need help deciding on front setup

millertime · 10-19-2009, 01:40 PM

i have the skyjacker 3in strut lift now and am looking for a better system. I know for sure im going with coil overs but would really like to upgrade to a long travel kit, but need more advice from people who have them. I mainly run slow trails that vary from rock, dirt or anything else you can think of. Livin in the dfw area there isnt many places to open it up through the desert! If i go with coilovers i know its a good idea to swap out the uca's to what about anything else? lastly if i add spacers to the wheels would that increase travel to?
thanks, Ryan

lgrt · 10-19-2009, 10:57 PM

I run the Total Chaos 2" long travel and it is a great set up... not cheap but great. Bombing down washboard gravel roads you can drink your coffee and not spill... on the rocks and boulders of Rubicon the extra travel and articulation reached down and grabbed the trail allowing me to keep moving forward and gave me a bit of an edge over the 3" coil-over lift guys. The long travel is not as good as a Solid Axle on big rocks but a close second.

My rig doubles as my daily driver and on the street it really handles well with the extra width. The cornering is crisp and cruising at high speeds is very comfortable. If you go with the long travel I would also recommend adding the knuckle gussets since you have the suspension pulled and they have been known to bend.

BTW: adding wheel spacers will not give you extra travel since that does not change the coil over mount points. If you choose a standard 3" suspension (coil-over) lift, select the best coilover you can afford (1-Sway-A-Way, 2-Icon,..) the difference is noticeable on and off the trail. you can run without changing your UCA but your angles will be better with aftermarket UCAs such as Total Chaos. Before the Long Travel I ran a 3" Sway-A-Way lift with stock UCAs for two years but stuck to the more moderate trails and gravel roads... If I had kept that setup I would have upgraded the UCAs to Total Chaos as my wheeling got more aggressive.

Here is a link to see my Total Chaos Long Travel build PM me if you have specific questions about either setup. Good luck with your build.

ajstoy · 10-19-2009, 11:34 PM

hye miller....i just swaped out my dirtlogics for the icon 7" coilovers...i never ownd anything else, and loved the dirtlogics, but the icons are a little firmer and smoother on the road..i removed my swaybar and cant even tell...pm if you want to meet up one day and take a look or drive it