T 2 with Fox shocks

[flatbed]

I just got the front shocks mounted on the trooper, the 8.5s fit under the hood, i was kinda of worried that i was going to have to trim a hole for the shock tower. I ended up cutting the tube that goes across the hood and the uprights out. The new shock tower just uses the center of the frame, so there is no cross bar in the hood. I keep the shocks at the same angles as stock, just made the upper mount taller and of course closer together because they tilt towards each other. The centers on the upper shock mount bolts are 10". I have added kickers and braces so it is plenty strong. I have to shorten the fenders because the tires will now come up and hit them. The susp is so soft that i can put a 16" block under one front wheel and all the tires stay on the ground. I now have 250 over 400s on the front with 30 over 35 on the valving. Drove it around some today, the trooper feels alot different.

[rocmoc]

Flatbed, can I just drop mine off when we come thu in Jan? I would pick it up before El Golfo!

rocmoc n Mexico/AZ

[Guest Lenny]

Sounds pretty neat. You'll be ready for Baja. I'm still working on redoing my rear suspension. I was lookin at the front fender and at first glance it looks like the fender could be trimmed where it goes under the frame tubing and bolts on. It could then be repositioned above the tubes and anchored to new welded on tabs. Looks like a couple of inches could be gained without loosing any of the fenders outreach.

I have planed for some time now to redesign the fenders and make them out of fibreglass. I'll make them higher, probably 4" or 5" higher in the rear and wider to help catch slinging dirt. I'll probably not get to it until spring. It does require making molds but once made, it's fairly easy to also pull parts for others.

Looking forward to seeing your pics.

Lenny

[flatbed]

sorry guys, no pictures tonight, Don,t know what i am going to do about the fenders yet, I also looked at moving the fender up, but i still think i would hit if i did something bad. i thought of triming the backs and just moving them in, but damn these things can throw the mud. I like your idea of the fender with a bump in it where the tire comes up. When i drove it yesterday the susp felt good, the front would dive when you hit the brakes, and rise when you were on the throutle. Just setting still and turning the wheel the corners would dive so i think i am close with the springs, I still have to see how the shock valving does on the bumps. I think i am going to the new years race at plaster city so i should know then. Hopefuly i get off earlier tommorow so i can post pictures.

Click on picture to open album

[Kinarfi]

As moderator, I was able to add to Flatbeds post and put his photos in. Looks like a good job, keep adding photos.

Jeff

[flatbed]

Kinarfi has help me out and posted the pictures in trooperfolk. He voiced consern about the cross bar no longer being there. In the pictures you notice that the top of the shock tower is not supported side to side. What i plan on doing is after i get the storagebox built behind the shock tower i am going to run braces back to the outside corners of the dash from the shock tower to keep the tower and frame from wanting to bend back or sideways, making the frame stronger. I will use 3/4" tubing as to keep the weight down.

[rocmoc]

Looks good but I will have to do something diff as my fuel tank is in the way. AND I like the tank in the front so moving it is not an option.

rocmoc n Mexico/AZ

[flatbed]

Rocmoc, the shocks are mounted in the same plain as before, so unless your tank went over the cross tube you should be able to run 8.5, the shocks are not closer to the firewall

[rocmoc]

You are probably right. I will look when I get home.

rocmoc n Mexico/AZ

[4x4x454]

Great info would it be possible to get some detailed plans so I could have this done to mine? I would have to take it to a shop I don't have a good welder or the know how.

[flatbed]

I wish i had more time, i could probably make up some kits that some one else could weld on. You have to be carefull because these joyner tube frames are not square. What i did on the front was make sure i was at the bottom of the susp stroke, when i rased the front of the car up to get the old shocks off. get the bolts loose so they come out free . You have to turn the steering both ways with the front wheels of the ground, feel the axle as it rotates and make sure there is no bind, keep raising the frame with the wheels just blocked off the ground untill you feel the axle start to bind, lower the frame back down until it is free. you have to have the steering turned all the way to one side, and than check the other side. Once you have this done you take the lower shock mount off and weld new tabs with 1/2" holes the distance of the shock hiem and 2 spacers. mount the lower shock mount and then start fabing the top mounts. You have to cut the upper mount out. The pictures show how i did it and that is plenty strong. If you can wait awhile i can probably make the upper shock mount set-up. I don,t think it matters what shock you use as long as it is a good shock. The 2 spring set up is the way to go, 8" tender with a 10 primary spring. The trooper becomes a totaly different car. I took it out yesterday and it climbs better than it did before and we know how these things climb. There is no comparison with the ride, The wife and her boobs are very happy.

