Rusty's 1/2" Strut Plate

AdirondacKJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:26 pm

Are there any issues with the Rusty's 1/2" upper strut plate that I should be aware of? I want to use it to get an extra 1/2" in the front... I'm not adding a winch or bull bar, just want the added height. Thanks

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:32 pm

Do you have a lift or anything. It should be fine with the stock front shocks. :wink:

If you have OME shocks or anything like that you may get upper ball joint contact.

AdirondacKJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:52 pm

No substantial lift, no. I would install it with pre-lowered coils which are approximately 7/8" taller than '05 stock. Would I get problems associated with OTT lifts... a 1/2" strut shim shouldn't make a huge difference, right?

Link to the product in question...
http://rustysoffroad.com/Merchant2/merc ... sus_kj_par

AdirondacKJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:47 pm

...continuing my previous post...

I've been reading a lot about any kind of upper strut spacers and NOT hearing good things. Will something as little as a 1/2" upper strut plate really kill my struts on pre-lowered coils (I'm replacing stock struts with Ranchos)? I spoke to Quinn at AllJ and he said it'd be fine as long as I didn't have additional weight on the front (winch, bull bar, etc). Any more opinions on this?

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:10 am

Easier to adjust the clevis at the bottom of the strut and it is free...also easier to return to normal if you don't like it.

AdirondacKJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:36 am

Clevis is easier and free, yes... but out of curiousity, does this small strut shim pose a threat on my struts?

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Both are just fine. Clevis lift won't cause a problem as long as you don't over do it. Also, Rusty's top strut plate won't be a problem, it's not thick enough to cause any problems. It's only 1/4" vs something like 1.5" on the OTT kit.

kolesy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:44 am

You will be fine man. Even if you do a clevis lift and add the strut plate. I have a 2.5" lift and did both but thatt gve me arm-spring contact so I have Al's arms in mygarage waitin to go in when i get home!

elephantrider · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:35 pm

i want to know if i can put a strut plate on in addition to my 2.5 inch rusty's coil kit.

im sure the cv's will be in a little bit of a bind at full flex / turn, but im gonna replace the cv's with heavy duty's when the stockers wear out....

anyboyd done this ?

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

jasonk wrote:

i want to know if i can put a strut plate on in addition to my 2.5 inch rusty's coil kit.

im sure the cv's will be in a little bit of a bind at full flex / turn, but im gonna replace the cv's with heavy duty's when the stockers wear out....

anyboyd done this ?

Hey Jason, you can do this. But you are going to run into problems with upper ball joint and a-arms contacting the springs. You have quite a bit of clevis lift from when we installed in last time. Any more and you are going to have the upper a-arms contact the springs. However, you could add a little bumpstop on the springs to stop the contact as they do on the frankenlift. Also, might have a problem with bottoming out the struts on full compression, but I doubt an 1/4" would make much of a difference.

It's not the height that cause problems with the upper a-arms and ball joints contacting the springs. It has to do with how much droop or extension you have. The struts are what stop extension in stock form. So if you slide the clevis down or move the strut's upper mounting location down you get more droop. As the wheel droops the upper a-arm swings down and hits the spring, sometimes with the ball joint making contact first.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:54 pm

Looks like they've got you covered. I didn't want to say anything b/c I do not have any experience with the spacer/if it will give you UBJC. :wink:

kolesy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 5:09 pm

jasonk wrote:

i want to know if i can put a strut plate on in addition to my 2.5 inch rusty's coil kit.

im sure the cv's will be in a little bit of a bind at full flex / turn, but im gonna replace the cv's with heavy duty's when the stockers wear out....

anyboyd done this ?

Jason, I have that setup on my rig, see sig. CV angels are fine throughout the range of motion but like Eddo said you will get arm-spring contact. I have some of als arms waiting for me to through them on to alleviate it. So you can add the spacer on top of the lift and clevis but you will get the contact.

elephantrider · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:44 pm

what i want to do is add the .5 inch spacer to the front ( and set up the bumpstop silimar to frankylift ) pu the clevis up another 4 conduit washers worth, then add the .75 inch spring donut to the rear on top of the spring isolators. dont know if it would put the tri link balljoint in too much stress though. it may not fit with the two extra isolators i have on each side either.

you know it would look sweet up just a little bit more...

might not be worth the hassle..

kolesy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:53 pm

That spacer would really be pushing it with the coils you got up front already. They already giv eyou 2.5" of lift. If youadd that spacer in there you will for sure bottom out the strut, IMO. Seriously if you just do the clevis and strut plate, you will get more height but you will more than liekly have spring contact unless you just make up a bumpstop for it. As a .75" donut for the rear. That will probably work out ok for you. I beleive mutt on here was running a .5" spacer and and extra spring pad, which both together is about .75" and didn't have any issues. And I think he is throwing in another 1/2 puck as well. I have a 1/2" puck waiting for me in my garage when i get back. I will let you know how that works with the rusty's coils in a couple weeks!

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Hey Jason is this in addition to your current set-up?

I think you are pretty much as high as you can confortable go. Maybe another 1/4" or even possibly a 1/2", but that's it. Sure you can always go higher if you don't worry about the CV, but you going to run into some handling issuse as well due to too great of a geomerty change. Not drastic handling differences, but enough that some people complain about. Also possibly other issue that have been mentioned.

kolesy, he is already has Rusty's lift plus about a good 1/2-5/8" clevis lift and 2 extra rear spring isolators. So he is already sitting about 1" taller than just a regular Rusty's lift.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:03 am

jasonk has been bitten by the lift bug, you know the bug that bites you and then want to lift just a little bit more , then a little bit more. Thats how we ended up building 4WD Dodge vans in the late 70s early 80, started out with 30s then 32s , next 35s then ended up on 38s and 40s, was cool running down the road and looking over and sort of down at Peterbilt drivers (my favorite big truck by the way)

kolesy · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 5:17 pm

Eddo wrote:

Hey Jason is this in addition to your current set-up?

I think you are pretty much as high as you can confortable go. Maybe another 1/4" or even possibly a 1/2", but that's it. Sure you can always go higher if you don't worry about the CV, but you going to run into some handling issuse as well due to too great of a geomerty change. Not drastic handling differences, but enough that some people complain about. Also possibly other issue that have been mentioned.

kolesy, he is already has Rusty's lift plus about a good 1/2-5/8" clevis lift and 2 extra rear spring isolators. So he is already sitting about 1" taller than just a regular Rusty's lift.

Gotcha, So Jason you are about right were i want to be. So the bug has got you! :lol:

Yeah im thinkin you will run into some issues then if you take it up as much as you want to then. My .02

Rusty's 1/2" Strut Plate

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