looking for sas ideas on 2002 S10 4wd crew cab

[armyjohn]

I have a 2002 S10 4wd crew cab that i am looking to do a sas on but the only kit i can find out there is for the ZR2 model which i don't have. I want to put in a TJ dana 30 with at least 6" of lift. i am thinking of using XJ long arms XJ cross member welding my own tabs for the install. I was just wondering if anyone out there has gone this route with their truck or knows someone who did that may have some helpful tips or may be able to throw a different sas build plan at me. Thanks for the help.

[BillaksBlazer]

welcome!!! i would suggest using a hp d30. the tj one is lp and not as strong. you can find them under cherokees till about 99. Look areound there are a lot of nice buiilds around here.

[relbus]

We are totally aware of the HP30's strength, BUT....the TJ d30 is laying on my garage floor, and is looking for a home. Were hoping that home can be John's truck.

I figure we can always swap to a hp44 down the road, but to start with...were going to try to stick with the 30. BUT...where u located? Might have some interest in the hp30 your selling for another project.

I am more curious as to why I don't see any more linked and coiled dana 30's under s10s. It seems to me using a 30 and some off the shelf TJ long arms such as Rubicon Express radius arms, would make for a very quick and simple swap. I unfortunately haven't been able to take any measurements yet, as johns tranny is blown and I havent seen the truck in quite some time. After the holiday I hope to spend and hour or so under it with a tape measure coming up with a plan of attack.

any and all suggestions as to why this idea sucks or not would be appreciated. TIA!

[Tim99Zr2]

Quote: Originally Posted by armyjohn

I have a 2002 S10 4wd crew cab that i am looking to do a sas on but the only kit i can find out there is for the ZR2 model which i don't have. I want to put in a TJ dana 30 with at least 6" of lift. i am thinking of using XJ long arms XJ cross member welding my own tabs for the install. I was just wondering if anyone out there has gone this route with their truck or knows someone who did that may have some helpful tips or may be able to throw a different sas build plan at me. Thanks for the help.

melon16 would be your best bet. he linked his blazer, with a factory jeep lift i believe
here is his build thread. http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f221/t...begins-358213/
shiftit also linked his blazer.

[DieselS10]

I'm not aware of any kits, but it isn't terribly difficult to build a 4-link from scratch if you do a little research on it. I'll help with any qeustions that you may have if I can.

[bubbagt57]

there is a link kit for short wheelbase s series i.e 2dr blazers and stdcab shortbeds

[armyjohn]

Quote: Originally Posted by bubbagt57

there is a link kit for short wheelbase s series i.e 2dr blazers and stdcab shortbeds

yeah but can i fabricate somthing to make that work on the crew cab with a 4.5' bed? or is the frame different?

[02crewcab]

crewcabs have the same frame as extended cab trucks

[4x4zr2GA]

you must be talking about the Diversified creations SAS kit for the zr2's? i dont see why it woudlnt work for a non-zr2? its a weld on kit if i remember right? either that or go to the junkyard and cut the coil buckets off of the frame of a f150/bronco or a jeep. weld them onto your s10 frame where you want it. then either get the radius arm brakets or arm brakets from whicher vehicle you take the buckets from

[DieselS10]

Remember that time and money spent cutting and welding parts from other vehicles could be spent fabricating something that will most likey work better if one takes the time to do it right. JMO

[bubbagt57]

Quote: Originally Posted by 02crewcab

crewcabs have the same frame as extended cab trucks

no they dont ive compared mine (ext cab) to my lawyers (crewcab) and there off by a long shot

[02crewcab]

meh thats what ive read on s-10crewcab.com

sry for posting wrong info

[armyjohn]

can anyone tell me the benefits or down falls to a coil front sas? i see a lot of leaf set ups but very few coil.

