4Wheel & Off-Road Homepage

Project Jinxy, Part 1



http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_09_s.jpg
Up front we definitely wanted longer-than-factory control arms to locate our axle. This way the axle would not move back as much as the suspension drooped. But we could not decide what type of joint to use on the end. Also, it takes a fair amount of patience and time to find the correct way to mount the arms to take the axle through the correct arc as it travels. If you goof this up, you can get squatting or jacking, too much angle on the pinion, or just plain bad, incongruently mounted arms that like to bind. We decided to call Extreme Suspensions, the current producers of Dick Cepek Suspensions. We remembered that Cepek had offered a 6-inch suspension kit for Dodges that gave relocation brackets to mount control arms at the center of the frame. It also came with 48-inch-long control arms, more than enough for the travel we needed. In the picture you can see the size of them compared to the factory control arm (above the four long arms). By using the control arm kit we would not only have the correct geometry in the front end, but also have polyurethane bushings which is all this truck really needs. It will not see any hard-core rock duty and it isn't a racing truck, so it does not need extreme articulation or top-dollar parts. The bushings will not transmit vibrations through the body like rigid spherical bearing rod ends would. Best of all, it was bolt-on.
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_10_s.jpg
Well, not completely bolt-on. Not for us, at least. The control arm frame bracket connects at a point where the front boxing on the frame stops and the rest is C-section. This made for a nasty 1/8-inch lip that would necessitate using washers to even out the spacing, but instead, we used 1/8-inch steel plate to make a flat mounting point for the bracket. We drilled the holes and bolted on the brackets using 1/2-inch hardware.
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_11_s.jpg
With the Cepek brackets mounted it was time to get some clearance for the control arms to travel up. The major problem we ran into is the body-mounting bracket off the frame. This got in the way of the upper control arm and is the reason why no one but Dick Cepek has come out with a complete long arm kit for the '94-'01 Dodges. Luckily, Dick Cepek found a way around that by supplying reinforcements that are supposed to bolt into the body-mount bracket after it has a 3-inch circular hole cut in it for arm clearance. Both Van Gaale and Bishop each decided to use their own method of removal (See following image as well).
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_12_s.jpghttp://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_13_s.jpg
Instead of bolting it in using the Grade 8 bolt holes on the reinforcement brackets like we were supposed to, we again broke out the welder and MIG-welded them in after Van Gaale and Bishop were done removing the parts of the brackets that had to be removed (See following image as well).
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_14_s.jpg
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_15_s.jpghttp://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_16_s.jpg
The brackets were on and the body mounts were cut. It was time to remove the original control arms and cut the factory mounting locations off the frame. When we tried to remove the lower passenger-side control arm we found that the bolt had rusted itself on. The only thing to do: torch it out and continue on. It's always a bit scary to see pieces of your frame torched off. Now there is no going back. The frame was smoothed and painted over to protect it.
http://images.4wheeloffroad.com/projectbuild/131_0309_susp_17_s.jpg
The new Cepek extended control arms bolted right into place with ease. They allow the axle to droop fully the way we want, but they do inhibit upper travel when the control arms get close to the body mount. We will need to have the airbumps max out 3 inches below the factory bumpstop design. Though this did not make us happy, it was deemed acceptable considering we're gaining another 6 inches of travel. Next month we will finish up the suspension. Front hoops, coilovers, a track bar, an antisway bar, and airbumps all the way around are slated for the second half of Project Jinxy.

Prev  | 1  | 2  | 3
Why Pay MSRP? Get free new car and truck invoice pricing quotes today

Related Photos

Related Articles

 
September 2008 New Products
The hot new parts you must have!... more
 
September 2008 4x4 Tech Questions - Nuts & Bolts
See what our readers are asking about now!... more
 
2008 Dodge Ram 5500 Chassis Cab - Please Don't Go!
The Ultimate Hauler From Dodge... more
 
1968 GMC 1500 Truck - Blueberry Beater
A GMC Built Sweet enough to Eat... more

Off Road Blog

 
Peeling out is more fun than Olympic Gold Medals
It's been a rough summer, my buggy didn't get finished for Ultimate Adventure, my Army truck broke... more
 
Hushed Power
By: Ali Mansour Photography by: Ali Mansour "... more
 
Ultimate Adventure 2008 - Getting There Day 2
At this point the 2008 Ultimate Adventure hasn't even begun but I'm beginning to learn why it's... more
 
Moab Easter Jeep Safari Day 5
After a day on the trail it was time to take a 'break' and visit some of the hot spots of Moab...... more

Off Road Forum

 
dodge front axle specs?
one again thank you for the info! I will stay away from that one!... more
 
stuck (literally)
1deadodgeokay so my 88 dodge is fun and all but i need my wheels off to get some bigger boots under... more
 
dodge ram
dodgef25Every Manufature cuts corners. EVERYONE from ford chevy cadlaic toyota jeep. The thing is... more
 
FORD OR CHEVY
SnoManTOMCA newFord I shure wouldnt complain but chevy would be my personal choice. But i have... more