Custom front lcas?

TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:18 pm

Has anyone ever tried or attempted to make custom lcas for the front? Like make them mount a little further back or get a bend in there to make a better angle for the lower balljoint? I was just curious if this was even possible to do

Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

I am looking into it but I'm only a college student with a machine and welding shop to work out of. I am worried about not being an engineer quite yet. I'm going to auburn university for engineering. Maybe one day I'll make some lca and new uca to match new cv's. Haha hell ill prolly never do that but it sure is fun dreaming. Haha

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TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:08 am

Im pretty much in the same situation as you haha! Maybe we can brainstorm and shoot ideas off each other?

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

I'm down! I have been wanting to LT ifs over sfa but the support just isn't there for the kj. Sfa seems more strait forward but I'm so far off from either I'm looking into all possibilities. Was thinking how cool a kj would be getting 12" or more of ifs 4x4 travel. When jba already has 9 inches in ifs and it seems like most sfa are 10-14" travel not that far off from the ifs! I curious to how this the lca tubing would need to be if they were tubes lowers. I'm am thinking that would be easiest to make.

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

These are a couple I think would be the easiest to make excepted for the last one. I like the all pro one for Toyota's a lot it is very simple

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TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:07 pm

I'm liking the tubular design as well. What i was thinking of doing is lengthening the ca's outwards and increasing the cv length so it's sorta like a sye for a dshaft, a longer cv would get a better angle and more articulation and we'd be able to lift it higher

Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

Yeah bunch of blank spaces in my head about the tech stuff. I am less worried about what coil over to use and cv lengths. What I am more worried about is the whole ifs setup Dealing with Ackerman effect, anti dive, bump steer, and whatnot. If the same setup works the just being wider and taller but still use stock control arm mounts like they have in other lt ifs kits then should come down to the knuckle. I feel like a taller knuckle could be required or maybe just a spacer like jba's knuckle spacer.

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

I also think it may be possible to forward stretch or align a long travel ifs arms and between being wider and forward maybe could get the tires off the unibody. I had some funky idea of a front ifs stretch and doing new uca and lca makes the stretch idea I had a bit simpler. Minimal stretch though talking inch or so

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TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:51 pm

In all honesty I feel a sfa swap would be easier and more straight forward then this :ROTFL:

but it wouldn't have the one off cool factor that this would

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:35 pm

Custom IFS setups like your talking about(can't remember the company's name) start at $25,000 and that's not even including a diff or CV's.

All the talk about custom IFS still leaves you with a weak low pinion D30,if you upgrade to JBA's steel diff,and $1200+ sets of CV axles that get really no more operating range then the stock CV's.Want to stretch the front then your looking at a custom cradle since your going to have to move the front diff and R&P forward also.

But hey it's not my $$$.

The_dealer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:41 pm **Posts:** 129

You could always go with the dynatrac D60 center section. I'd say you could do one hell of a lt sas project

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TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:23 pm

Yea that really puts it into prospective. A sfa would be cheaper easier and much much better in the long run anyway

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

Just looking to all options. The Best bet for bettering the stock ifs I would think is either jba's coilovers or some others small diameter coil over that may not exist lmao. Wouldn't mind knowing the name I that company. Tjkj2002. I am not scared of the fabrication just the design aspect. I had been tooling around with an idea to have someone design then I fab it. Not going to happen would be cool though.

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tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:31 pm

Chipppy wrote:

Just looking to all options. The Best bet for bettering the stock ifs I would think is either jba's coilovers or some others small diameter coil over that may not exist lmao. Wouldn't mind knowing the name I that company. Tjkj2002. I am not scared of the fabrication just the design aspect. I had been tooling around with an idea to have someone design then I fab it. Not going to happen would be cool though.

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They posted on Pirate a few years ago,why I can't remember there name.

The_dealer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:41 pm **Posts:** 129

Did it happen to be blitzkrieg?

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

I'll try and hunt something down

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

With some inspiration from pirate I have not given up on the idea of a Homebuilt ifs system for the average joe. I have been scratching the surface about IFS design; with means nothing really. I've have heard sticking to the stock deigns is highly advised. Keeping the upper arms with a welded or machined raised knuckle, made longer lower A arms or J arms, used custom RCV's and maybe JBA coil overs. I think it could work with godzilla prices and enough experimenting :JEEPIN:

If only I knew anything about suspension design and could figure out steering and had some money to throw away :ROTFL:

TheBlueKJ · **Posted:** Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:24 pm

Chipppy wrote:

With some inspiration from pirate I have not given up on the idea of a Homebuilt ifs system for the average joe. I have been scratching the surface about IFS design; with means nothing really. I've have heard sticking to the stock deigns is highly advised. Keeping the upper arms with a welded or machined raised knuckle, made longer lower A arms or J arms, used custom RCV's and maybe JBA coil overs. I think it could work with godzilla prices and enough experimenting :JEEPIN:

If only I knew anything about suspension design and could figure out steering and had some money to throw away :ROTFL:

Go for it!!

The_dealer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:41 pm **Posts:** 129

For some reason I was thinking about this thread the other day, and The Blue KJ reminded me by posting. I was thinking I had some things to add to this. I'll keep it as short as possible.

Tjkj2002 mentioned "$1200+ cv's, that get really no more operating range then the stock cv's". While this is true, this is somewhat false. Just for example let's say a kj has 3" of lift on stock arms. Now lengthen (widening the track width) by 2" on the same rig. The angles on the longer arms are greatly reduced over what they were on stock length arms. Also let's just say both the stock cv's and longer cv's have the same amount of mechanical movement the cv cup is capable of. The mechanical operating range stays the same, but the longer cv allows more travel due to decreased operating angle. So technically you didn't gain mechanical movement, but restored what was lost from the lift on stock length arms. But, the aftermarket custom length cv will more then likely have more movement in the cup than stock. As far as stretching the front, he's right...that's alot of stuff to shift forward. I've haven't seen the front of an lt stretched, they run fiberglass front fenders with more rise/bulge to deal with that.

Now, back to the topic, it can definitely be done on a kj. As tjkj2002 mentioned a steel diff would be a must. If you have the fab skills it can be done for under $3k or right there at it. For a kj 2-2.5" longer arms (each side) would be perfect. If anyone is interested I'll give a real basic breakdown of what's involved, but feel like I've rambled enough for now. I helped a buddy make some +3" arms and go lt on a ranger(by helped I mean watched, learned, and was the cut/weld b***h), and it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be

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Chipppy · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:23 pm **Posts:** 223

WHOOO dealer your the man lmao. My dream kj 4 link rear mt/lt ifs frontend

Custom front lcas?

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