cut the bumpstop brackets off and get you a set of shocks :tup:

 

x2 cut the bumpstop brackets

 

Larger front sway bars would help reduce the bottoming out affect

 

no it wont

 

yup you definately want to get rid of the bump stop brakets

 

small C notch????

 

Depending on tire size it will rub the inner fenderwells in the front from hitting bumps and possibly when turning sharp. Also with a 6" drop in the back the axle will probably be very close to the frame even with the bumpstop brackets cut off so you might need a bolt in 2.25" notch.

 

Later you might want to start thinking about some clearance mods. Such as replacing the stock carrier bearing cross-member with the one from SD and doing the tranny crossmember mod on the left side bolts.

 

Seems to me the stiffer sway will reduce side to side roll which would help if rubbing the wells when cornering. But, when going straight and hitting a bump and rubbing the well, it would make no difference.

Or was that what was just said?

 

We've all seen this pic before. This was my 93 with the same Xtreme wheels, 235/55-16 and 33mm sway bar I'm refering to.

So you guys are saying, when the tire hits a bump and forces the wheel assmebly upwards, the sway bar has no effect on the upward motion of the wheel assembly?

From looking at this pic, would you agree or disagree the lower control arm is mechanically connected to the wheel assembly through the end links?

If you agree, continue reading.
If you disagree, still continue reading to enlighten me

So that means, when the lower control arm moves up (i.e hits a bump) it's also forcing the end of the sway bar to move upward due to a mechanical connection (i.e. end links)

Now for discussion purpose, lets sway the stock sway bar was 1" in diameter. Then you install a 2" diameter sway bar. Which diameter bar would absorb more upward (or twisting) energy when hitting a bump? The 2" bar will absorb more energy which will limit the upward motion of the wheel assembly.

Gentlemen, if it wasn't for the fact that this occured with me (not word of mouth) I wouldn't have believed it myself. How else can I explain why after installing a 33mm sway bar, my tire wasn't hitting the inner fender wells as easily as before. Nothing else was changed, only the sway bar.

If you're still not convinced, try this. Go outside and push down on the front corner of your truck. Raise the truck and disconnect the end links. Lower the truck back onto the pavement and push on the corner again. I bet you'll feel a noticeble difference compared to when the end links are connected. You can try this test with any size sway bar. When you're pushing down on the truck, you're simulating hitting a bump (i.e the wheel assy moving upward)

Without turning this person thread into something he wasn't interested in, I'm open for a discussion.

EDIT: on the other hand, this can be good info for someone who might be considering a 5" front drop with a larger diameter tire. 235-55 is probably the largest diameter 16" tire you can use with a 5" front drop. Even though I don't know that for a fact, everyone else was suggesting I go with a smaller diameter tire with a 5" front drop. I liked how the xtreme wheels with the 235-55 filled the wheel wells, so I kept them .

 

The sway bar is connected to the lca by endlinks. But when you hit a bump it rotates up on both sides. It is not bolted solid to the frame. It is free to rotate as the control arms rise.

 

The sway bar is connected to the lca by endlinks. But when you hit a bump it rotates up on both sides. It is not bolted solid to the frame. It is free to rotate as the control arms rise.

The key to your statement is, when both control arms are hitting a bump evenly. (i.e. going over a speed bump) That's when the sawy bar is free to rotate. Your statement is not correct when one tire is hitting a bump and the other isn't. When one tire is hitting a bump, the sway bar is now twisting.

 

ouch.

 

But only that scenario. :rotf:

 

But only that scenario. :rotf:

I'll take it

 

Where did you go Green? You left me to fight that battle all alone. :haha:

 

sorry, finally got back to my apartment.
and yea, i agree if one side bump pushes the tire up individually up enough to hit inner, a larger dia arb will help that bottoming..
but in most cases, one sided bumps are not large enough to do that... large dips or rises which compress both sides at the same time are what causes the bottoming in the inners.

but yes, in some cases what you say can be true, but in any case, that person has too large a tire or too soft a spring or shock. not a too small arb

 

Let's examine what you're saying, again this is with my personal experience.

but in most cases, one sided bumps are not large enough to do that... large dips or rises which compress both sides at the same time are what causes the bottoming in the inners.

Even though you said "in most cases" the above is not an accurate statement. With my stock sway bars, one sided bumps were plenty enough to cause contact with the innder fender wells. The bigger the bumps, the harder the contact and visa versa. If you're driving down the road and hit a dip that causes both sides to compress into the fender wells, you pretty much just ran over an unexpected crater. Most situation that causes both sides to compress at the same time are situations you see coming (speeds bumps, railroad tracks, construction zones, etc) so you will slow down and creep over the bump.

but yes, in some cases what you say can be true, but in any case, that person has too large a tire or too soft a spring or shock. not a too small arb

I've already stated the overall diameter of the tire has a lot to do with it, no agruements there. If your tire diameter is on the larger side of the scale (like mine) there's more of a chance it will hit the inner fender wells when going over one sided bumps. You are also correct, the spring and shock also has a lot to do with it. In my pic above you can see my Beltech coils (and those are 6cyl coils) but you can't see my Beltech Nitro shocks. I was using everything that most were recommending, but I was still had fender well contact over one sided bumps. It wasn't until after I installed the 33mm sway bar that it made a noticeable difference over one sided bumps.

There's nothing wrong with sticking with your knowledge, it's admirable of you. I can't think of any other way to explain my point of view. But, I do ask you to try my test and disconnect the end links on one side. Then keep pushing down on that side to see if you feel a difference with the links connected or not.

 

alright alright you're right. good? can we be friends now?

 

:hug:

 

Here's my personal experience: Being your typical broke but wanna drop my truck guy , I started out with 2"spindles in the front and 3" blocks in the rear. I then added 2" springs + Summit drop shocks in the front and left the rear as it was. I'm running 20s in the front and it would bottom out on the top of the inner fenders every once in a while. Running 22"s in the rear.After dropping the front, I then got 3" lowering leafs + rear drop shocks and tried it with the 3" blocks . I was sitting on the bump stops. Removed bump stops but not the brackets. Very little suspension travel possible at this point so I cut the rear blocks down 1" thus making them 2" blocks , cut off bump stop brackets and it doesn't bottom out now. Noticed after dropping the rear , the front doesn't bottom out now or it hasn't yet as I just did this last Friday.

Here's a thread I posted with pics of my results:
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f14/damn-you-all-333001/

 

Mike, I believe I saw your truck sitting on the side off your shop kind of late one evening last week. Looked real nice! I'm gonna stop by when I get time during the day.

 

Yep , it was probably mine, other guy's is a sportside with Xtremem ground effects..Truck does have a few dings , the pics make it look better than it is. You should drop by but leave your wallet at home, you'll find something you'll spend money on!

 

The wallet is not a problem. It's just for looks. Wifey has the cash!:haha:

 

 

It took me getting married three times to find a relatively sane wife and she isn't all that sane....

 

One other thing on the drop : Later s10 extended cabs with the CV driveshafts* might* have a problem with the joint at the axle hitting a crossmember on the bed with a 5" or more drop. The '94 the OP has still uses a universal joint so it's shorter and doesn't seem to be an issue. My driveshaft in the '97 had pretty much destroyed itself so I ran across a u-joint driveshaft cheap and swapped it in. The driveshafts are the same length obviously but the joints are different lengths.

 

My 97 has the 2-piece driveshaft with regular U-joints. I think the manual trans trucks had U-joints and the automatics had the double joints at the rear axle, or something like that.

 

You're right as my '97 is an automatic. Come to think of it ,the '94 was a manual that I got the driveshaft from.