what to do with new stock shocks and brakes?

[darw_n]

OK

So my 2k DII was fitted with brand new shocks (not springs), rottors and pads, approx a month ago.


How can I lift and prepare the truck for minor wheeling without replacing the shocks, brakes, and rotors.

the brake system I am not even thinkiong about right now, I just don't want to waste the brand new shocks, but I want to modify with a slight lift...

thanks

 

[Andrew Homan]

If you stick to a minor lift you should have no problem. Its when you get more extreme the stock shocks will limit your suspension travel. They may not last as long as good shocks like OME or bilstien etc. I think your sway bars will limit the travel more than the shocks. There are lots of people on this board who know alot more than me about this so you will prpbably get some good advice.

 

[darw_n]

so do I understand that I could place OME springs in, and my shocks are OK?

 

[Andrew Homan]

You can and I did for a short while. If you are going with a 3" lift I wouldn't recommend it. With a 2" you can at least on a d1 I know this from exp. The lift will work much better with ome shocks. Get a second opinion. I don't own a d2 so there could be differences. call John at EE and ask him he is a great help same with Ho.

 

[syoung]

on a similar note- would there be any reason NOT to put 1" spacers on an otherwise stock DII?

 

[darw_n]

well, that's where i get lost.....


can I actually use the stock suspension for something modified?

It's so new, I would hate to dump it.

 

[Andrew Homan]

Guess you could use a spacer? I think new springs is worth the money and their not hard to put in.

 

[Andrew Homan]

Jesse. What you need to do is read up on suspensions look at the photo galleries and ask all the questions you can. Its your rig and you got to make it right for you. I think you'll find that once you start your modifications you will want to do more. so ask yourself how far you want to go and go there. don't waste money on something you will replace later with a better version or what you really wanted.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

sorry but I have to say dont modify your truck.

if you know nothing and have no expierience you dont need a lift or any other mods for that matter.

just take your truck as it is and join a bunch of people for a trip off road. a stock disco will take you places right now as a nubbie cant even imagine.

I have been wheeling for more then 25 years I have owned trucks of all shapes sizes and modification level, and much to the surprize the most fun ones to "wheel" are the stock ones.

a couple weekends ago I wheeled with my regular buddies plus a few people that came along, almost ever truck was locked at both ends plus all kinds of mods...we are at the age of disposable income so guys bolt on what they want pretty much. I spent all day in my disco with open diffs and a factory LR heavy duty lift. I drove 99.9999% of what everybody else did.

people really over look what a good driver can do and how much fun you can have in a very simple set up.

jesse...JUST START WHEELING...down the road you will learn and decide yourself what you need

Thom

 

[darw_n]

thanks for the support!

I have been reading here for a year or so....

what's totally un-answered is how to mesh stock suspension with after market suspension

 

[darw_n]

on a techical note...

my rise still has a deep bounce, I want *rigid* suspension, I want it to hurt when I hit a pot hole ;-]

 

[MUSKYMAN]

on a techical note...

my rise still has a deep bounce, I want *rigid* suspension, I want it to hurt when I hit a pot hole ;-]

rigid and off-road dont really go togather

off-road you really want a compliant,flexible suspension.


dont mesh suspension parts...mesh with some people that will help you learn how to use what you have now and it will all make more sence.

 

[Ross_Thoma]

You can put spacers in and be 1"higher but with the same travel and ride and flex as it is now If you dont overload the truck with to much gear and compress the springs right off the bat.(ie: don't wheel with a 4 days worth of crap in the back and heavy duty front end protection) But by raising the truck an extra inch from the axles you inversely shorten the drop travel of the shock by 1" and in the REAR you will hear a clunk when your shock fully extends (Trust me I havent got new shocks yet) and may damage the mount after a while. In the front I have had no issues but the front sway bar does limit you by 1 inch for sure, I measured (I just disconect one side and let the other follow the suspension when heavy off roading Just remember to re install for on road use)

I would say get a set of spacers and see what you think. The stock springs get a bad rap, If you don't travel heavy they flex nicely and drop (stretch) great since they are not as stiff and aftermarket stuff.

Good Luck

Ross Thoma

This is my setup
1.5" EE spacer in rear.
Used set of D1 rear springs for the front end since I have a Rovertym front winch bumper wich gives me 1.75" lift in front and is not noticeably different from the rear, and with the winch should bring the front down .25ish inches or so.

I will get OME shocks to handle the 265's and give me more travel since they were designed for the longer OME springs.

 

[syoung]

The new Disco won't see anything rough, but I'm thinking that when I switch from the Michelins to the BFG AT's I might slip a 1" spacer in there... mainly for 'the look'

 

[curtis]

Listen to what MUSKYMAN (Thom - post your damn name) posted. All of it is true.

The fact is that it does not end with lift. It becomes a diease that ends in spending more on mods than you spent on your truck. In the end you can do quite well with all of the money and mods, but then some guy shows up in a stocker and you help him stumble through the nasty stuff you just walked through. At that point you realized that it took more skill for him to get his perfect stocker through what your high-dollar beefed up rig just walked over.

Have fun with your rig and push its limits. If you want to do lift then great: do it. But do it knowing that your lift is pretty much useless offroad unless you get sliders, lockers, steering rods, beefed up drivetrain, gears, tires and a bunch of other stuff that will ruin the experience of being "new".

 

[bri]

I agree with Musky. When I was in your shoes, I talked to Bill Burke asked him what it would take for me to get my rig through hole in the rock, he told me and I did it. Such a great time I spent another week with a group in Moab. Truck was bone stock except for the mod below.

Before you do anything, get the rig on a trail. Then decide. One of the first mods that people do is to crop the air dam.