BajaNomad - shocks suspension and Baja roads

shocks suspension and Baja roads

Mexicorn - 12-30-2010 at 10:55 AM

Thanks for the great advice on the tires fellow Nomads I wenr with the LTX's due to your advice.

Now moving onto another important subject. Shocks and front end suspension
when is the right time to change them out?

MONROE? Sensatrac? BILL STIEN?
Pitman, rocker/crazy arms etc.
Please shsre your thoughts.
PS The free road between Rosarito and primo tapia is extremely dangerous when driving after dark due to all the pot holes.
Be careful this new year and all year fellow Nomads.

BajaGeoff - 12-30-2010 at 11:11 AM

I would love to get some input on this as well. Last time I took my car in for service the mechanic was astounded by the amount of dust in every crevice in my car as well as the shocks on the front end being pretty much destroyed.

David K - 12-30-2010 at 11:16 AM

Bilstein... built for Baja... great on washboard roads... and low price! 5100s
Fox... on level higher.. more $$
King... the king of shocks, for a king's price $$$

bigzaggin - 12-30-2010 at 11:41 AM

Bilstein 5100s. 100%. Not excessively pricey, built very tough, great customer service. AND, they still ride well on the highway (whereas other, offroad-specific shocks do not...will kill your back). I have them on my Tundra and they have performed incredibly well in Baja.

If you do carry heavy loads at times, I would also augment with some Ride Rite Air Bags (which, I believe I learned about from David). Off-road with a loaded bed, they make a HUGE difference in stability.

BajaGeoff - 12-30-2010 at 11:53 AM

Great.....thanks for the info....Billsteins it will be!

surfer jim - 12-30-2010 at 01:41 PM

I throw a vote in for Bilsteins also. Except for the old road to GONZAGA BAY.Melted two different sets on two different trucks....and I go "slow" also.

Cypress - 12-30-2010 at 01:48 PM

Most anything will work if you know how to drive on rough roads. :light:

BajaGeoff - 12-30-2010 at 01:48 PM

Hehe. That very road is part of why I need new ones!

larryC - 12-30-2010 at 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress
Most anything will work if you know how to drive on rough roads. :light:

Cypress, I'll bite, what is the proper way to drive on rough roads?
Larry
PS, As my avatar shows I'm not that great even on paved roads

[Edited on 12-30-2010 by larryC]

bigzaggin - 12-30-2010 at 05:13 PM

Quote:

Cypress, I'll bite, what is the proper way to drive on rough roads?

Answer: Fast enough to reach the coast by sunset, slow enough to keep the Tecate from splashing in your lap.

woody with a view - 12-30-2010 at 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by larryC

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress
Most anything will work if you know how to drive on rough roads. :light:

Cypress, I'll bite, what is the proper way to drive on rough roads?
Larry
PS, As my avatar shows I'm not that great even on paved roads

[Edited on 12-30-2010 by larryC]

everyone knows you must drive fast on bad roads. not only does it end sooner but you feel less ruts because you are flying over them instead of pounding into the bottom of every one....

unless, of course, you are heading southwest from san ignacio. that road will hurt you if you try to fly.....

Marc - 12-30-2010 at 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Bilstein... built for Baja... great on washboard roads... and low price! 5100s
Fox... on level higher.. more $$
King... the king of shocks, for a king's price $$$

Will Kings work for a Tundra? A bit heavier than your Tacoma.

bajalou - 12-30-2010 at 07:31 PM

You can get Kings for anything from a VW to a Trophy Truck.

bajabass - 12-30-2010 at 07:41 PM

Use the Bilsteins with the adj. spring seat. It will level the truck out depending on clip position choice, and they work great! My 06 Tundra loves them!

roadhog - 12-30-2010 at 09:03 PM

CONSIDER…
http://www.hellwigproducts.com/products/sway-control/truck-s...
For a Ford van, Bills rear cured rear axle steer. Adding Front Bills turned the van into a sloppy sedan not a delivery truck.
But the Hellwig rear bar planted all four wheels on the ground together almost all the time approaching an IRS effect on smooth roads. Reminds of the old Tiger Paw commercials.
Front Bills were a puzzle getting in, a tool problem tightening up.
The Hellwig needed a new frame hole aside the gas tank needing a short bit, extreme patience for juggling Hellwig’s mounting bolt thru the new frame hole with a pull thru wire.
With LSD, Toyo A/T, OD, 5.4 and XM/Spa, the afternoon drive up to Catvina from Mulege after a spring rain is AAA. One of the great long drives in NA.
On A/T: if front’s are worn with rear as new, the preceding handling package moves up from a 6 to 7 out of ten. ‘Turn in’ improvement is worth the effort.
Change the brake fluid.
Remember ! let the Mexicans get past :rolleyes:

Cypress - 12-31-2010 at 04:35 AM

Just take it slow and easy. Enjoy it.

ELINVESTIG8R - 1-2-2011 at 06:31 AM

Yesterday I replaced the right front Stabilizer Bar kit on my 2003 Ford Ranger Baja Mobile as it was toast. It took me a little over one hour. Here are some before and after shots.

BEFORE[/align]

AFTER

Next on the agenda is to replace my upper and lower ball joints.

The End

bajabass - 1-2-2011 at 07:22 AM

A little tip David, those lower ball joints are pressed in, soak them with a good penetrating oil a few days before you do the work, you or your mechanic will be glad you did! The whole spindle will need to be pulled out of the way to pound out/press in the new joint, meaning the C.V. axle will need to be pulled out of the spindle, so soak that outer axle nut also. Try to find a new joint that has a zerk fitting so you can grease them later. The cheap ones, and the O.E. ones have no zerks. Same for the upper control arms/upper ball joints. The good replacement units have a replaceable ball joint with a zerk, the cheapies are one solid unit with no zerk and a cast in place ball joint. Have fun, I never have to do those damn Ford front ends again!!!

