haha I had no idea bud.

once I get the prototype you will see but it is very x-runner like and then some!

 

I look forward to seeing it.

 

I hope you are planning to use my must-have feature. If so, I'll buy one just for the hell of it.

 

Don't worry Tim I am harassing the "fabber" to make it with the "humbly requested" features.....


YOU HAVE TO!!!!..........yes Tim yes Tim ok ok ok I love you too

 

Bringing this old thread back up. For those of us who are sick of the qa1's dying but are still using the hotchkis springs instead of belltech spindles:

Has anyone considered replacing the front studs on the bottom of the a-arm with longer studs and using a metal spacer between 1/2" and 1" to lower the shock mount point in order to give the shock a little more range of motion?

I'm going back to the bilsteins and seeing as how the hotchkis springs lowered the front only 1.25", if I mounted the shock a little lower at about 3/4" that would give it (bilstein for stock height) more travel.

The problem is where my suspension/geometry knowledge ends. If the shock is lowered between 1/2" and 1" down using a longer stud/metal spacer how will that effect the way the shock works and interacts with the suspension? I would think that since it is getting mounted in the same spot only a little lower the effect should be minimal or non-existant, but don't know 100%

 

I don't see any functional/geometric problems with this solution, Captain. Just concerns over whether the spacer would be strong enough.

 

From speaking to different shock manufacturers, ideally the shock should be sitting at 50-60% of travel at rest.

I did the exact opposite of what you are considering. My front shocks were shorter to work with lowered springs, so when I went with spindles I added spacers to move the shock up in the tower. Works perfectly.

Keep in mind that for every inch of wheel travel, shock travel is roughly about half of that and if your front drop is 1.5" or less, I wouldn't bother with spacers on the stock shocks.

TB

 

Also spacer to drop the bottom of the shock lower will probably not work due the the clearance in the lower A-arm, I forsee the body of the shock being in the way .

 

Yup. It's 1.68:1 at the spring centerline, according to my measurements. The shock centerline is a little outboard of that, reducing the motion ratio at the shock.

 

Well I guess the stockpile of plastic spacers I have is out of the question then. Seriously though some steel spacers should be more then strong enough.

Considering the old stud would have to be cut and drill out for a new longer bolt to be put in, I'd most likely use 2 or 3 nuts as the spacers. Doing it that way the new bolt could be put in through the top and it would be clamped down with first nut, so tightening the nut that actually holds on the shock will be easier since I would not have to worry about getting a wrench or socket in through the to top in order to tighen (or tack weld the new bolt in).

Considering the amount of work it would be to do for such a little extra travel, you're right in that it's most likely not worth it to do.

Well I don't have the shocks in hand (yet) but reading from you're past posts I think I will trust your *expertise* on that one.



Anyway, it was just a curious brain fart. I haven't touched the suspension on my lightning in a few years now (except for changing shock settings and then getting pissed about the amount of oil dripping down the qa1's) and back then many people were in a tither about lowering with stock shock heights.

 

Do this as a test, jack the front of your truck up, measure how much the front suspension droops, the undo the upper front shock bolt and measure again, this will make apparent how short the stockers are, and the fact that they act as travel limiters for the front suspension.

Then call QA1 and ask them how they feel using their shocks as travel limiters sits with them........