[96superflow]

leafs are simple and very very easy to setup. If i had the time and money, i would do a coil over setup, but right now i just needed the dependablility of a solid axle with a very small expense. Also, there are a lot more suspensions geometries and what not to deal with. as well as having the know how to build the links yourself would save you money, but i dont have any of the equiptment to do it either, i can get the know how through reading and trial and error.

If its your first sas, i think i would recommend going the leaf spring route. you can get just as much flex IMO

[DieselS10]

A link type suspension typically offer a better ride, better handling, and eliminates bumpsteer. People just seem to get over whelmed by it and are afraid to try it. I personally wouldn't use anything but a link style suspension on anything from a trailer queen to DD, front or rear.
JMO

[armyjohn]

i do plan on going with a coil set up in front for now and in the future in the rear to but i was just wondering why almost nobody else has. so basicaly its just the time money and fabrication is the difference for a smoother ride i will go coil then thanks

[4x4zr2GA]

if you dont want to fabricate, and want a complete kit ready to go, go to diversifiedcreations.com and email Mike Copeland, or give them a call... he is the one that produces the Coil sprung SFA kit for the zr2's, which may or may not fit a regular style frame, but i dont see why it wouldnt since your cutting the mounting brakets for the IFS off anyway... either that, or you could get a killer deal on a Superlift 6" or BDS 5" IFS lift through him, he has a special account with both companies and offers the lifts waaay cheaper than most places.

[armyjohn]

Quote: Originally Posted by 4x4zr2GA

if you dont want to fabricate, and want a complete kit ready to go, go to diversifiedcreations.com and email Mike Copeland, or give them a call... he is the one that produces the Coil sprung SFA kit for the zr2's, which may or may not fit a regular style frame, but i dont see why it wouldnt since your cutting the mounting brakets for the IFS off anyway... either that, or you could get a killer deal on a Superlift 6" or BDS 5" IFS lift through him, he has a special account with both companies and offers the lifts waaay cheaper than most places.

yeah thank you for the diversifieedcreations.com but i called them already and the zr2 and standard s10 frames are totally different and as of now they dont have any way of moding the trans crossmember to work on the standard s10 frame. i guess the way the trans cross member links up the the zr2 with the closed frame would not cross over to the open frame of the standard s10 and the zr2 frame has more reinforcements that the crossmember fits around and bolts up to. this is all info i got right from the sale reps mouth.

[armyjohn]

and i am willing to fabricate anything as long as i can have a coil set up.

[4x4zr2GA]

well then thats the way to go. you can buy some universal coil buckets, or make them yourself, and also the crossmember (and/or) mounts for the link bars. just have to have an understanding of the suspension geometry to make it work right.

[DieselS10]

It isn't as difficult as it's made out to be. Do a lot of reading, then read some more.

I can offer a few pointers.

Don't do a triangulated setup on the front of a driver, you can't cure the bumpsteer, so it needs to be somewhat parallel from one side to the other and use a panhard/track bar to locate the axle from side to side.

The track bar needs to be the same length and run at the same angle as your drag-link, this is what eliminates bumpsteer by forcing the axle to travel in the same arc as the lower end of the drag-link. By the same angle, I mean from mounting point to mounting point. I don't care how many bends are in it, it pushes and pulls from mounting point to mounting point.

Mount the lower links as far out on the axle as you reasonably can. Be careful though because the S10 frame is wide at the rear link mounting point and this can cause your tire to contact the link at full steering lock. That is why my lower links have a 30* curve in them. That also caused me to have to double tube and plate them which means that they won't bend when I am sliding over rocks and what not. The smaller the tire, the less of a problem you get with this though.

The flatter the lower links run, the smoother the ride. I don't like the lower links to be at more than a 10* angle at ride hieght. This usually dictates the length as well, the more the lift the longer the link within reason.

I like to mount the rear of the lower link tight to the bottom of the frame for clearance and the rear of the upper link to the inside of the frame on an S10, again due to the frame width. Just be careful here because the inside of the frames are not symmetrical, so the mounts will not match from side to side.

