Variable Rideheight

[InfamousDuckMan]

So I intend to do the JGC Rear lift & slip in some new Torsion bars on the front, but I was wondering if there is any way for me adjust my rideheight on the fly.

 

For example, I want to be able to jack it up for off road, drop it down for multi level carparks.

 

Would the Rancho 9000 series do this? Looked into it but cant find anything apart from that it will harden or soften my ride.

 

I'll have to post some pics once I get the Lift going...

 

Thanks in advance,

 

--DuckMan.

[GrimGreg]

No the Ranchos won't, but some air shocks would do a little for you, though not much unless you ran them without springs which is a bad idea. Not to mention our front ends are alligned in a way so that it operates properly at the ride height it is at at the time of the allignment. Changing ride height back and forth will change the caster and camber and could cause major steering and wear issues.

 

Rovers and other vehicles with the variable height systems have different suspension systems that maintain the same geometry on the front end at the varied heights.

[MY1PATH]

/\ yeh what he said x2

The second biggest downside I see to having variable ride height is that the srping rate may not be consistant at all. I can see it very easly turning out too soft in lowered mode, when you want it stiff for on road driving and too stiff in raised mode, when you want it softer so that it does not break the terrain loose under you. also what will it do do your articulation? IMHO creating a variable ride hight system for a pathy is no siple task (due to IFS) and creating one that behaves apropiately in all conditons would be a very advanced and likely expensive system.

 

but if you want to tackle it I suggest you start with;

a SAS

or

Re-design your IFS so that both control arms are mounted on a single vertical axis and are exactly equal in length from pivot to ball joint top and bottom. this will make your camber stay the same. and both control arms would have maintain caster w/o the use of a compression/tensoin rod.

 

sorry to sound descouraging, I'm just trying to think about it realisticaly. If you can make it work (and not blow$$$$ and find a simpler answer)than make it work. But I'd hate to see somone do all that kinda work & $$$$ and have it not turn out the way they wanted.