ELINVESTIG8R - 1-2-2011 at 08:06 AM

Thank you Bajabass for the information. I will heed your advice. I have been doing some research and found that the upper control arm and lower ball joints made by MOOG may be the best ones. Those have the zerks.

PS: I found these two instructional videoa on-line. What do you think.

David

[Edited on 1-2-2011 by ELINVESTIG8R]

TMW - 1-2-2011 at 10:36 AM

If you drive really rough roads very often like the Gonzaga road I would suggest going with a Bilstein 5160 or a Fox with the external res. Both are in the $200 per shock range and are rebuildable, but you'll never need another shock for Baja.

805gregg - 1-2-2011 at 11:01 AM

Old Man Emu.

wessongroup - 1-2-2011 at 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TW
If you drive really rough roads very often like the Gonzaga road I would suggest going with a Bilstein 5160 or a Fox with the external res. Both are in the $200 per shock range and are rebuildable, but you'll never need another shock for Baja.

Think ya got the answer here... thanks it all helps...

Bajatripper - 1-2-2011 at 03:04 PM

Quote:

Answer: Fast enough to reach the coast by sunset, slow enough to keep the Tecate from splashing in your lap.

bajabass - 1-3-2011 at 08:20 PM

Just buy or rent the ball joint press David, and it is a piece of cake! Yes, use Moog or NAPA, both have zerks, and go get it aligned as soon as you are done. If you have not yet installed the alignment cam kits in the upper control arms, do it when you change the upper arms. Set them in the nuetral position and go straight to the shop and get it aligned. If you already have the kits installed, mark each one's position, and reset to the same, and again, go get it set up immediately! Have Fun!!

BajaNaranja - 1-14-2011 at 10:42 AM

Awesome thread -

I'm sure many of you run your rigs down washboarded Baja roads at 40 mph as I do - do you air down?

If so, what kind of PSIs do you run at those speeds?

Last time I left my tires at about 40 as I didn't want the tire deformation at that speed, which would seem to expose the sidewalls to cuts / damage...

Maderita - 1-14-2011 at 02:01 PM

BajaNaranja,
There are a few variables to arrive at your best air pressure. Weight of your vehicle (loaded) and tire size probably being the most important. Also to consider: How may miles of washboard and how fast is your compressor- is it worth airing down? Sandy surface or hardpack, rocks?
In general, the lighter the vehicle, the less air pressure needed. The bigger the tire, the less air pressure needed.
Lowering air pressure lets the tires absorb the jarring from the little bumps, particularly washboards. Ride comfort improves and rattling noises diminish. Dental fillings last longer too.

Short answer: A relatively light truck/SUV with oversized tires 18-22 psi. Sandy surface (San Felipe orLaguna Salada for example) maybe 16 psi.
A fully loaded 3/4 ton truck, maybe 24-30 psi.

There will be a lot of different opinions because there are so many variables.
If you want a more precise suggestion for your vehicle, then give us more info:
Make/model of vehicle, additional equipment (weight of gear, camper, etc),
Size, brand, and type of tire (street, all-terrain, mud-terrain)

David K - 1-14-2011 at 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaNaranja
Awesome thread -

I'm sure many of you run your rigs down washboarded Baja roads at 40 mph as I do - do you air down?

If so, what kind of PSIs do you run at those speeds?

Last time I left my tires at about 40 as I didn't want the tire deformation at that speed, which would seem to expose the sidewalls to cuts / damage...

Actually a good subject to discuss... While I would agree that dropping down to 25 psi (or as much as 20, depending on the tire type and vehicle weight) is very popular to help absorb the bumps... I typically don't. I would rather drive fast enough to only hit the tops of the bumps (washboard bumps) than to risk flats from the exposed sidewall if deflated too much.

Perhaps because it is a Toyota, but I don't worry about my truck shaking apart like some other brands do on these roads... My third Tacoma and none have every had a part fail or break on the roads in Baja!

If you want a smoother ride, and won't be driving fast... sure, drop the PSI down and the tires will absorb the stuff that the shocks miss! Also, if you have a tire that won't easily get a sidewall flat, then try running them at 20 psi (or what works best for your truck ot tire) to smooth the road.

ELINVESTIG8R - 1-14-2011 at 03:40 PM

BajaBass thanks for the advice. I have purchased the MOOG parts consisting of the left and right upper control arms. Left and right inner tie rods with tie rod ends and both lower ball joints and some blue loctite for the inner tie rods. I also bought the Tie-rod tool; CV Boot banding tool; Pliers for the snap ring on the ball joints. I also bought the ball joint removal and install tool to include an 80 ft-lbs to 250 ft-lbs torque wrench so I can tighten everything to the proper ft-lbs specs.

I figure I can use the tools again and will probably in fact save myself some money. I’m still waiting for a couple of the aforementioned tools to arrive so I can start. And yes I will get it in immediately for an alignment. I have a lifetime alignment for the Ranger so there will be no cost to me. My next project is to buy a rear stabilizer bar for my Ranger.

All the experts I went to see for my body roll problem told me they could not figure it out because all the original parts were on the truck. I kept telling them I wasn’t crazy and wanted them to figure out why. After looking under a 2003 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0L SOHC 4X4 truck I finally figured out why I was having body roll. I was missing the rear stabilizer bar. When my son had the truck lifted when new they must have removed it. So much for the experts I went to. I will post before and after shots as I progress slowly through each steps to do it right.