CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Is it possible, technically, to fabricate a spring plate for the rear axle with a shock mount on it and to run the shocks straight up to frame. Theres holes in my frame perfect for this, I'd only need to make the plates.

So my question is, would mounting the shocks thusly inhibit cycling and be bad in general, or would it work, and is it better or worse than the stock setup.

Just had the idea, you couldn't run them with rear blocks though.

Oh and if the shock is too tall I'd make a mount higher up, I haven't done any measuring, I was just staring at pictures of my truck

Hey Joe...check these

http://home.comcast.net/~bryanandwesty3/blazer/14FFPLATES1.jpg

Aren't those front plates with sway bar mounts? Zakk has shocks mounted on his spring plates I'm pretty certain.
http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/album60/Shock_Pics_for_CK5_002
there is his setup, he used a stock plate and and added some mounts.

Nope..those are 14B spring plates I had made with the shock mounts on them

who made them?

Whoa, swooky, have any idea if the work well?

Looks like that wouldnt be too hard to make, plate and drill bit, solid stock and tap

Hmmmm, wont be able to mull the center pin slot, but I think I can pull off the leaf spring centering strips with slat stock

wa like this?


http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/9475/2631ShockMount2jpg.jpg

Yeah, is that yours? How does it work?

IIRC, I think Zakk copied mine. I've had mine on the spring plate for about 2 years or more. I doubt I was the first, but I've had several copy it with no reported failures. I didn’t go straight up to the frame though. I needed more than 13” of travel so I kicked the top forward to the frame at about 45*. The angle effectively lengthened the travel, and the axle goes forward as it goes down, so it moves toward the top mount, effectively lengthening it even more. I still use every inch of it, but the rate is still high enough that I can run the fire roads at 40+ without trouble for 10 minutes or so before they over heat and aerate too badly to control the bounce…

Thanks!

I think I'll go with that then.

I looked at pics of your truck, but I couldn't tell if you wonted them at opposite angles or in the same direction.

Think a like-gm-setup would help with axle wrap and whatnot?

I made the ones that big pappa b posted for his 14FF /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

I think the help with axle wrap is negligible at best, especially with the gears and tires we run. Use a wrap bar for that, both of my shocks run forward...

There should be some pics of my plates floating around somewhere. If you can’t find something that shows them clearly, send me a PM and I’ll upload some for you. Mine are really simple and strong, but built on the ¾ ton spring plates…

Russ,

How many degrees did you kick your shocks forward? Did you compensate for this angle in your lower mounts? Or did you weld the lower mounts on at a 90* angle? Did you just use 1/4" plate for your lower mounts? I am looking to copy yours for my truck and was wondering what would be the best angle. I think I am going to try and use the Ford F250 towers for upper mounts. Any words of advice on angle, shock length, etc?

Harley

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IIRC, I think Zakk copied mine. I've had mine on the spring plate for about 2 years or more. I doubt I was the first, but I've had several copy it with no reported failures. I didn’t go straight up to the frame though. I needed more than 13” of travel so I kicked the top forward to the frame at about 45*. The angle effectively lengthened the travel, and the axle goes forward as it goes down, so it moves toward the top mount, effectively lengthening it even more. I still use every inch of it, but the rate is still high enough that I can run the fire roads at 40+ without trouble for 10 minutes or so before they over heat and aerate too badly to control the bounce…

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Russ,

I can tell you for a fact that Zakk didn't copy you..... since I'm the one who built his setup. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Honestly, at the time he asked me to design a rear shock hoop setup I didn't really do much looking around for ideas online. I knew how much shock length I had to fit (a LOT) and I knew that with the Springer setup that there would be a lot of articulation, so it was very unlikely that I'd be able to mount the lower shock mount outboard of the springs (which is always my preferred solution when it's possible! /forums/images/graemlins/pimp.gif)

The more I looked at the available space, and the fact that the hoops were going to be directly above the framerails.....the lower mounting point became sort of obvious (and the only available option really)


However, it you want to claim a copyright infringement.....I'll see you in court sucka!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

