c/suspension-and-wheels

Unpopular opinion: Long travel suspension isn't always better for off roading

So last month I took my '93 Toyota pickup out to the trails near Moab and got into a debate with a guy running a coilover setup on his Jeep. He swore his 14 inches of travel let him fly over whoops, but I saw him get stuck on a simple rock ledge because his geometry was all off. Meanwhile my old leaf spring truck with maybe 8 inches of travel just crawled right over it with no drama. Three years ago I had a Ranger with a cheap suspension lift that rode like a log wagon, and I thought more travel was always the answer. But after watching that Jeep struggle last week and talking to a guy who builds trophy trucks, I'm starting to think we focus too much on numbers and not enough on how the suspension actually works under different conditions. Has anyone else found that a simpler setup works better for the kind of driving you actually do?

2 comments

willow672•2d ago

Found a 95 Bronco in a barn out in Ohio last month, the suspension was so rusted the leaf springs literally snapped when we tried to jack it up

I got a call from a buddy who knows I mess with old trucks, said there was a Bronco sitting in his uncle's barn near Columbus that hadn't moved since 2008. Drove out there with my trailer, took one look at the frame and thought oh boy. The leaf springs were so crusted over with rust they looked like they'd been sitting in salt water for a decade. We got the jack under the rear axle and started cranking, and bam, one of the leaves just cracked clean in half. Sounded like a gunshot. Had to cut the whole assembly out with a torch just to get it on the trailer. Anyone else run into suspension bits that just gave up the ghost after sitting too long?

2 comments

violafox•3d ago

Shoutout to the track day at Summit Point that made me question coilover setups for good

I spent months dialing in my KW V3s for the street, but after one session at Summit Point last May where a guy in a stock Civic on good tires kept pace with me, I'm wondering if expensive coilovers are even worth it for a daily. Has anyone else had their track experience flip how they think about suspension priorities?

3 comments

the_stella•4d ago

The day I swapped coilovers at a rest stop on I-95 changed how I prep for trips

I was driving back from a weekend in Richmond, Virginia, and my front strut started clunking real bad near Fredericksburg. Pulled into a rest stop, jacked up the car, and swapped in a set of used coilovers a buddy gave me. Had to do it with just a basic ratchet set and a flashlight. Ever have to work on your car in a random parking lot like that?

2 comments

william816•6d ago

Hit 50,000 miles on my old truck's original suspension parts and nothing broke yet

I was changing the oil last Saturday and noticed the shocks still had their factory stickers on them, so I checked the odometer and sure enough this 1997 Ford F-150 rolled right over to 50,000 miles on the same leaf springs and struts that came with it from the factory in Detroit - has anyone else gotten lucky with old suspension components that should have failed years ago?

2 comments

christopher952•8d ago

Lowered my truck 2 inches now I'm hitting every speed bump in the city

I dropped my 2015 F-150 with Belltech springs two months ago and it looks great, but now I'm scraping on moderate dips and even some parking lot entrances. Did you guys choose function over form when lowering yours, or did you find a setup that keeps the stance without the headache?

2 comments

evangarcia•9d ago

My 2 inch drop springs finally settled after 400 miles of rough driving

Everyone said I needed coilovers to get the look right but I tried a cheap set of drop springs from Summit Racing anyway. They rode stiff for weeks then softened up nice how is that any different from breaking in a new set of Bilsteins?

2 comments

rowan593•10d ago

Heard a shop foreman say coil springs don't sag, they just settle. That got me thinking.

I was at a shop in Phoenix last week getting an alignment, and the foreman was arguing with a customer about worn rear springs on a 2012 Accord. He said springs don't really 'sag' like people think, they just take a set after years of compression. Made me wonder if I've been replacing springs that were actually fine. Has anyone else had a shop tell them something like this, or is he just blowing smoke to avoid a warranty claim?

2 comments

thea143•2mo ago

Off-Road Rim Financing vs Custom Offsets?

Looking to upgrade my Tacoma's stance and finally ditch the stock setup. I'm torn between Off-Road Rim Financing and Custom Offsets. Both seem to carry the Fuel wheels and Toyo tires I want. Has anyone dealt with either of them recently? Mostly wondering about shipping times and how easy their financing processes are.

3 comments