver pack with fox 2.5 piggyback internal bypasses. 33s Hanneman fiberglass.

Lower uniball, upper ball joints, Im going to do upper uniballs or EMF joint when i get my lift kit together.

I use it as my daily driver, I tow with it, load it up with dirt bikes and pull a tent trailer or a flatbed with toys on it. I play with it in the desert and i take it on some local trails, I have taken it up bald mountain etc. I would like to take it to Big bear or out to Bullfrog trail but I want to add a 4" lift before then. Ive got a supercharger sitting in the garage for it also.

I need stiffer compression valving. Other than that it works awesome.

here are some pics.

dromomaniac

Well, I'll be damned. Thanks, Zpd!

Looks like a fun rig. I don't actually know the T100--guessing that the stock arms are like the IFS truck? Otherwise, why do the conversion.

I've noticed some soft-looking fronts on some of the BL truck video's I've seen. Is that what you're referring to by compression valving?

dromomaniac

I'd like to hear about lift components.

I'm in the middle of a half-assed restoration at this point. Painting the frame and the body. Replacing every bushing and steering component. So, I'd like to 'phase-in' BL-appropriate parts while I'm in there. I just can't afford to buy everything all at once.

I've got the OME T-bars. I'm set to order the minipack from Deaver, and I'm considering shock options. This way I can run with the T-bars a little cranked to come close to the Deaver's level, and save a little for the long arms.

Edit: should have been more clear. Ideally I want to stay as low as possible, which for the standard truck is 3", if I understand correctly.

I do have a SFA and some build parts for it. I'm a little on the fence but leaning toward BL for a few reasons.

MaK92-4RnR

SVT fox racing shock? you pull that off a raptor?

Zpd426

Yup those are off a raptor, they work well for stock leaf packs.
I got them used for very cheap.

It is the valving of the shocks you choose to use. I did custom valving. They ended up being close to perfect, just a little too soft. So i need to rebuild them with stiffer valving. Maybe a slightly stiffer spring. You can set it up stiff like a prerunner if you want or keep it soft so it will flex out quicker.

The T100 suspension is identical to the pickup and 4runner, the only difference is the wider frame.

Zpd426

You can keep it low if you want it all depends on how you set it up. You can set it to 0" of lift if you keep the A arms flat. However if you order a Deaver mini pack it is going to bring up the rear, order it with No lift or 1".
My deaver pack is a 2" lift and i have my preload set pretty high to stay somewhat level.

Nate has some bilsteins on his website that bolt up. Ive seen some trucks in action with those shocks they seem to work well.

dromomaniac

Thanks again!

Somehow I got the idea that the BL set-up needed the lift to allow for uptravel. I guess I need to spend more time thinking on this

I'm not looking to build a dedicated prerunner. My truck sees off-road to get to places more than for dedicated trails or courses, but I do like to get there quick when it's appropriate (Dont know what this guy represents, but he's cool and reminds me of going fast in the desert).

BlazeN8

Dromomanic,

The Blazeland LA will give 1-1/2" of lift if you set the ride height to have a equal amount of up travel vs down travel. I typically see people setting the lift to give a ride height of 3" higher than stock.

Here are some photos I dug up. My 4 Runner a few years back.



A customer in Hawaii.



Rig with a Drop Bracket Combo kit



A local bro, running some cool fiberglass and 32s.



Another Drop Bracket Combo kit. Crazy big bump stops.



Snow wheeling, a refreshing thought in this summer heat.



Rocking some Blazeland shock hoops and Bilsteins.



More snow!



In need of a grill and bumper.



Monster truck IFS Toy.

vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

Yall tryin to make me spend a bunch of money...

dromomaniac

No kidding. That's some serious pornography.

So, BLazeN8, am I at least correct in believing that a lower truck will mean a wider track? So, for a part-time-DD rig, I probably want to find the sweet spot between track-width? Or, to be more precise, I'm looking at a tradeoff between height/body roll/center of gravity and getting away with stock fenders and modest spacers in the rear.

Sorry to clog this with nooby fluff

BlazeN8

Its your thread, clog it with you deem appropriate! You are correct, depending how much lift you crank in the width will vary. In the last photo, the monster IFS rig is so cranked for lift he has very little down travel. This would bring the track width in but will also cause geometry issues. The steering link angle is so drastic bump steer is probably significant and outer tie rod ends will bind. The CV angles are likely binding and at risk of breaking. This rig is also running a drop bracket kit and 3" body lift at the time of the photo. As things evolved the rig became less of a high roller. There is a build thread on this rig here on YT.

As for finding a sweet spot in the track width, adjusting the ride height is probably not the way to deal with it. I would plan on an increase of 3-1/2" per side for the LCA / UCA. Rim width and backspace along with tire size is the best place to adjust the track width. Long arms do give a bit of lift especially if you crank it up but as soon as you stuff the suspension you will be right back to a point similar to a stock rig. So if you check the tire fitment on your rig now (in stock form) and find something rubs, adding LT wont change much; it will just be wider. However, wider does mean more stability!

Typically a 32" tire will fit. A 33" tire will fit if you hammer flat the body seam at the firewall / rear of front fender and trim the fender sheet metal slightly. A one or two inch body lift will also help.

33s and 35s fit well with the addition of a drop bracket kit or what I call a combo kit. Long arms provide the travel, drop bracket kit provides the lift. Just don't get greedy and try to run 39s like the Monster IFS rig guy did. It was just overkill, and short lived; but kind of cool to see.