Balljoint Spacer Install/Impressions/Etc.
03-21-2004, 04:56 PM
#1
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Balljoint Spacer Install/Impressions/Etc.
Apologies if this is redundant for the week I was away.
My rig is a 95 4-Runner, Sway-Away torsion bars, cruiser coils in the rear. The bars were set to 16" rim to fender before the spacers, but that includes a 1" bodylift.
Install:
If you live in the rust belt, hit the studs with a penetrant. Mine were a bear. Get a good punch and a solid hammer. I got to be good friends with my 3 pound baby sledge. Break loose the nuts on opposite studs and whack them out. Then thread 1/4" diameter or slightly thicker bolts through and cinch them down so the BJ does not wander around while beating them out. I flogged them like a 13 year old with his first Playboy. Then I tried to drill them and the last little bit of the bolt cost me 3 bits.
I found a 2x4 under the extension stops gave the right angle to get a grinder in to remove the material. Use a grinder, trying with a Dremel would make me cry. I undid the BJ, dropped the spindle until it was clear of the upper arm and then jockeyed it back so the CV was not over extended. You need a good amount of room to get the grinder in there. More material needs to be removed at the rear part of the arm, or that was my impression.
Impressions:
I set the bars to 16" rim to fender which meant the bars had no exposed thread on the adjusters. Right now I am looking for new shocks because the stock length Bilsteins are spaced down about 1.5" It is aligned within spec and tracks straight. Lots softer than before, but still no real need for a swaybar. With the low profile extension stops shimmed .5" I gained 1" of extension versus the previous set-up.
No pics now, maybe some ride height ones later. Oh well.
In the end, Frank has solved a good problem and it works exactly as it should. The front end can actually travel now, perhaps stock bars would make it softer still.
My rig is a 95 4-Runner, Sway-Away torsion bars, cruiser coils in the rear. The bars were set to 16" rim to fender before the spacers, but that includes a 1" bodylift.
Install:
If you live in the rust belt, hit the studs with a penetrant. Mine were a bear. Get a good punch and a solid hammer. I got to be good friends with my 3 pound baby sledge. Break loose the nuts on opposite studs and whack them out. Then thread 1/4" diameter or slightly thicker bolts through and cinch them down so the BJ does not wander around while beating them out. I flogged them like a 13 year old with his first Playboy. Then I tried to drill them and the last little bit of the bolt cost me 3 bits.
I found a 2x4 under the extension stops gave the right angle to get a grinder in to remove the material. Use a grinder, trying with a Dremel would make me cry. I undid the BJ, dropped the spindle until it was clear of the upper arm and then jockeyed it back so the CV was not over extended. You need a good amount of room to get the grinder in there. More material needs to be removed at the rear part of the arm, or that was my impression.
Impressions:
I set the bars to 16" rim to fender which meant the bars had no exposed thread on the adjusters. Right now I am looking for new shocks because the stock length Bilsteins are spaced down about 1.5" It is aligned within spec and tracks straight. Lots softer than before, but still no real need for a swaybar. With the low profile extension stops shimmed .5" I gained 1" of extension versus the previous set-up.
No pics now, maybe some ride height ones later. Oh well.
In the end, Frank has solved a good problem and it works exactly as it should. The front end can actually travel now, perhaps stock bars would make it softer still.
That's great stuff.
03-21-2004, 07:45 PM
#5
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Yeah, I got them from SDORS, elripster on the board, Frank when you give him money. 
Compression is not quantified at this point, all I know is when I jump my fat butt on the front end, it moves. I can actually bottom the compression now, it has been years since I have done that. I have some video of the summer where my rears are lifting and my front is so stiff it is still a solid inch from the bumpstops.
Extension gained an inch, could be more, but I shimmed the bumpstop as recomended.
Compression is not quantified at this point, all I know is when I jump my fat butt on the front end, it moves. I can actually bottom the compression now, it has been years since I have done that. I have some video of the summer where my rears are lifting and my front is so stiff it is still a solid inch from the bumpstops.
Extension gained an inch, could be more, but I shimmed the bumpstop as recomended.
03-21-2004, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Flygtenstein
Yeah, I got them from SDORS, elripster on the board, Frank when you give him money.
Compression is not quantified at this point, all I know is when I jump my fat butt on the front end, it moves. I can actually bottom the compression now, it has been years since I have done that. I have some video of the summer where my rears are lifting and my front is so stiff it is still a solid inch from the bumpstops.
Extension gained an inch, could be more, but I shimmed the bumpstop as recomended.
Compression is not quantified at this point, all I know is when I jump my fat butt on the front end, it moves. I can actually bottom the compression now, it has been years since I have done that. I have some video of the summer where my rears are lifting and my front is so stiff it is still a solid inch from the bumpstops.
Extension gained an inch, could be more, but I shimmed the bumpstop as recomended.
03-22-2004, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Flygtenstein
...all I know is when I jump my fat butt on the front end, it moves. I can actually bottom the compression now, it has been years since I have done that.
sombody should get a group buy together on these!
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03-22-2004, 03:06 PM
#8
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Sadly I have gotten a little rotund after this winter. Not a lot of snow to get outside with, lots of good food at home for a month at Christmas rather than cooking for myself at school.
