so i have been searching YotaTech for ideas on a SAS for my future truck. i have been looking around and found three kits. i want to lift if 5" with the SAS and 5" with a rear lift kit.

What is the most cost effective yet most quality way to go?

Marlin
http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/suspension/

AllPro
http://allprooffroad.com/index.php?o...ask=view&id=42

Trail-Gear
http://www.trail-gear.com/sas.html
http://www.trail-gear.com/rearsuspension.html

I personally like the Trail-Gear because of the cost.

What do you guys think is the best way to go?

 

i have a mis-matched-pieced-together on my SAS, but every TG sas kit i've seen is very clean and complete. i know several people who are very happy with their Trail-gear SAS kit.

 

The marlin and all pro kits are very similar parts wise. The trail gear kit isnt bad but you do get what you pay for....

Personally, I like knowing where my springs come from (Marlins come from Betts Spring Company, Trail gear come from China) Marlin uses 555 stamped OEM FJ80 TREs and trail gear uses CHINA stamped TRES. They look like toothpicks compared to Marlins.

I do have some trail gear parts on my truck but I would be vary wary of any steering or brake components from purchased from them. I would never run them on my truck.

Every thing else that I have seen in the kits is very similar (frame plate kits, ubolt flips, etc...)

After many hours (days) of research I chose the marlin kit....(I even got mine on sale and it was the same price as trail gears kit)

 

I have used Marlin, All-Pro and Trail Gear parts on numerous SASs, not a whole lot of difference in the kits IMO. It is kinda like bottled drinking water...same water, different packaging and personal preference. The big variable on these kits are the individuals installing them. I have seen more stuff get fubared by someone working on their own junk simply by not bothering to follow FSM torque specs or actually reading the damn installation instructions.

Just remember, if you building a SAS rig to drive on the street, your components are going to see a LOT more wear and tear, and on the SAS kit I drove on the street I went with as many OEM parts as I could (i.e bearings, seals, etc but that cost a LOT more). If it is a trail rig, you are going to be tearing into the axle yearly at least, so wear parts are going to get examined and replaced.

 

mine is trail gear and is very flexy. i can't comment on the other brands as i have no experience with them.

 

I bought the trail gear kit and the price was very good. However, all the bearings they supplied, all the bushings and the tie rod ends were JUNK!

They ALL wore out within a few months of use. I have since replaced the TRE's with 555's, the wheel bearings with stock toy parts as well I went back to the stock toy rubber bushings. 18 months of use now and everything is fine with the exception of relacing some of the bushings again but I wheel a lot so that's pretty normal.

Also none of the greasable shackle bolts actually work. Didn't matter to me because I went back to rubber anyway but they SHOULD work.

Bottom line is the metal parts ie brackets and springs etc were fine but consumables like bearings etc are garbage.

If Marlin or All Pro supplies OEM parts with there kits and are only a bit more money I would go with them. Otherwise I would say the parts supplied with TG's kit are only good for bush spares.

I have the rear kit as well and it is fine aside from the bushings which I replaced with OEM and they last much longer.







Just my $.02

 

You forgot a supplier.
www.frontrangeoffroadfab.com

Brian's spring hangers are unique in that they mimic the factory geometry, and stress the frame less (frame cracking is not uncommon with a SAS). Look at Marlin/Allpro/TG and you will see the same basic design. More drop than FRORF, and more leverage applied to the frame as a result.

Something else: with the prepackaged all-in-one kits, you don't get to make any choices. For instance, the F250 towers at $12 each are robust and simpler than the hoops supplied in the kits. Just brace the back with a triangle on the motor mount. You get the shocks they include, maybe you like them, maybe you don't. You get the pitman arm they include. You get the TREs they include. And so forth. Something to think about.

Just some thoughts. Good to know about TG's bearing/TRE quality. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

I went with the 5" front and rear, 14" shockhoops, 5.29 gears, and a few other odds and ends from trail gear via wabfab (nothing like throwing some business to a fellow forum user). Very pleased with the kit. My greasable shackles work great, they accept a ton of grease, and lay down like a cowed dog.



Only thing is, is I wouldn't recommend getting the heavyduty front springs unless you plan on swappin in a v8.

And I've only had mine lifted for around 750miles, so I can't really attest to the TRE's or bearing longevity. They seem good so far, especially as much as I beat my poor ol truck up lol...

 

And having never had bilstein shocks before, I don't think I'll ever get em again. Sure they're nice and pretty all chrome and whatnot, but they make the truck ride like a tank...

 

THREADJACK:

Clint, what happens to your spring when the shackle hits the frame? It shouldnt do that...the spring WILL bend when it has nowhere else to go...

 

damn dirttoyboy you beat me too it..lol..i was wondering the same thing

 

I went with All Pros kit. It's treating me good.

 

The spring will eventually be hitting nothing

That portion of the frame will no longer be in existence whenever I get the motivation to bob it... Yeah, I still need to do the bumpstops, just haven't gotten around to it yet either.

 

Which way are you moving the hangar? Seems to me it needs to go back...not forward


You dont want that shackle to reverse either......

 

Aint quite get what you're saying, but imma chop the frame right behind the shackle mounts, and either bob the body or build me a flatbed.

Hanger and mounts are where they're supposed to be. Hangers 6" forward, mounts 2" back.

 

Those are just general guidelines...not exact directions...

What I am trying to say is that your springs WILL bend when the shackle hits the frame...the spring cant compress anymore so it bends...seen it many times...its only going to get worse as the springs settle


its a good thing you havent cut the frame yet because you're gonna need it.

Do you have any ride height pics of your shackles???

 

Aint my first rodeo That's why god invented the bumpstop lol.

Aint got a good picture of em, but they're sittin about 25-30º.

 

See how easy that was? That was all you had to say!

 

Haha. Yeah, you know that song by Johnny Cash - I've Been Everywhere? It's more like "I've lifted everything man, I've lifted everything. I've lifted chevy novas, jeep wranglers, barracudas, chevy tahoes, ford broncos, el dorados, rangers and silverados, 4runners, f150 f250 f350, see what I mean-a"

Lol It's funny if you actually know that song...

 

One more to choose from:

http://www.sky-manufacturing.com/welcome.htm