sway-a-way shocks

[csutton7]

well this weekend I started to install my sway-a-way coilovers, but to my dismay the springs I got are wrong--good thing I only worked on one side--anyway 400 lb bottoms and 175/350 lb tops don't work for our trucks, so just a heads up-oh yea trying to compress 12" long 400 lb spring 4" with a strut compressor is not the easiest thing in the world----hopefully we'll get it figured out next week and then I can finish the setup in the next weekend or two--this wasn't the dealers fault, as we didn't know what spring rates to use, so we took what we thought would work by using a 2500 lb front corner weight on the vehicle--anyway that weight is wrong-it may be a 3000-3500 lb corner weight we need to use to calculate the spring rates-I'll let you know what does work when we get it figured out---chris

 

[BreaksEverything]

Chris, what did those shocks cost you ????

I did a project like yours BUT , I used real coil springs ( nothing against coil overs other than cost ) since I plow w/ my truck also , I had custom springs turned for me w/ an xtra 6" lift & + 1500# load cap. ( for the plow ) ($300. ) twin shocked in the front & disconected the front sway bar ---no body roll ask ToolMamTimTaylor for an opion on how it rides as he has been shotgun w/ & w/o a load on the truck cuz if you ask me I'll tell you it rides like a cream puff

Brian

 

[csutton7]

B. E. ---a very pretty penny----yes I thought of that route and also skyjacker's 7" springs cost $150 and I had some, but returned them---- I have dual custom Bilsteins in the front (3yrs) already---I sled pull when I get time and my front end has in the past hopped and wobbled--hop is pretty much gone now(custom lower longer control arm(a longer upper is in the works) and longer custome ladder bars), but I need to get my front end planted better and I think(dangerous) the coil over setup would give me the best fit for a lifted truck--really kind of on the cuttin edge here--not sure what the final outcome will be--coil overs w/o the coils and a skyjacker or custom coil--coilvers by them selves--coilovers w/ a 2nd shock or coilovers with a 2nd shock and the skyjacker or custom coil---options which drive a guy crazy---sway bar removal may come into play also--thanks on the info---chris

 

[BreaksEverything]

Chris I hear what you're sayin about wheel hop but I don't think you are going too get a coil rate high enough w/ the c/o's & skyjackers well they are just too soft great for wheel travel



let me know what you think of the new coil rates you get & if you don't like them or think they are going to do what you want drop me a note & get you too the guy that did mine

G/L Brian

 

[csutton7]

B. E. --thanks--- I'll let you know what happens--you may be dead on that I can't get the spring rates I need from swayaway--I think I may be stuck with 2 400lb rated springs as my max and right now I don't think that will do---chris

 

[Cooker]

Chris,

Good luck with the project. I'm sure you will keep us informed on how it turns out for you and your impressions of the coilovers.

 

[csutton7]

Sway-A-Way makes stronger springs according to their web site--but I need to figure out which combo will work--hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday I'll talk to the guys and figure it out----chris

 

[csutton7]

got a new combo of springs to try--10" 400lb upper and 12" 400lb lower on the coilovers---hopefully this will work--I hope to get the one side done today and get started on the other side--but if the one side doesn't hold up just by sitting I'll have to try another combo---I'll keep ya posted---chris

 

[csutton7]

well that combo didn't work--only upside is I'm getting good at removing twin shocks and that skyjacker spring and then reinstalling it--not to mention installing the coilovers-gonna try a 10" 550lb spring and 10" 400lb spring--we are getting closer and I could've possibly made it work by screwing down the adjustment nut 3", but after some thinking this didn't make sense as we had compressed the 10' spring to 6. 5" and the 12" to 8. 25"---hopefully this new combo won't be too stiff--but if it is I'm living with it for awhile as my wife is giving me the evil eye again---I'll keep ya posted when I get the new springs----chris

 

[willyslover]

Chris. . sounds like your back home again... job done up there ?



let me know if I can help ya in anyway. . I'm going to Clements this weekend and BD at the end of the month. . but home in-between

 

[csutton7]

yep I'm home--can't make it to Clements as I'm going back up to Fortuna for a party that's been on the books for sometime---I appreciate the offer of help, but not much to do except watch and slug a beer or two--I might start back up on the upper control arm bracket so I can finish those upper longer arms---we'll see ya soon--maybe Tulare-----chris

 

[ECappleman]

Originally posted by csutton7

well that combo didn't work--only upside is I'm getting good at removing twin shocks and that skyjacker spring and then reinstalling it--not to mention installing the coilovers-gonna try a 10" 550lb spring and 10" 400lb spring--we are getting closer and I could've possibly made it work by screwing down the adjustment nut 3", but after some thinking this didn't make sense as we had compressed the 10' spring to 6. 5" and the 12" to 8. 25"---hopefully this new combo won't be too stiff--but if it is I'm living with it for awhile as my wife is giving me the evil eye again---I'll keep ya posted when I get the new springs----chris

Your 10" 550lb spring will compress to ~ 7. 5" making the new setup 1" shorter than the last one. Once you find the spring rates that fit the ride firmness that you want, you can calculate what the spring lengths need to be.



What is the shock shaft length and what will be your uptravel/downtravel bias in referance to the truck sitting at rest?

 

[csutton7]

a little misleading are my measurements--when I installed the springs on the shock the 10" upper was 9 3/16" long and the 12" bottom was 11 3/16" long--basically they compressed 3/4" each to get onto the chock--but once on the truck and it sitting on the ground it hit the #'s I posted----



it may be that the 550lb bottom spring will compress that much, but I can use the adjusting nut to get me to my desired ride height---i probably could've done it with the other springs, but with that much compression going on we figured it wouldn't perform as well as it could---with this shorter spring setup(no compression to get them on the shock) we should have better adjustability--anyway we hope so---



shock has 10" of travel -I didn't measure the bias on the other setups, so I don't know what they are--I could figure it out but need to measure the real shaft length to be sure----chris