3 inch lift front shock length

[D22nav]

Question for guys running a 3 inch lift.
I have just received my calmini uca's . I am ordering some bilstein shocks from the states but the guy has told me because I'm running the calmini uca's the front shock length will stay the same and I won't require longer shocks? If any can confirm this it would be appreciated
Cheers
Col

 

[dilmah]

I don't recommend running a 3" lift. By winding the TB's up that far you put the cv's at an angle that puts a lot of strain on the joints. You are better off to run a 2" lift and make better use of the greater range of articulation the calmini UCA's offer. The extra 1" of lift will not make a huge difference to clearance. It is more important to keep all 4 wheels on the ground and maintaining traction.

 

[D22nav]

Thanks mate I'm aware of all that . Just interested in shock lengths tho

 

[qqc d22]

i to would love know the length to. my 2" shocks measure 330mm i hope thats enough to allow for the travel of calamini ucas.

 

[qqc d22]

factorys were 310 just for a reference.

 

[loco12]

If you are running factory length shocks you will need longer but some 2" lift kits the shocks will be ok, my iron man shocks are fine but have read ome ones are not.
At 4x4parts dot com they do bilsteins for 3" lift at a good price and they are great to deal with too!

 

[jason-navara]

a EFS 2 inch shock measument is 305mm Open

when i measured mine standard one to the aftermarket one there was no difference but alot bigger in the boar giving a better ride

from what i can gather most aftermarket shock absorbers for the front of a IFS vehicles they are all the same length.

 

[D22nav]

@ loco12 4x4 parts.com is who I have been deeling with and he says with a 3 inch lift and calmini uca's the shock length stays the same as standard.
I emailed calmini and they said they run a longer shock in the front when using there torsion bars? So I'm a little unsure?

 

[dilmah]

When i had my nav running 3" at the front my tough dog shocks were more than enough to cover the range of motion the nav travelled. The upper control arms would hit the bump stops first before shock travel ran out.

 

[D22nav]

Just got an email back from mike at 4x4 parts.com and he tells me he has supplied many standard height bilstien shocks to replace the calmini supplied shocks and hasn't had any issues as they calmini uca's don't change the amount of wheel travel so I guess I'll take his word and see how the bilstien's run. Just have to decide on springs shackles and torsion bars now

 

[qqc d22]

how do they not change the amount of wheel travel :/

 

[D22nav]

They are designed to change the angles of where the components sit to stop your drive shafts from binding with lift

 

[D22nav]

That's how I understand it

 

[Hodge]

They are designed to change the angles of where the components sit to stop your drive shafts from binding with lift

That is true. The Calmini UCA's are designed to help with CV angles when car is lifted. However, even at 2 inch, let alone at 3 inch, the CV angles will still be pretty severe.
As for your main question mate, at 3" you will need lengthy shocks. If you have some time read my thread with the issues I was having with shock lenghts.
http://www.navara.asia/showthread.php?t=17168

Also don't forget at 3" you will have little to absolutely NO down travel as the bump stops will be making love to each other pretty much all the time and the car may or may not be riding like a shopping trolley. In my experience anyway, no down travel, especially off-road is just trouble.

At 2" these cars are really pushing the integrity of the front end IFS, thats with the UCA too. Other than wanting to put a set of very large rubber, what purpose does going to 3" instead of 2" serve ?? I'm just curious as 3" is very extreme for these torsion hung utes.

 

[D22nav]

I have seen your thread mate , wasn't hard to work out your shocks were to short. I am aware of the issues with lifting these trucks and I'm also aware that a 3 inch lift isn't really a 3 inch lift and a 2 inch lift isn't really a 2 inch lift.

 

[D22nav]

And the purpose I spose is mainly clearance cause that's the point isn't it

 

[Craig09]

unless you wind the torsion bars up till they hit the bump stop you wont be any higher in the front than you would with a 2" lift with the calmini UCAs so NO you don't need longer shocks in the front unless offcourse you have wound your bars up till there against the bumpstop and all you do is make it unsafe an loose shit tins of performance and are asking for problems. You might need longer ones if you wind them up till there against the bumpstops but like I said not a good idea, 10-15mm from bumpstops and 2" shocks are fine.And your limited by the front not the back in regards to bigger tyres and the difference between 2" and UCAs to the 3" kit is nothing in the front

 

[loco12]

I got a genuine 3" of lift out of mine and have good clearance to the bump stops, it rides a lot better than brand new stock gear and better than the 2" lift I put in first.
So if the guy is telling you the stock length is ok why does he list shocks for a 3" lift?
I personally would be getting longer ones as the last thing you want is to be bottoming out the shock before hitting the bump stop. The way I see it the arms increase the gap between upper and lower bump stop to get the bigger lift (otherwise you could just use the factory uca's) therefore increasing the travel and the need for a longer shock.

 

[qqc d22]

yeah im with you loco. can you do me a solid and measure from thecentre of wheel to the bottom of the flare and report back for me. my back is way higher than the front and im not gonna waste cash on ucas if i cant get the front up closer to the back.
would be forever greaful if you could do that for me PLEASE

 

[D22nav]

Loco 12 that's what I'm asking does any one with a 3 inch lift have open & closed measurements of there front shocks ?????