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by Dean Bradley
What compels an otherwise sane person to remove and replace a complete and functioning suspension system? Is it the desire to be different, the need to stand out from the crowd of low-slung grocery getters or is it the quest for greater performance?
Anyone who has ever upgraded to a premium set of performance tires and felt the difference in their driving experience may understand what can be gained by switching to a competently engineered suspension system. The performance gains will be easy to recognize on the street and the improvements in off highway performance will be nothing short of amazing once you have your suspension dialed in for the rocks, dunes and mountains.
In my time as an avid four-wheeler over the past three decades, it appears the vast majority of our four-wheeling community falls into one of three general categories. Those who modify for a gain in altitude combined with the awesome look that a new system running larger tires creates. The next group finds that the need often comes from the occasional loss of forward momentum – i.e. stuck on the trail,… again.
Of course we can’t forget everybody’s favourite, that rare individual driven to gain an edge over the regular crowd at the local rock garden or mud bog. These are all good reasons to dig into your tool bag of tricks (not to mention the spouses check book) in order to gain superior performance with a new and improved suspension system. All that is required is to decide how capable (and awesome looking) you would like your ride to become. The choices of innovative, high quality systems and lift kits has never been better and getting the right advice has never been easier than it is today with the help of companies like ProRyde, Prolift and Rough Country.
A change from your basic stock to a premium set-up can add axle articulation, ground clearance and greater stability on the street and trail. Changing a grocery getter into a trail slayer may be done in one weekend with the right aftermarket system. The step up (pun intended) creates greater ground clearance, room for larger tires and improved articulation to overcome trail obstacles. The improvements in ride height are defined by Approach angle, Break-Over angle and Departure angle.
Even those who go back country driving in a more sedate manner on tame FSR’s (Forest Service Roads) will benefit from improving these angles, which may offer the ability to avoid damage from those unsuspecting obstacles lurking on even the easiest trails.
The goal of improving axle articulation is to keep all four wheels on the ground for traction while your 4x4 travels slowly over grossly uneven terrain. For instance, when one wheel needs to climb a rock, you are traversing a ditch or crack off-angle or you’re late for date-night and stuck in traffic. The other benefit to the resulting improved wheel travel - the distance measured between full compression (tire near the wheel well) and full extension – is it allows the suspension system to cycle, absorbing bumps creating a smoother ride at moderate to high speed. If you’ve ever watched desert racing or a driven down a rutted, pot-holed dirt road – you’ll get the idea. The challenge is to maintain the vehicles stability while improving articulation. Both increases in stability and articulation will be offered in a correctly engineered suspension system.
Using an RTI (Ramp Travel Index) ramp (angled at a minimum twenty degrees or more) is one way to measure the positive articulation gains from changes made to a suspension system. This is made possible by driving the front drivers tire up the ramp until one of the other three tires loses contact with the ground (then the distance is measured and calculated with respect to the wheelbase and a score is produced), if the vehicle is able to drive far enough up the ramp that the drivers rear tire touches the bottom edge of the ramp it is considered a perfect score of one thousand.
An RTI ramp is also an excellent way to assist in finding any factors that may be limiting articulation and wheel travel (if a RTI ramp is not available, crossing up your suspension in a ditch works well or you can even use a fork lift to assist in lifting a tire) to inspect your rides undercarriage when articulated. Items to inspect range from insufficient shock travel or the potentially disastrous aspect of brake lines that are too short for the amount of travel available, even driveshafts and steering links are not exempt when upgrading to a more flexible suspension.
Some suspension systems may seem a little pricey however once all the included equipment is tallied up you may be surprised at the savings offered over a basic system. Some may say the increase in height is the greatest benefit of a new suspension install, however without the ability to keep your tires in contact with the terrain, traction is just not possible. A half-ton truck with a premium three-inch suspension system running thirty-five inch tall tires may perform better on the rocks and on the street than the same rig with a low budget six-inch lift kit and the same thirty-five inch tall tires.
This is what you can expect to experience once you get behind the wheel and actually feel the difference between a budget lift kit and a well-engineered premium suspension system. Some budget systems might get your ride a little higher off the ground, but they often will reduce the ability to articulate, leaving your truck with a rough and uncomfortable ride for the street while possibly needing a few extra parts to complete the job properly. Like most things in life you get what you pay for and suspension systems are no exception to that rule.
Larger tires will not only offer an increase in clearance, but will also improve the ability to roll over obstacles in the trail easier making even mildly rough roads smoother as well. The positive trend of incorporating larger tires while maintaining a lower stance is (finally) gathering momentum allowing the ability to traverse more radical obstacles with greater capability and safety then ever before. Like many other situations in life, a lower centre of gravity is typically more stable.
Yet with so many choices offered from the aftermarket suspension industry, how does one attempt to choose the right system for the performance and look you’re after? This is where novice and veteran four-wheelers alike can become inundated with all the different choices and options available today. Therefore when choosing to replace your suspension the best idea is to develop a list of the qualities you want: lift height, cost, ease of purchase and warranty.
Another is the very important decision of selecting the maximum tire size you plan to use. Remember tire size can sometimes be dealt with by using wider or ‘Cut Out’ flares that may offer a little more room for the big meats you plan on running, allowing for the look you want with less lift for greater stability.
Complete your list and do your research - the suspension system of your dreams is yours for the asking.