Weldtec Design 2WD Bent I-Beam Lift for E350 (E series vans)

[dcguillory]

The tire wear myth is right up there with the alignment myth.

What's the alignment myth?

 

[Mwilliamshs]

What's the alignment myth?

That TTB front ends can't be or won't stay aligned. Myth definitely busted.

 

[ujoint]

Good point, Chris. I didn't discuss it with him However, I was under the impression that since the pivot points on the beams are not moved that the RSC would remain happy (for a mild lift). Am I mistaken?

The pivoting point does't matter, it measures body roll/steering/yaw, etc. More body roll will trip the RSC.

 

[radorsch]

It looks like Camburg doesn't have problems with the RSC, or they do something to correct it. Does anyone know how they deal with it, if they do anything?

 

[tommudd]

From Camburgs info
The Baja kit

Also by not moving the i-beam pivot points with drop down brackets the RSC stability control system is not upset and works correctly.

But then in one of their other "Trail Kits " this is posted
Newer vans that have the RSC stability/traction control will have issues with this type of kit as it upsets the stability control system and makes the van un-driveable .


so ???

 

[BajaSportsmobile]

We have done several 2wd and 4wd lifts on RSC vans with no issues, we just completed a 2014 TTB Long Travel 4x4, with only 380 miles on it. Using the wrong pitman arm (too long) will cause problems because of the steering angle parameters and I suppose if your suspension damping is insufficient, that could cause a problem. You may have to reprogram the steering angle if the steering wheel needs to be re-centered any significant amount.

Action Vans does a lot of 2wd lifts - I don't think that they have any problems.

 

[radorsch]

I hadn't see that on the trail kit. The camburg trail kit is the drop bracket kit, whereas Baja is the bent ibeam.

 

[njtacoma]

When I read through the camburg site they seemed to be saying that the Baja Performance kit doesn't interfere with the RSC, but the Trail kit with the drop down brackets does interfere with the RSC. I may be misreading it however, and I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Skinny]

I would think as long as the wheel speed sensors read similar to stock and the same amount of roll compared to steering input then the RSC would be happy. I don't think the computer really cares where the suspension mounts are nor does it know. If you are running softer spring rates then you will hit the threshold sooner and the skid will kick in prematurely. Just have to stay in that parameter with shock valving, spring rates, and sway bar settings. Interesting point on the steering angle, ECM may get angry if you are changing pitman or steering arm distances.

 

[Grngiant]

I wonder if the drop pitman arm is the biggest contributor in upsetting RSC? my guess is most aftermarket arms are not the same effective length (distance from sector shaft to drag link on a horizontal plane). With different length arms you would be fooling the Rsc into a false over/understeer situation.
The kits with drop brackets need a dropped pitman arm in order to keep linkage angles in spec so as not to induce bump steer. With the bent I-beam systems all suspension/steering components pivot from their original locations.
That could be why the bent beam lifts work better with the RSC.

 

[Skinny]

I'm not too familiar with the power programmers since there are so many and they change so quickly. Do any allow you to disable some of the ABS/TRAC/SKID features or reprogram them at all?

 

[mgmetalworks]

Advancetrac/RSC on the vans doesn't have any idea what your suspension geometry is. It is only concerned about lean angles, roll rates, changes in roll rates, steering angle etc... and it calculates all of the responses to these various inputs about a center of gravity. Ford publishes a value recommending that you not allow the CoG of the vehicle to go above this value (published in Body Builders Advisory Service publications...). Lifting a vehicle above a certain point may make the RSC behave differently than Ford intended. How differently is anyone's guess.

I have ideas for removing the whole system and I'm working on those now but it isn't just a little reprogramming. There are a number of parts that will be replaced as well.

 

[Skinny]

Any way to possible simulate the yaw/roll sensor output to a fixed amount as if the vehicle was traveling in a straight line down the road and maybe remove the steering angle sensor and just fix it so the module thinks the wheel is straight as well? Not sure if they are some type of variable voltage or hall effects signal that could be manipulated.

 

[mgmetalworks]

Any way to possible simulate the yaw/roll sensor output to a fixed amount as if the vehicle was traveling in a straight line down the road and maybe remove the steering angle sensor and just fix it so the module thinks the wheel is straight as well? Not sure if they are some type of variable voltage or hall effects signal that could be manipulated.

Accelerators are embedded within the module. As-in part of the circuit board. The only sensors in the system you have physical access to are the wheel speed sensors and steering wheel angle sensor.

 

[radorsch]

Does anyone know what the CoG would be, for a wagon, that should not be exceeded? I couldn't find it in the Body Builders Advisory Service pubs (thanks MGMetalworks, though... That's a lot of good info).
I'd be surprised if a 4-5 inch lift exceeded it... But maybe.