[ERV JR]

would it be possible to put together a front/rear shock,and spring package ?

[Kinarfi]

Posted some more photos by Flatbed

[flatbed]

Took the trooper out this week-end for a short ride, drove into some rough stuff pretty hard and it took it fine, very pleased with how it feels. I am starting to hinge the hood now and build a storage box. I had quite a mess going redoing the wiring and re running the hydrolic lines to get the area behind the shock tower clear so that there was nothing above the frame, so that the storage box will be able to set flat. I am also thinking of putting a reserve tank up there to, a small one for those long rides.

[flatbed]

Talking about a shock and spring package, I have given the numbers off what i have. I need to get some hours on my set-up to see what it feels like once the springs take a set. They always give up a little after they have been used. Let me be the ginny pig so you don"t end up buying extra springs or having to get your shocks revalved. What i have is very close, but we might be able to make it beter.

[flatbed]

Ok, i finally got the weights on the trooper T 2, seems like i have my own little post going here, Hope i am not offending anyone. Anyway i weighed each axle buy them selfs. front axle first, then the back. I had seprate scales.

left front 380lbs right front 380lbs

left rear 480lbs right rear 520lbs

Total weight 1,760

The way i weighed the car, put both front tires on separate scales and then jacked the rear of the car up in the center so the rear springs could not put any cross weight in the car. Did the oppsite for the rear. The car was full of fuel with no extras on it. No spare tire. No one sitting in the car. When you sit in the car, I am 6' and weigh 210bs. 105lbs went to the back and 105lbs went to the front. The cars are balanced better than what i though. I will have the scales here this week-end, if i have time i will try to get un susp weights.

GO SAN DIEGO CHARGERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rocmoc]

It is OK with us Flatbed. Keep up the great posting as I am sure we are all following you on this project.

See ya soon,

rocmoc n Mexico/AZ

[Kinarfi]

Ok, i finally got the weights on the trooper T 2, seems like i have my own little post going here, Hope i am not offending anyone. Anyway i weighed each axle buy them selfs. front axle first, then the back. I had seprate scales.

You may feel like you're posting alone, but I bet EVERYONE is reading and taking notes, I am!

Keep the photos coming.

Jeff

[4x4x454]

You are not alone I just cant add to what you are saying way above me. I do love reading it though.

[flatbed]

finally got to put some miles on the trooper, the front felt pretty good, I think it is alittle soft on the tender spring. I am going to pull the 350 out of the rear and put it in front to replace the 300. That will give me 350 over 400 on the front, the shock valving felt good so i will leave it alone. The rear is to soft, i am going to get 450"s and put them over the 600 in back. The 350"s arent really doing much, when you pitch the car it wants to lay over, so it starts steering itself, the back needs to be stiffer. Also i am going to stiffen the rebound on the shock, it wants to buck when you are hitting the whoops, not bad but it is doing it. The shocks are 100% better than stock, the ride is very good but it can be better. I hit some spots i would have been on my lid before.

I also had a lower ball joint come out while climbing a very steep hill. My son was watching and said it came out just as i started up the hill. How the cv joint did not come apart i do not know because i was reving in 2nd gear all the way up the hill. What i noticed when i looked to see what happened is the shank on the bolt does not go through the grove on the ball joint. The bolt was still tight but the bolt is not big enough to lock the end in. I am going to drill mine out to the next size bigger bolt, run the bolt all the way through with a nut on the outher end so the shank of the bolt is in the grove. If this happened while going fast you could find yourself in not to good a spot.

[Guest Lenny]

flatbed, Have Fox 2.0 10" coilover shocks in transit to me. I'll need to get springs and I need your professional advise please. What do you recommend I get for the main and tender springs. I'm assuming 12" and 8" lengths? Also you mention that you set your valving at something like 45 - 35. Can you explain this and what settings you recommend I start at and how I set it that way. I could figure this out myself but I'm getting older and I only have 30 to 40 years to do so. You know how it is, I have to pretend I can do anything. Don't tell anybody you helped me.

