Suspension Lifts and the Affect on Wheelbase..

[LRNAD90]

The strange places my mind wanders, anyone else want to go on the journey with me? LOL

Okay, so I'm sure it is no surprise to most of the members here that when we lift our trucks, the wheelbase shortens, unless longer radius and/or trailing arms are used. It's just the nature of the fact that when the axles move up or down, they move in an arc.

Just how much the wheelbase has changed at the new ride height is what I was curious about. So I pulled out the tape measure straight edge and a bubble level and did my best to accurately measure the wheelbase of my lifted NAS D90.

Stock height the wheelbase is supposed to be 92.9"

I'm running an old school SG Stage III kit, with stock radius arms and stock length aftermarket trailing arms..

Looks like I'm at 92" This doesn't seem like that much change, but it is visibly noticeable:

So how much benefit is their in returning the wheelbase through the use of lengthened radius and/or trailing arms (and possibly an a-arm extension in the rear)?

Of course the front axle also shifts to the Drivers side, thanks to the same phenomenon with the panhard rod, but in a different axis. This I didn't attempt to measure..

Of course lengthening these arms also means the wheelbase extends (more than stock) when the suspension compresses. Is their room for this or will tires be more likely to have body interference? And will driveshafts run out of usable extension travel at the spline (this also affects pinion angle on the driveshafts, I know)?

Thoughts?

 

[John R]

Sounds like a lot of mucking wrong for 0.9”! Plus your shorter wheelbase will allow you to go over steeper bumps without bottoming out like the 1” longer one (in theory anyway)


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[zimm]

waste money fixing nothing with custom adjustable links if it's bugging you. you can dial that 1/2" per axle right back in.

 

[bri]

"It's just the nature of the fact that when the axles move up or down, they move in an arch."

From my experience the only thing moving an axle up or down is the size of your tire.

When I lifted my D1s, I never kept the stock driveshafts, radius arms, trailing links track rod or pan hard rod.

Lift always swapped these out. Radius arms and trailing links were appropriately lengthed/cranked for lift.
I used RTE for radius arms, Rockware/RTE Fab for rear and HD rods.

On one build I also had RTE redrill swivel balls rather than use caster corrected radius arms and that made the D1 on 35's night and day better. That build also used GBR shafts.

GBR, Rockware, RTE Fab all worked with me to ensure suspension, axle and pinion angles were good.

Rockware gear is unobtainium now, unfortunately.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

...the wheelbase does not shorten when you lift a truck, does it?

Are you referring to the Track (width). Even still's the track doesnt really get narrower' just the wheels are at an angle such that you will be riding more along the outside adge' unless you get altered A arms with th steering knuckle adjusted

 

[zimm]

...the wheelbase does not shorten when you lift a truck, does it?

Are you referring to the Track (width). Even still's the track doesnt really get narrower' just the wheels are at an angle such that you will be riding more along the outside adge' unless you get altered A arms with th steering knuckle adjusted

It will shorten a minimal amount if its a system that has radius arms. Do the geometry. I'd be more concerned about caster and ride quality.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

It will shorten a minimal amount if its a system that has radius arms. Do the geometry. I'd be more concerned about caster and ride quality.

Ah. I never realized wheelbase was affected too

 

[bri]

It is a result of the frame going up, not the axles. This moves the radius arms and trailiing arms up and at a steeper angle unless they are also lengthened.