I don't recall exactly what the shock angle was set at, but that will be controlled by what shocks you have and the rate you want, so my angle won’t help much. The lower mounts have the pivot pin more-or-less parallel to the axle tube from over head so the angle is not an issue there. I did that to allow rotation to deal with the constant angle changes as the suspension cycles. I didn't like the idea of the bushing soaking up all of that deflection. Only problem is, this means the bushing has to soak up the articulation angle. Since my axle swings down and under when articulated, and the angle on droop changes quite a bit, I set the pin tipped up rather than parallel to the axle. Unfortunately, I gave it about twice as much as I should have and it binds a bit at ride height while having no bind at full droop. I've thought a few times about building a goofy shackle type of thing (like I've got on the front) to take some load off the bushing. As for angle and shock length, it depends on how much room you have, what shock rate you want, and what you’re after. Can’t help much there except to say I would go for the most travel possible within your other parameters (Capt Obvious strikes again!). /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

For what it's worth, here are my upper and lower shock mounts. They have been like this since I chopped off the back of the frame and have not yet shown any signs of damage, bending or other problems. The lower mount looks like the gusset is bent, but it's just shaped (ground) like that to clear the nut. Hope this helps...
http://www.members.cox.net/russhuffman/junk/lower.jpg
http://www.members.cox.net/russhuffman/junk/upper.jpg

Greg, sorry, didn't mean to take credit where not due. I just thought I remembered a thread where I commented on Zakk’s new shock mounts (that they looked familiar) and he said the my mounts had been the inspiration. /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif

In any case, your reasoning is almost exactly parallel to mine when I set them up.

But I'm still claiming "prior art"! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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Greg, sorry, didn't mean to take credit where not due. I just thought I remembered a thread where I commented on Zakk’s new shock mounts (that they looked familiar) and he said the my mounts had been the inspiration. /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif

In any case, your reasoning is almost exactly parallel to mine when I set them up.

But I'm still claiming "prior art"! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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Alright then......you can take it up with my legal team (Johnny Cochran, and F. Lee Bailey)

Given what they were able to do for OJ, I figure you don't have a prayer!! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/pimp.gif

Jonny will just lay out the truggy card and say truggy fab does not fit in full bodied work. "If the parts don't fit you must aquit" /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

Back to the shocks... How much is the dampening changed by the angle? as well as the heat issue? Is this a DD mod or not is basically wear I am getting at.

Check in "The Garage"....I think someone posted the formula for calculating shock effectiveness vs. angle.

IIRC it basically comes down to figuring out how much of the force is being directly applied into the piston vs. how much "side loading" is happening. It's probably some sort of force-vector thing where straight up and down = 1 and laying the shock 100% sideways would = 0, and the angles in between are calculated in some sort of SIN, COS, or TAN between them's two values!!! /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

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"If the parts don't fit you must aquit"

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HAHAHAHAHAHA /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

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Hey Joe...check these

http://home.comcast.net/~bryanandwesty3/blazer/14FFPLATES1.jpg

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did you take that pic on your bed? /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

I didn't take that pic. Mr. Muddytazz would be the one to ask /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Greg, sorry, didn't mean to take credit where not due. I just thought I remembered a thread where I commented on Zakk’s new shock mounts (that they looked familiar) and he said the my mounts had been the inspiration. /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif

In any case, your reasoning is almost exactly parallel to mine when I set them up.

But I'm still claiming "prior art"! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]



Alright then......you can take it up with my legal team (Johnny Cochran, and F. Lee Bailey)

Given what they were able to do for OJ, I figure you don't have a prayer!! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/pimp.gif

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johnys good but you really want dowee,screwm and how /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif this is a great idea /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif thanks for sharing

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did you take that pic on your bed? /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

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/forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

No, its on an old blanket that i had laying around in the garage /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

Once again, not much new here, I did the same type of thing on mine before TTC, just ran them up through a hole in the floor to the cage. And it was old tech then too. The only problem with putting the shocks up there is their elevation, they pretty much have to go through the bed floor to get enough length.

I GET IT! I'M NOT ORIGINAL! /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

Anyways.....

Like I said: FLATBED = NO CLEARANCE ISSUES

I've seen them on a lot of Ford front ends at the yards. Probably not the right size to go with a 14 bolt though.

thats where I got mine. the lower plates came with my towers. so I just cutoff the actually shock piece and welded it to my stock chevy plates.

Russ,

What is a good source for getting new shock "studs" like you are using for your shock mounts? Just the dealer?

Thanks!
Richard

Mine came with the Rancho shocks. Not sure where you can get them separate.

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Russ,

What is a good source for getting new shock "studs" like you are using for your shock mounts? Just the dealer?

Thanks!
Richard

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I went down to FWPW in Fresno one day and they let me have a couple of bags, they were leftovers. Maybe call around to some local shops who do 4x4 work and see what they have.

You could also try ORD I think they had some around at somepoint in a R&D project.