Thanks bunches

Lenny

PS this is for the front suspension

[brostar]

flatbed & rocmoc, have you guys or any body else considered an anti-roll bar and or a steering stabilizer set-up at all to help complement both the tender springs and fox shocks? The anti-roll bar should help with roll and the steering stabilizers are commonly used on 4x4s using oversize tires & helps wear and tear with both the tires, ball joints and takes all the jarring out of the steering wheel. One problem though, both these items are normally tailor made for a certain make or model.

Cheers Mike

[rocmoc]

I have but a sway bar is most useful on hard surface, street driving. In the dirt or rock climbing it would restrict the wheel from working independently. A sway bar would have to be detachable. Since I am mostly in the dirt, not on my list of upgrades at the moment. Regarding the steering, with the larger tires I am looking at electric power steering assist.

romcoc n AZ/Mexico

[Kinarfi]

I have but a sway bar is most useful on hard surface, street driving. In the dirt or rock climbing it would restrict the wheel from working independently. A sway bar would have to be detachable. Since I am mostly in the dirt, not on my list of upgrades at the moment. Regarding the steering, with the larger tires I am looking at electric power steering assist.

romcoc n AZ/Mexico

Been thinking, what if you were to remove the current gear box and replace with 1 or 2 linear actuators and replace the steering wheel with a joystick? Would that be too weird?

Maybe mount something on the steering shaft to activate a switch to drive the actuators.

Should this be a new thread?-Yes, Starting New Thread Called "Power Steering"

[brostar]

An anti roll bar can still be attached to independent suspension with the lower control arm being the connection point. The bar can't be to stiff and regardless you will still loose some independence and on top of that, it would have to be a new design for the Trooper. That pretty much makes it a dead duck but I still like the steering stabilizer set-up even with electric steering. It just makes sense really. I wonder if you can have two independent sway bars . Don't race cars with independent suspension have a drop bar on each side coming down from the main cross sway bar? Or at least, I think they do.

Cheers Mike

[rocmoc]

I don't think the gain in performance would put a sway-bar high on the list of upgrades. Tires or Shocks are number 1and/or2, more engine power via chip or mass flow fuel improvement and power steering next. Then I will take a look at the sway-bar. Sadly I am stuck on the first two and it will be some time before I get to the next two.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[flatbed]

Lenny, i have changed the tender to a 400, made the ride softer because i was not getting ;into the 600 has much, have not drove it much but i did launch it and when it hit it did not buck. On the bottom of the shock body there is normally a number telling you what the shock has for valving. I am running a 10" 600 with a 8" tender, with the angle you are going to have to have your shock i would run around a 425 tender and a 600 main spring, split it with 2 10s. let me think on the valving.

[Guest Lenny]

flatbed, got my fox shocks, really nice. I also have 600s by 10" on the way and watching a few 425s. Bottom of the shocks show 40-60 for valving. Thanks for all your help. I'm getting excited and the weather is improving rapidly. Plan on getting out for a 3 day weekend soon. The pic shows my basic get away kit. This is my all terain trailer. It will pretty well go where ever my 4x4 truck will go. Truck, 5th wheel and Trooper trailer all use the same wheel/tire combo. Only need one spare.

Lenny

[brostar]

Nice rig Lenny but it would be illegal over here. You can only tow one trailer including 5th wheelers. Is your Trooper trailer purpose built? Just asking because you seem to have the sweet spot between the weight of the T2 & the axle of the trailer. Also, I can't see how you drive on, does it tilt or you have fold away ramps?

Cheers Mike.

[Guest Lenny]

It is built special for the trooper. It does tip up, you can see the liniar actuator sticking up at the front of the trailer. So I just drive on, reach over to a switch next to the drivers seat and lower the bed back for towing. The trailer was also designed so I can place 3 peices of plywood on its floor and plug in side rails so it can be used as a typical trailer with dumping bed. When I built my 5th wheel, I designed the rear hitch to safely hold 700 pounds figuring using a 20 percent hitch weight I could tow a trailer behind weighing 3500 pounds. The axel placement gives me the 700# tongue weight. I like to keep tongue weights on the heavy side. This allows the axel to be farther back. The heavier tongue weight and the farther back axel make for an extreamly stable towing trailer that you can swerve, zig and zag and it just follows perfectly, always.

Thanks

Lenny