GoFastBroncos.com

I'm installing my Solo beams and arms right now, and just wanted to see how everyone makes sure the front wheels are centered in the wheel wells. So far what I've heard is to jack the beams up to the bump stop with the radius arm and bracket attached, then drill the holes for the radius arm bracket while the beam is centered on the bumpstop, using the radius arm bracket as a template. Any other tips from people who have done this before? I want to make sure I get this right! Thanks in advance.

All the extended radius arms I've bought have used at least one factory hole to locate the bracket. Are you sure those don't? I often hear people to center the wheel on the bump stop and drill your holes. That doesn't make any sense to me as the two wheels travel in different arcs when you add longer radius arms.

I would give Solo a call and get it direct from the source... then post here so everyone else can know, too.

Everyone seems to do it different. I move my front wheels forward for clearance. You have to be careful as it can create other problems.

I had the Solo radius arms and beams installed on my Bronco and the radius arm brackets did use a factory hole that helped center the wheels and brackets.



http://www.gofastbroncos.com/forum/view ... &start=120

Push your beam forward until there is a very slight bit of clearance at the cross member. Measure wb...make wb equal on the other side.

Dont worry about center.

SteveG wrote:I would give Solo a call and get it direct from the source... then post here so everyone else can know, too.

X 2

Steve, Solo was actually the one who told me to install them that way, I was just hoping there was a more exact measurement to go by. Once I get back out there I'll check to see if the brackets use one of the existing holes. Thanks for the help guys!

lol i call the maker of some raduis arms i installed a while back and got the same answer.. i was soooooooo impresed.. i was like wow, so you dont know were your brackets go?????? haha...

That doesn't inspire much confidence, does it?

Thats alright. I bought their rear shock mount and they couldn't tell me much about it. As a matter of fact, Mark told me more on how to do it then they did.

Well, I got the driver's side beam and radius arm/ pivot box installed tonight. The pivot boxes do use an existing hole to mount, so once you nut and bolt through that hole, it's pretty easy to drill the rest.
One thing I'm a little concerned about is my bump stop. I"ve got 4 inch pro comp coils and bilstein 5100's for the front. I'm just running the forward shocks for now. When I cycle the suspension up front, my bump stop just touches the beam before the shock bottoms out. To be comfortable it seems like I should have an inch longer bump stop, just for any especially hard hits so I don't blow my shocks. What do you guys normally do to adjust your bump stops? Spacers? Just a longer bump stop? Or am I worrying about this too much?

I have some spacers that came off my old lift kit if you want em. Theyre just a cut piece of square tube but thick.

If those are the auxillary Bilsteins I would not plan on driving it with only those. They have 1/4 the valving of the Main shock. It will be loose.

Yeah, they are the auxilary shocks. I was worried about that. I don't think I have the expertise to make a shock mount though for the rear mounted shocks. But, it's an ongoing project anyway.

Pony Boy wrote:Yeah, they are the auxilary shocks. I was worried about that. I don't think I have the expertise to make a shock mount though for the rear mounted shocks. But, it's an ongoing project anyway.

You could weld the factory bolt on shock mount to your radius arms. If done correctly it will look good and function well.

Yeah, adding a shock mount to the radius arms would be pretty easy. It might be easier to a buy 4 tabs to weld to the arm. You could do all the prep work, locate and mark them, then take it to someone to weld.

I know I'm late... anyone move the beams forward, with stock coils and buckets?

shockseals.com wrote:Push your beam forward until there is a very slight bit of clearance at the cross member. Measure wb...make wb equal on the other side.

Dont worry about center.

That's how I setup my Giants, and it worked out just fine. Once you stop worrying about what holes to use, and just put the brackets where they need to be, it seems so simple.

Pony Boy wrote:One thing I'm a little concerned about is my bump stop. I"ve got 4 inch pro comp coils and bilstein 5100's for the front. I'm just running the forward shocks for now. When I cycle the suspension up front, my bump stop just touches the beam before the shock bottoms out. To be comfortable it seems like I should have an inch longer bump stop, just for any especially hard hits so I don't blow my shocks. What do you guys normally do to adjust your bump stops? Spacers? Just a longer bump stop? Or am I worrying about this too much?

From what I've seen in cycling a few of my Ford trucks is the factory bump stops are a last ditch effort to avoid nasty metal to metal contact. Most stock suspensions have the springs in way negative arc or the shock beyond full compression before the suspension parts even contact the bump. Pretty much exactly what you are seeing.

I built these for my crew cab since I noticed the springs went into a major negative arc before even grazing the factory bumpstop. I think it was about 2" I lowered the things to make everything actually work right.





Here's a couple showing the new, full bump location

Those bump stops look nice! I'm guessing you have access to a welder? Part of my problem is I can't even figure out how to get the old bumpstops off, any socket I try to fit into the recessed hole in the frame where the bumpstop bolt is is either too big around to fit the hole, or to small to get on the bolt! I could just cut the bottom part of the bumpstop off and pull it up through the hole...