The greater the tire size, the greater the distance between the upper and lower link mounts at the axle.

Parallel upper to lower link setups are a little easier to setup, but on an S10 it is difficult to use this design AND keep your ground clearance were they mount to the bottom of the frame. Again that's why I mount the upper to the inside. With that type setup you build the upper links 70% as long as the lowers, determine the distance your using between the upper and lower link mounting points at the axle and you will space them 1/2 that distance at the frame. Meaning that if the upper and lower link seperation at the axle is 8 inches, it will be 4 inches at the frame. This keeps your pinion angle in check throughout your suspension cycle with the different link lengths and keeps binding at a minimum.

I know that is a lot to consider, but that is about without going in too deep, just be VERY precise with your measurements. All of the links must be the same length at mounted symmetrical on each side which is the case with any suspension swap.
There are a ton of right ways to execute a link suspension, nothing is set in stone and I'm not claiming to know everything about, I just have a decent understanding of it, especailly on S10s.

[armyjohn]

Quote: Originally Posted by DieselS10

It isn't as difficult as it's made out to be. Do a lot of reading, then read some more.

I can offer a few pointers.

Don't do a triangulated setup on the front of a driver, you can't cure the bumpsteer, so it needs to be somewhat parallel from one side to the other and use a panhard/track bar to locate the axle from side to side.

The track bar needs to be the same length and run at the same angle as your drag-link, this is what eliminates bumpsteer by forcing the axle to travel in the same arc as the lower end of the drag-link. By the same angle, I mean from mounting point to mounting point. I don't care how many bends are in it, it pushes and pulls from mounting point to mounting point.

Mount the lower links as far out on the axle as you reasonably can. Be careful though because the S10 frame is wide at the rear link mounting point and this can cause your tire to contact the link at full steering lock. That is why my lower links have a 30* curve in them. That also caused me to have to double tube and plate them which means that they won't bend when I am sliding over rocks and what not. The smaller the tire, the less of a problem you get with this though.

The flatter the lower links run, the smoother the ride. I don't like the lower links to be at more than a 10* angle at ride hieght. This usually dictates the length as well, the more the lift the longer the link within reason.

I like to mount the rear of the lower link tight to the bottom of the frame for clearance and the rear of the upper link to the inside of the frame on an S10, again due to the frame width. Just be careful here because the inside of the frames are not symmetrical, so the mounts will not match from side to side.

The greater the tire size, the greater the distance between the upper and lower link mounts at the axle.

Parallel upper to lower link setups are a little easier to setup, but on an S10 it is difficult to use this design AND keep your ground clearance were they mount to the bottom of the frame. Again that's why I mount the upper to the inside. With that type setup you build the upper links 70% as long as the lowers, determine the distance your using between the upper and lower link mounting points at the axle and you will space them 1/2 that distance at the frame. Meaning that if the upper and lower link seperation at the axle is 8 inches, it will be 4 inches at the frame. This keeps your pinion angle in check throughout your suspension cycle with the different link lengths and keeps binding at a minimum.

I know that is a lot to consider, but that is about without going in too deep, just be VERY precise with your measurements. All of the links must be the same length at mounted symmetrical on each side which is the case with any suspension swap.
There are a ton of right ways to execute a link suspension, nothing is set in stone and I'm not claiming to know everything about, I just have a decent understanding of it, especailly on S10s.

thanks alot for the input hopefully i am going to be getting started on this project very soon and will keep this thread updated with pics and everythin or just start a build thread and put the link on this thread to keep this one open in case i have any more questions

[armyjohn]

well now the build is on hold because my truck is ackting up i thought it was the trans but i just brought it to the trans shop and they scanned my trans and said that its in 100% working condition so they are thinking a clogged fuel filter or clogged exhaust so i am going to have to figure this out first then on with the build. Anyone else have this problem

[crewcab rabbit]

kind sounds like what my truck was doing , combo of plugged cat and bad injectors