Bilstein 7100 custom valving - leaf springs

[cal]

call scott @ deaver, they are supposed to come with them when you buy them.

if they don't just give them to you, call me up and i'll go get you a set. they are $40 cash and i can ship them for a dollar or two.

 

[Smash Hole]

Just called Scott, bushings on the way.. I also have Energy Suspension part numbers to reference for poly bushings, but it looks like you need to piece a few different part numbers together.

 

[cal]

For what its worth, I have never worn out a set of bushings before I felt like the leafs themselves were in need of a rebuild (a full season of racing), so I wouldn't really worry about the energy bushings.

When you get the bushings, there is a wider pair and a narrower pair. hard to tell the difference unless you assemble them off of the leafs (they are 2 peice) and compare side by side.

The wide pair goes up front. You can put the jeep together with them backward, but the shackles will be a bitch to bolt up.

 

[Smash Hole]

For what its worth, I have never worn out a set of bushings before I felt like the leafs themselves were in need of a rebuild (a full season of racing), so I wouldn't really worry about the energy bushings.

When you get the bushings, there is a wider pair and a narrower pair. hard to tell the difference unless you assemble them off of the leafs (they are 2 peice) and compare side by side.

The wide pair goes up front. You can put the jeep together with them backward, but the shackles will be a bitch to bolt up.

Good to know.

Shackles are on their way. Bryson at Boostworks was extremely helpful and quick in getting a custom length set to me. I will definitely be buying a set for my other XJ in the future.

 

[cal]

Good to know.

Shackles are on their way. Bryson at Boostworks was extremely helpful and quick in getting a custom length set to me. I will definitely be buying a set for my other XJ in the future.

Yeah he offered to do us a set, but with our bronco leafs and funky rear hanger, there was no way to make his setup work so we didn't waste his time.

 

[Smash Hole]

Got the springs in. Shackles did not work out. The rear axle would move 2" side to side with the extra length.

I threw the old 1" shackle back on. With the axle free hanging I'm pulling about 9" of down travel. With the long shackle I got all 12" as expected.

Flexing out I still pull all 12" with the the short shackle. I'm going to pull the sway bar up front off as it seems the rear is doing all the work with the new springs.

Some pics.

Long shackle

Short shackle

As you can see I have lost about an inch of up travel going to the deavers. The shocks are not charged either so I'm assuming that will probably bump it up another 1/2".

I'm going out of town, I'll revalve the shocks and get the shaft bumps on next week.

 

[Smash Hole]

Another build thread.. Shamu rebuild

Figured I'd copy my post from the jeepspeed forum here for an update

Got the springs in. Shackles did not work out. The rear axle would move 2" side to side with the extra length.

I threw the old 1" shackle back on. With the axle free hanging I'm pulling about 9" of down travel. With the long shackle I got all 12" as expected.

Flexing out I still pull all 12" with the the short shackle. I'm going to pull the sway bar up front off as it seems the rear is doing all the work with the new springs.

Some pics.

Long shackle

Short shackle

As you can see I have lost about an inch of up travel going to the deavers. The shocks are not charged either so I'm assuming that will probably bump it up another 1/2".

I'm going out of town, I'll revalve the shocks and get the shaft bumps on next week.

 

[Smash Hole]

Another build thread.. Shamu rebuild

Figured I'd copy my post from the jeepspeed forum in here for an update.

Got the springs in. Shackles did not work out. The rear axle would move 2" side to side with the extra length.

I threw the old 1" shackle back on. With the axle free hanging I'm pulling about 9" of down travel. With the long shackle I got all 12" as expected.

Flexing out I still pull all 12" with the the short shackle. I'm going to pull the sway bar up front off as it seems the rear is doing all the work with the new springs.

Some pics.

Long shackle

Short shackle

As you can see I have lost about an inch of up travel going to the deavers. The shocks are not charged either so I'm assuming that will probably bump it up another 1/2".

I'm going out of town, I'll revalve the shocks and get the shaft bumps on next week.

 

[Smash Hole]

Wow I screwed that up...

Revalved the shocks and went for a drive. Wow what a difference! Does not feel like leafs in the rear.

Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to take it out and test it at speed in the rough stuff.

 

[cal]

i'm excited to hear your feedback when you do

 

[Smash Hole]

i'm excited to hear your feedback when you do

Ran a local event this weekend, basically a scavenger hunt/rally. Route takes 6 hours, we did it in 2 hours flat with no GPS. The next jeeps that hit every checkpoint pulled in about 2 hours after us.

I ran the event with 6" of up travel in the front and kept the center limit strap on because I forgot to unhook it. Shocks faded twice on a couple long stretches of 50mph through 1.5' whoops. They cooled down quick enough. I think I'm going to try to add more fluid to the front's and try to drop the pressure. I think this will help with the heat. I'm sure leaving that limit strap on didn't help things.

The rear Deavers did awesome, looks like I lost about 1" of height though. Feels like I could have a little more compression in the rear. I'm at 275/100 currently with 300psi. Suspension felt fairly well balanced, a lot better than it did before.

Bottom line.. Deavers are worth the money, wish I had a little more height though.. Amazing the difference from what I had before.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Are you already running a longer shackle/shackle relo. brackets?

 

[Smash Hole]

Are you already running a longer shackle/shackle relo. brackets?

1" shackles and hd brackets

 

[cal]

yeah we ran a longer shackle to make up the height. I dunno what our shock valving is but I can tell you its stiffer than that

 

[Smash Hole]

yeah we ran a longer shackle to make up the height. I dunno what our shock valving is but I can tell you its stiffer than that

Who are you buying bilstein valve stacks through?

 

[cal]

We arent. Initially Bilstien tuned our shocks for us free, but later we paid Wayne at Alltech Motorsports to tune them for us, which as it turns out was the best money we ever spent. Both entities provided all the parts.

 

[Smash Hole]

We arent. Initially Bilstien tuned our shocks for us free, but later we paid Wayne at Alltech Motorsports to tune them for us, which as it turns out was the best money we ever spent. Both entities provided all the parts.

I might send Wayne a message

 

[cal]

He travels with Ultra4. Is there a race near you?

 

[Smash Hole]

He travels with Ultra4. Is there a race near you?

Not until next June or July at Badlands

 

[Smash Hole]

I'm going to order up some shims tomorrow. Going to try 180/135 vs the 255/100 that is currently in the shocks.

I've also cut up the shackles that didn't work out to be approximately 2" lift and burned in poly bushings vs the joints.

Have any of you loosened up the shackle bolts and double nutted them to help with rebound?