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Tracker Nine Inch Suspension Out Back With Jim Mazzola
Out Back:
The rear suspension control arms in their original location, due to its drastic lift, rotates the tire right into the front side of the wheel well. This coupled with the fact that with 9 inches of lift on an 18 inch lower control arm put the lower arm at such an angle that the roll oversteer will be of such concern that stability of the vehicle would be seriously compromised. Roll oversteer is essentially bumpsteer in the rear. In fact, due to the nature of four wheel drive vehicles and the need to get the frame and suspension components out of the way as much a possible, virtually all vehicles have roll oversteer to some degree. To minimize this I lengthened the lower control arms by 12 inches and moved the rear axle back in the center of the wheel well.
This required a new front mount that cradles the frame and provides a new attachment point for the control arms. On top I used a simple spacer and left the wishbone and ball joint intact. This is a bit of a compromise for the compressed spring alignment but a requirement for driveshaft slip joint engagement. For the springs, I again used spacers to lower the stock units and put them in proper position to the axle. Longer springs are on my ‘do’ list but as of yet I’ve been unable to find some that give me the right spring rate. I’ve got my eyes on some Saturn LS rears which are 3 inches longer right now. Parking brake cables also need to be relocated to the underside of the frame rails.
The shocks, Monroe gas, due to their diameter require the rear shock mounts to be cut off and switched with the opposite side. Then welded back on. This was a minor change which could have been avoided if I utilized smaller diameter shocks.
08/11/10 15:25
