While fixing a few things on my 4runner I figured I'd pull my torsion bars out and measure how much travel I'm getting with my IFS. My current setup is stock besides ball joint spacers and low profile bump stops (3/8"). I measured 7" of travel, but my shock was fully compressed before the I hit bump stop, so I'm pretty sure I could have pulled around 8" of travel.

To get the added compression I'll need shock hoops and new shocks, but while I'm at it I was wondering if it would be possible to cut out the stock bump stops and relocated them a inch or so higher to give me more compression travel, hopefully resulting in 9-10" of total travel (for prerunning). Has anyone ever tried it? Could that much twisting of the t-bar damage it?

About shock hoops, other then downey's are there any other companies out there that make shock hoops for the IFS that works with the upper control arms?

Oh and if I'm going to pay a shop to relocate my bump stops I'll probably go with air bumps and do it right the first time. I'd probably relocate the brake line and install the bump stop in place of the rear bump stop of the IFS.

 

Would be a lot easier to just get the right length shocks and lower profile bumpstops.

There is plenty of room in the CV travel for compression, not so much for droop. You can add balljoint spacers and gain >1.5" droop travel.

 

Just thought you didnt read it close enough..

 

or relax the bars to keep the stock height and have about 1.5" more compression travel?

... wait, nevermind...

 

are you sure you have the proper shocks installed? you should hit the stop before the shock bottoms out.

 

Yep - missed that. The problem going beyond that is the steering ... you'll need Immodium for all the steering parts you're gonna crap out.

I would also be remiss if I didn't state that travel is overrated. You either need proper control of the travel you have to keep the wheels on the ground, or lockers to ensure you have traction when they're not.

 

Mostly true that travel is overrated- as the wheel drops below the 'stock', on-the-road location, it carries less weight since the other wheel is being compressed and carrying more weight.
Makes sense- the unloaded wheel is dropping down, grasping for something to hold on to.
A wheel in the air is not very different than a wheel on the ground when the spring is not supporting any significant weight.

 

To be clear it already has bj spacers and really low profile bump stops (I believe they're only 3/16"). I'll first install a shock hoop with a tunable shock and see how it does before raising the compression stops. So does anyone know if there are any aftermarket shock hoops that works with the IFS? If not I could just have a shop make some, but it'd imagine it would just be cheaper if some company already did all the R&D and all I had to do was have them welded in. Thanks guys

 

I thought they were the proper shocks, but I could be wrong. I bought them through summit racing. On their site you select a vehicle and see parts for just that model. If I had the stock compression bump stops they would have worked fine but with the low compression bump stops they limit the up travel.

 

So for relatively high speed desert prerunning (like through whoops and stuff) travel is overrated? I always thought the goal was for the suspension to absorb the whole whoop so that the truck continues to stay level. Is that right?

Now that I think about it one of my prerunning friends was telling me that it doesn't really matter what rated coils (well torsion bars in our case) you use with your suspension as long as it can hold the truck up at your desired ride height, the rest is done with proper shocks and bumpstops

 

For higher speed stuff you are correct, travel is very necessary. I ran bj spacers for a while but for high speed stuff stock suspension just really didn't cut it for me. I'm running a total chaos gen 2 caddy kit for that very reason, I've got nearly 13in of travel in the front, it's awesome.

As for springs there is some merit to having the correct spring rates. If your spring rates are to low you'll end up bottoming out and having to rebuild your shocks all the time, to high and you wont get the necessary flex out of the suspension and likely roll the truck. neither being a particularly desirable situation.

 

Tuning of spring/shock rates is far more important than travel ... go fast enough, and you're just skipping between the peaks of the whoops no matter how much travel you have.

 

Hmm I wouldn't go low profile bump stops for your application. Hit a big bump at speed and you WILL hit the bumpstops. In fact, I'd go for longer, mushier (progressive) bumpstops or even "jounce bumpstops". Also, think about cranking the torsion bars a bit as well. I'm assuming you need more compression travel before you hit the stops, and not much flex.

Suspension tuning is probably the most important thing you could do to your ride. I think I've heard that you want stiff shocks up front and soft shocks out back. I guess the stiff front keeps the truck in control. A set of good nitrogen-charged shocks would be good for you. If you are jumping it, I suggest you think about buying a brace for the IFS.

It would be helpful to know more details about your application.

Jounce stop:

 

Do they make those in pink?

 

More info on jounce shocks
http://www.lightracing.com/v1b/light...unceChoose.cfm

 

That would look exactly like an adult toy.

 

Huh? What? You mean the argument I've been trying to make without success for the past year and a half regarding the uselessness of swaybar removal? Finally some company on this boat. Yay!

 

That's what I meant by "air bumps." hhmm, I guess if I can't move the compression bump stops due to steering issues I'll probably keep dreaming of a Total Chaos kit. Now that I think about it, the Total Chaos kit only replaces the droop stops, meaning I could install jounce bump stops to work with my stock lower a-arms. A set of the FOA 2.5", 2" travel jounce bump stops are only $300 for a pair. Maybe I'll do that and see how it works. The goal is to upgrade my current suspension while still building it up for installing a Total Chaos kit one day...

I'll probably fix my shock length problem by shimming my front shocks with washer or something.

Edit: I just ran outside and measured the distance between my stock compression bump stops and the control arm, it measures 2.75". Anyone ever run jounce bump stops? Do you design it so that when it's fully compressed it's the same height as your stock bump stops? Or should I leave 1/2" of travel or so of the jounce stop after the location of the stock bump stop. I want to run jounce bump stops but I don't want to lose the small amount of flex I have while on the rocks. Next time I'm out on the trail I'll flex out my IFS and see how far the IFS lower a-arm travels upwards to figure out where to mount a jounce bump stop.

 

Alright, so I just fixed shimmed my shocks and measured 7 3/4" of travel out of my IFS, not too bad if you ask me. Now I just have to control that travel better. The only issue is that the shock bottoms out simultaneously as the a-arm hits the bump stop.

Oh and for anyone who is thinking about buying shorter compression bump stops, keep in mind that the rear bump stop for the lower a-arm is up higher then the front bump stop for the lower a-arm. I'm switching mine out, but if I was planning on keeping it this way I'd run a slightly larger bump stop in the rear. In my case it would have been a energy suspensions 3/8" bump stop in the front of the a-arm and energy suspensions .678" bump stops towards the rear of the a-arm.

 

Just to add some input on the jounce air shocks, I have heard they are great, A mag I read did an install (no they werent pink) on a brandnew ish H3 Alpha, Which uses torsion bars as its springs up front, They contact the lower arm sitting at regular position, and when forced up the soften very well...