Over the past few days, I have been working on creating a document with all necessary and relevant information for the conversion. I have gone through all 50 pages of the coilover bracket thread HERE as well as the coilover sadness/madness thread HERE

What I have so far, with most all of the basic information covered completely, is HERE

It is NOT complete but is a work in progress. I am looking for input/proofreaders/fact checkers to make sure I am using correct terminology, am covering all the topics that I should, have no factual errors, and in general how helpful the document looks to be. I would also like someone who really doesn't know much about it to give it a look and see if it makes sense.
There are still incomplete sections, but you can see what I have planned in the table of contents at the beginning. My hope is that this document is very helpful to those interested in the swap and that it answers any questions that people may have. When it is complete, I will also be working on getting it into a sort of web page format, or something like that.

Thanks!

 

That's a great write up. Nice work!

I just took a quick look at it and will read it more thoroughly a little later when I have more time... probably tomorrow at work. lol

 

i checked it out a little bit earlier too. awesome document so far!

 

Great write up! Only thing I need to find out now is the extended/compressed length of a shock for STOCK height 4x4 Rangers. Anyone ever come across it? Found some exact dimensions, only to find out it was a superlifted truck.

 

I researched this info at one point (years ago), but I don't have it written down anymore.

However, all I did was research all sorts of different shocks that worked for a stock height 4X4 (by going to all sorts of online stores) and compiled the extended/compressed data from each of them.

It became pretty clear, pretty early what they were all hitting around. That's how everyone came up with the 5" travel from Fox working out - it fell within this 'sweet spot'.

 

This was kind of a question I had, the extended and compressed engths are more important than just travel, but it just so happens that most shocks with 5" travel are about that length.

I guess in theory you could have a 15" travel shock if it went from 5" to 20".

Do we know what the minimum compressed or extended length needs to be? if so, then that might be more accurate than just saying you need a 5" travel shock, right?

 

Yeah, that would be more accurate - That's why I listed how I came up with that information years ago when I was stock....I just don't have the data anymore.

All someone has to do is look up a bunch of shocks that work on a stock height truck and gather the extended/collapsed data from them - and boom - it's done (again).

 

Oh I see what you are saying. I can just check out a bunch of factory replacement shocks and see what those numbers are looking like?

 

Yep, that's what I did back in the day.

Everyone found it works well because this kit doesn't really provide any additional travel over a stock setup.

Armed with that type of data - all you have to do then, is cross reference to a coilover that is similar in as many categories as possible.

 

well based off of availability from summit, I have shocks no lower than 13.75 compressed. shortest extended length is 18. which tells me you shouldn't need to extend past 18, or compress lower than 13.75
The fox 5.0 goes from 11.3 to 16.4, so does that mean you really don't need to extend more than 16.4?
Would the lengths not need to be slightly different between stock and coilover, or how close is the lower bracket to the stock lower shock mount?

In fact, the fox 6.5"s go from 12.85 to 19.35, which is really closer to stock specs. So wouldn't 6.5 work as well? would you ever need to have more compression on a stock setup?

 

Negligible difference given how little the front suspension actually moves inboard that far.

I would bet the travel at the shock mounting points are pretty pathetic on the stock trucks anyway. Of course, the travel will be more out at the wheel…but inboard at the shock mounting, my guess is that it may only be about 3-4" total travel. I would think the CV's are the limiting factor.

Plus you have to factor in the extended eyelet that's required - which essentially extends the indicated measurements (both collapsed & extended) on the Fox coilover.

 

hm. Well if the fox 6.5 works with a stock truck as well as a superlifted, then anyone doing coilovers before the superlift would just need new springs, right? you would be able to use both 10" or 12" with that shock?

 

Yes - But that's a big 'IF".

I believe once you account for the required extended eyelet, you could be pushed too far out of the stock measurement range by using the 6.5" travel setup from Fox on a stock truck.

Yep.

That's one of the benifits of a coilover shock - it isn't linked to one type of spring length and/or load rating.

 

Oh, I forgot about the extended eyelet. I guess that would add about 1.5" to everything i've said so far.

Even so, that means the fox 6.5 w/ eyelet, would then be about 14.35 to 20.85. Summit lists one shock that only compresses to 14.14 so that's pretty close. I guess its a risk nobody has yet been willing to take.

 

Don't forget the top coil over mount is below where the stock shock mounts. That's going to add another 1-1.5 inch?

 

i will be doing this to my truck with in this month. i just put a super lift on my truck and its my dd/ and my snow ****. off road not very offten. looking to do this to gust get a better ride out of her. i will be trying to get the hardware kit the one you showed looks very well compleat and easy. as far as coils i have no f-n clue what or where to start i would like my truck to sit level with the super lift and ride good but would like to stay on the cheaper side for now. someone or every one tell me what to get and where to start. i have no preferance besides reliable and level as my truck is now maybe a little taller would be ok thanks a billion !!!