Because of cost, I think I am just going to bite the bullet on air shocks and see what I can do. Not so much for the ride height since my adjustors are maxed, but for the linking. Not to mention, Monroe has shock lengths available when I go to the parts store while Bilstein and others will take a lot more messing around.
This is not group buyable AFAIK. There are batches, I think he still has some. I also think that he has them priced as low as they can go, he made them to help other wheelers, not get rich.
Because of cost, I think I am just going to bite the bullet on air shocks and see what I can do. Not so much for the ride height since my adjustors are maxed, but for the linking. Not to mention, Monroe has shock lengths available when I go to the parts store while Bilstein and others will take a lot more messing around.
This is not group buyable AFAIK. There are batches, I think he still has some. I also think that he has them priced as low as they can go, he made them to help other wheelers, not get rich.
04-06-2004, 11:13 AM
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I recieved my spacers today. Top quality stuff. Gonna waait to put them in until i get some coil spacers for the back. 
Should be able to stuff 33's under there then. 
Top quality stuff. Gonna waait to put them in until i get some coil spacers for the back. Should be able to stuff 33's under there then.
04-08-2004, 09:41 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by Flygtenstein
Sadly I have gotten a little rotund after this winter. Not a lot of snow to get outside with, lots of good food at home for a month at Christmas rather than cooking for myself at school.
Because of cost, I think I am just going to bite the bullet on air shocks and see what I can do. Not so much for the ride height since my adjustors are maxed, but for the linking. Not to mention, Monroe has shock lengths available when I go to the parts store while Bilstein and others will take a lot more messing around.
This is not group buyable AFAIK. There are batches, I think he still has some. I also think that he has them priced as low as they can go, he made them to help other wheelers, not get rich.
Because of cost, I think I am just going to bite the bullet on air shocks and see what I can do. Not so much for the ride height since my adjustors are maxed, but for the linking. Not to mention, Monroe has shock lengths available when I go to the parts store while Bilstein and others will take a lot more messing around.
This is not group buyable AFAIK. There are batches, I think he still has some. I also think that he has them priced as low as they can go, he made them to help other wheelers, not get rich.
I can't get the price a lot lower but I can work it some. I would just have to order a lot more than I have cash to do. If you guys are interested let me know and I'll see what I can do. The parts won't be ready for another 3 weeks so there is time to ammend the order. One good thing about something like this is we are becoming the "real deal" (LLC and all) and will have to charge sales tax. A group by will most likely offest the sales tax while still lowering the current price some.
I'm now a 2 guy operation. I've teamed up with a fellow wheeling buddy and engineer who has a lot more business experience and deeper pockets than myself. When school is out early May, we're going to design some more products. I'd do it now but I have this nearly impossible "Mars" rover to design along with 3 other friends in less than a month for one of our classes. I'm a little busy.
Frank
04-09-2004, 07:03 AM
#13
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Thread Starter
Sounds like good news Frank, congratulations on the possible progress.
As an update for what I am doing with mine, I have two new Rancho 5167's sitting in the garage at home, so when I go back for Easter they are going in. They are longer in both extension and compression and should not need the spacers that I have ghettoed in at the moment.
I chose not to do air shocks because I have already lowered my t-bars as much as I could so the only possible gain would be the crosslinking and I am not sure how great that would be versus cost and goofing around to get it to work.
The shocks I got are stock for the front of a Samurai if that helps people looking for a shock other than this Rancho one.
As an update for what I am doing with mine, I have two new Rancho 5167's sitting in the garage at home, so when I go back for Easter they are going in. They are longer in both extension and compression and should not need the spacers that I have ghettoed in at the moment.
I chose not to do air shocks because I have already lowered my t-bars as much as I could so the only possible gain would be the crosslinking and I am not sure how great that would be versus cost and goofing around to get it to work.
The shocks I got are stock for the front of a Samurai if that helps people looking for a shock other than this Rancho one.
04-09-2004, 07:41 AM
#14
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Originally Posted by Flygtenstein
Sounds like good news Frank, congratulations on the possible progress.
As an update for what I am doing with mine, I have two new Rancho 5167's sitting in the garage at home, so when I go back for Easter they are going in. They are longer in both extension and compression and should not need the spacers that I have ghettoed in at the moment.
I chose not to do air shocks because I have already lowered my t-bars as much as I could so the only possible gain would be the crosslinking and I am not sure how great that would be versus cost and goofing around to get it to work.
The shocks I got are stock for the front of a Samurai if that helps people looking for a shock other than this Rancho one.
As an update for what I am doing with mine, I have two new Rancho 5167's sitting in the garage at home, so when I go back for Easter they are going in. They are longer in both extension and compression and should not need the spacers that I have ghettoed in at the moment.
I chose not to do air shocks because I have already lowered my t-bars as much as I could so the only possible gain would be the crosslinking and I am not sure how great that would be versus cost and goofing around to get it to work.
The shocks I got are stock for the front of a Samurai if that helps people looking for a shock other than this Rancho one.
Frank
04-11-2004, 06:43 PM
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I've been eyeing these for awhile now and am wondering if there have been any negative reviews/results?? i know there was a huge thread on some other board but i can't seem to find it if someone could post that link. Thanks
04-12-2004, 06:42 AM
#20
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Originally Posted by doink
i am assuming these will work with a 4inch lift a la procomp.?
Yep. I have them on my Trailmaster which basically the same lift.
Frank
