EDIT: I am turning this idea into not just DIY LT thread anymore. I realized there is no point in doing it twice, so might as well jump straight into the end goal of 1 Ton IFS. It's too much work and money to do it twice in the first place. I am still in the very early stages of this project, but I at least have a somewhat good idea on which parts I will be using for this project. I will try to update this first post as I go with some of the tech info and parts used.
So far here is the plan:
- Ford 9" Diff in IFS housing.GM 9.25" AAM IFS Diff narrowed down or possibly the Ford 9.75" IRS Diff centered. (Still looking for CAD files of these to get measurements off of) Found measurements. These diffs make no sense to use practically.
- '05+ Super Duty Unit Bearings
- S&S Fabrications Unit Bearing Cups
- Probably going with swing-set steering using a Saginaw steering box (No idea which model I will be using. Whatever has a good strength to size/weight ratio or very common)
- High Clearance Lower Control Arms inspired by Marlin Crawler's RCLT kit
- Custom fabricated spindles based around the Super Duty unit bearings
- Coilovers and bypasses of course
- Bump stops will be mounted off the engine cage and bump off the spindle
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So I'm in the process of learning CAD (Autodesk Fusion 360), so that I can start making my own long travel kit and other custom parts. I've had the program for a while now, just last week I started really playing with things and watching some youtube videos to learn. I figured if I plan on building long travel for myself, then might as well start practicing by making an practice LT kit. For now I'm just using rough measurements to practice with, then once I feel confident in my skills, I will go back and make a legit kit with exact measurements so I can send it off to laser to get cut.
So early last week I started by making a LCA. It was really crude but I learned a lot of the basics by doing it. Here is V1 of the LCA. I ditched this design to make something little higher clearance before I got too far.
Here is the most recent revision. Started from scratch here. This one is inspired by the MC RCLT kit with the high clearance design. This design has the idea I'm looking for, but with a few changes. The shock tabs are too close together. I will have to make the entire LCA wider and space the shock tabs another couple inches wider too. I'll be ditching this design for a horizontally mounting uniball (Bolt goes through horizontally). The reason to go with the uniball horizontally mounted is to keep the uniball pivot closer to the CV for more clearance and better suspension design. With the bolt going vertically like I have here, I'd have to make room for a washer and 3/4" bolt between the CV and the uniball. That'll kill about an inch right there.
So this week I'll make a new one based on a horizontally mounted uniball, and a little wider shock tab spacing. Still a ton left to learn, but it is actually a lot of fun.
So far here is the plan:
- Ford 9" Diff in IFS housing.
- '05+ Super Duty Unit Bearings
- S&S Fabrications Unit Bearing Cups
- Probably going with swing-set steering using a Saginaw steering box (No idea which model I will be using. Whatever has a good strength to size/weight ratio or very common)
- High Clearance Lower Control Arms inspired by Marlin Crawler's RCLT kit
- Custom fabricated spindles based around the Super Duty unit bearings
- Coilovers and bypasses of course
- Bump stops will be mounted off the engine cage and bump off the spindle
*********************************************************************************
So I'm in the process of learning CAD (Autodesk Fusion 360), so that I can start making my own long travel kit and other custom parts. I've had the program for a while now, just last week I started really playing with things and watching some youtube videos to learn. I figured if I plan on building long travel for myself, then might as well start practicing by making an practice LT kit. For now I'm just using rough measurements to practice with, then once I feel confident in my skills, I will go back and make a legit kit with exact measurements so I can send it off to laser to get cut.
So early last week I started by making a LCA. It was really crude but I learned a lot of the basics by doing it. Here is V1 of the LCA. I ditched this design to make something little higher clearance before I got too far.
Here is the most recent revision. Started from scratch here. This one is inspired by the MC RCLT kit with the high clearance design. This design has the idea I'm looking for, but with a few changes. The shock tabs are too close together. I will have to make the entire LCA wider and space the shock tabs another couple inches wider too. I'll be ditching this design for a horizontally mounting uniball (Bolt goes through horizontally). The reason to go with the uniball horizontally mounted is to keep the uniball pivot closer to the CV for more clearance and better suspension design. With the bolt going vertically like I have here, I'd have to make room for a washer and 3/4" bolt between the CV and the uniball. That'll kill about an inch right there.
So this week I'll make a new one based on a horizontally mounted uniball, and a little wider shock tab spacing. Still a ton left to learn, but it is actually a lot of fun.
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