Thanks. I'll probably be helping with an outboard with drums in the future and want to have a good handle on what will be different compared to mine.
Outboard rear shocks project
- Thread starter softballnrd27
- Start date
Sean Allen
Member
Glad we have a more recent discussion on outboarding. I’m going to attempt it on my LJ. I purchased my brackets from TNT customs. They have a slot pre cut into the back of the bracket that you align with the top of the frame rail which gives you an additional 4” of shock length. You also measure 3/8” out at the top and the bottom should be flush. They then say to play with the bottom mount position after much cycling to make sure there’s no binding. Does anyone have any experience with the TNT kit? Also @mrblaine I have your front brake kit already, but couldn’t find the rear flip kit on your site. Could you provide a link?
The flip kit is easier to find if you look under Wizard Brackets.
As for their methodology, that is fairly backwards. The lower mount has a very limited location it can live in. Angle is adjustable to prevent bind and is the most important but up and down and side to side consists of very small amounts of room to maneuver. That means the most adjustment and nearly limitless is the upper mount. You can put it anywhere just about to make it all work and that is where the effort should expended.
Put another way. I almost always outboard a 12" Fox. If I could have a mount made that plopped onto and into the frame at a predetermined height, not only would I do that, I would also sell it as a product since it would be very easy to do and I'm really good at things that are very easy to do. The reason I don't do that is it just isn't that simple or easy. That and there is no possible way to know the length of a 4" longer shock.
Blaine, wouldnt it be fairly close to being the same for most 4" lifts with minor changes to the lower mount? I am thinking +- 1/4" or so. I do realize that there are some variations but you should be able to get close for 99% of our jeeps...right? tim
Post up the compressed and extended lengths of several 12" travel shocks and see how they would work on a "one size fits all" outboard mount like what TNT sounds like it is.
I see can it working on a limited scale as long as you are willing to give up some control over how the travel bias divided.
For the intentions behind and the amount of work this project is, I wouldn't want to lose that freedom to put things where they need to be.
This. When you get to the point to make this major of modification to the frame limiting your ability to make adjustments seems counterproductive.
Like I said, I do the same 12" shock for the rear very often. If they were all within a quarter inch, I could make a template, lay it on the frame, hack it out, have mounts pre made and pre cut to height and my time to do an outboard would go from 6-8 hours down to less than an hour.
But yes, they are all very close, within an inch or so. An inch though is the difference between okay and great. Not to mention that if you take your rig to someone, do you want it back with 5" of uptravel out of a 12" shock or do you want 6"?
The lower mount only easily rotates around the tube so as you change the height to lower or raise it, you are changing the angle the eye sits in the mount. The eye needs to sit fairly centered at ride height so that as the axle moves, there is room for it to travel in the lower mount and not bind on the sides of the mount. I have had them come in with maybe an eighth clear on one side and when we drooped the axle, you could see the shaft bow. The seals in that shock were not long for this world.
That isn't to say that you couldn't recut the radius cut where the mount butts to the tube, but why when all the flexibility you need to make it all work is in the upper mount?
I guess I was just thinking of using fox shocks...for everything... but I have a limited budget and cant afford shockes like Kink or Viking...Tim
sorry, I forgot to install the roll eyes emoji... for light hearted sarcasm. I just consider the fox probably the best I can afford after I sell a kidney...
There I got it. I just know that budget shocks can really ruin a perfectly good jeep ride. It just may take me a year to save up to buy a set. Tim
Sean Allen
Member
Just ordered my rear caliper flip kit from Mr Blaine! Im curious what kind of uptravel can be expected up front with 35" tires, stock fenders and 3.5" springs? Would tire into fender be my limit? Or shocks? Obviously bumps will be installed either way, but whats my limiting factor? I plan on running the fox 2.0 reservoirs which claim 10" of travel for the 3-4.5" lift versions. Should I be planning/budgeting for front extended shock towers and 12" like the rear?
If you are moving the shock mounts, then the compressed shock won't necessarily be your limit for up. Have you cycled the suspension to figure out what your minimum bump stop requirement is and to see what the limits to travel are?
Sean Allen
Member
Not yet. Parts are on their way and will need installed before I can start cycling. I was just hoping for an idea so Id have less downtime when the time comes.
Find your upper limit and how much bump stop is required to define it. Droop is roughly determined by when the coils just become loose, but also watch out for the drive shaft. Select your shock based on what you learn from this. Also, think about where you will physically be putting the shock body.
Is there a body lift? If not, you'll be hard pressed to get more up travel than stock with that little lift and without some major fender work.
Is there a body lift? If not, you'll be hard pressed to get more up travel than stock with that little lift and without some major fender work.
I've been thinking/searching this mod for some time as well. Also was looking for a video tutorial to help the DYIers out here. I'm still running a stock set up and do have a OME 2" lift for the Jeep but just haven't gotten time to put it on yet. I bought a set of new Bilstein shocks for it and was thinking on selling those off for some Rancho 5000x's. Ive read excellent things on those shocks and a better ride.
Listing the Bilstein shocks regenerated the thoughts of outboarding the rear shocks again and reminded me of some questions I wanted to seek answers too. I'm happy to see this topic is fresh on the boards. Also happy to hear Mr.Blaine is back on too.
Does outboarding the rear shocks have any benefit for on road driving? Or is it mainly for wheeling? I'm fairly new to this mod as I wasnt aware there were kits out to do this. Over the months Ive searched I read all kinds of comments on ppl using Ford shock towers etc. By far this thread has better information on it than anything I researched previously. I'm glad I didnt rush into anything.
Also I know the Rancho 5000x for the TJ wont fit into the application for a mod like this. I dont know too much on FOX shocks and wanted to reasearch more on them as well but figured I would ask about this mod and its benefits for onroad use as I daily drive my TJ. I understand some of the benefits for offroad use.
I wouldnt mind having a better ride if this is better than the Rancho 5000x. Im itching to put the OME 2" springs on this spring. Listed the Bilstein shocks for sale. Slowly making progress.
Listing the Bilstein shocks regenerated the thoughts of outboarding the rear shocks again and reminded me of some questions I wanted to seek answers too. I'm happy to see this topic is fresh on the boards. Also happy to hear Mr.Blaine is back on too.
Does outboarding the rear shocks have any benefit for on road driving? Or is it mainly for wheeling? I'm fairly new to this mod as I wasnt aware there were kits out to do this. Over the months Ive searched I read all kinds of comments on ppl using Ford shock towers etc. By far this thread has better information on it than anything I researched previously. I'm glad I didnt rush into anything.
Also I know the Rancho 5000x for the TJ wont fit into the application for a mod like this. I dont know too much on FOX shocks and wanted to reasearch more on them as well but figured I would ask about this mod and its benefits for onroad use as I daily drive my TJ. I understand some of the benefits for offroad use.
I wouldnt mind having a better ride if this is better than the Rancho 5000x. Im itching to put the OME 2" springs on this spring. Listed the Bilstein shocks for sale. Slowly making progress.
They can be made to work. The typical reason to outboard is to allow the use of a longer travel shock and it is a fair bit of work to get it dialed in if you care about such things. With that much work and the likelihood that you will want something better at a later date, why use a low end shock?
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