What springs to run on Gen 1 with Gen 2 shock and bucket conversion?

[SilverGen1]

The key element in any modification to the Raptor suspention system is: can it be aligned back to factory specs?

I put Gieser springs on Gen 1 shocks and then the Gen 2 shocks using Gen 1 spring, spring hat and angle wedges and both times was able to get it aligned to factory spec afterwards. Neither of these mods caused a single issue with the driveability or cause parts to fail.

The bucket mod and limit strap look cool but at the end of the day is it really the right way to do the Gen 2 shock mod if it can't be aligned and needs more and more modifications to keep from breaking stuff. Just my 2 cents on this subject.

My upper control arm was hitting the spring at full droop before I had even thought of replacing shocks or going to gen 2 shocks, so to no ones surprise, I had the same issue when I went to the longer gen 2 shocks. So I spent a couple hours one day, about $60 on straps, and now have limit straps up front to keep my ucas from hitting the spring, while also keeping the cv angles less extreme than when I was on gen 1 shocks. My alignment is perfect, drives straight as an arrow, and I no longer need the angle wedges you keep talking about.

 

[Gumby]

My upper control arm was hitting the spring at full droop before I had even thought of replacing shocks or going to gen 2 shocks, so to no ones surprise, I had the same issue when I went to the longer gen 2 shocks. So I spent a couple hours one day, about $60 on straps, and now have limit straps up front to keep my ucas from hitting the spring, while also keeping the cv angles less extreme than when I was on gen 1 shocks. My alignment is perfect, drives straight as an arrow, and I no longer need the angle wedges you keep talking about.

What are these Angle wedges you speak of?

 

[pat247]

They are cast pieces (2) per side. One piece goes on top of the spring hat the other goes on top of the shock tower. They are used to set the shock angle and also make the studs equal length when insstalled correctly. Yes they can be installed wrong.

 

[FishFreak]

Unfortunately I am not, lol, but it would be something that would be interesting to do. I ended up going with the PRP 12" strap (Evil's Gen 1 kit was a 13", and the Gen 2 kit was a 14") I had all three sizes, but felt that the 12" was the best. I've put about 400 miles on them already, and they seem to be holding up very well. I just don't understand necessarily how the straps are supposed to hold up with the tie rod so close at all times. I get that the limit strap isn't taught unless your front end is off the ground, or close to, but I am seeing some strap wear. I am curious as to how the Evil Kits are holding up


View attachment 488066View attachment 488069

The picture below is with the 13" strap, and I didn't think this was enough, so the pictures above are with the 12" strap
View attachment 488078

Wow! You did it! The spring isn't hitting the uca anymore, by an 1/8th inch !! I think the Evil limit strap kit was welded far outboard in comparison to yours, on the other side of the tie-rod, and the Lca bracket had an outward bend such that the strap worked away from contact?? I could be wrong? I'm wrong, I found the Evil pic on the interweb. Evil's looks like it would rub even more!

 

[2012SCSVT]

On some modified g2 shocks I tried:
550x16 springs w/ preload
650x16 w/preload
And 750x18 w/o preload

The 750s where the better of the 3.

 

[SilverGen1]

Wow! You did it! The spring isn't hitting the uca anymore, by an 1/8th inch !! I think the Evil limit strap kit was welded far outboard in comparison to yours, on the other side of the tie-rod, and the Lca bracket had an outward bend such that the strap worked away from contact?? I could be wrong? I'm wrong, I found the Evil pic on the interweb. Evil's looks like it would rub even more!

View attachment 488105

I tried to make both plates in line perfectly with each other, so that when I was at full droop, they would pull straight on both plates and not on an angle. I am curious to see how it does this summer

 

[TomDirt]

I like your setup with the RPG collar instead of the SVC coil adjusters I've got. They won't hit the axles if I put my new, girthier Trackmotive axles back on, (and I've still got the G1 original coil springs too). The limit strap mod is necessary, but maybe cables instead of straps (and a protective sleeve on the tie rods), to dial it in.

 

[SilverGen1]

I like your setup with the RPG collar instead of the SVC coil adjusters I've got. They won't hit the axles if I put my new, girthier Trackmotive axles back on, (and I've still got the G1 original coil springs too). The limit strap mod is necessary, but maybe cables instead of straps (and a protective sleeve on the tie rods), to dial it in.

I have thought about that as well, I'm not sure what I need to do to really dial it in so it lasts. I like the idea of the adjustability, but for sure it is nicer to just have the small RPG collar on there, and I think I paid about $200 for them. Have you gotten to use the trakkmotive axles, or what do you think of them compared to the oem??

 

[TomDirt]

"According to the internet", Trackmotive axles will strike the SVC billet aluminum collar, so I went back and removed them. SVC obviously cycled them with oem axles, but unfortunately in Raptor World, there's not enough compatability between other aftermarket suspension parts. I also wasn't aware the G2 coils' slightly larger diameter would contact BMS' tubular (G1 specific) UCA's.
It's up to the FRF mob & other sources to figure out what combination of axles, limit straps, shocks, springs, & coil bucket mods will work. I guess it took TRR"s Baja Raptor Runs to report on the typical suspension failures from the wrong combination of parts on G2's:

The same thing happened when everybody started making Ford I-beam mods: it started with a quick swap out of bent beams, radius arms, and coils & shocks, (which got you a very safe 12-14" of travel), and now you can buy a basically bolt-on version with 20" of clean travel, 8" wider track width, almost zero bump steer, and race-capable shocks. But it costs more than the truck, so there's that ;(