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Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:43 pm

Hello. I bought a front end with a long travel weld on shock tower front end. I am installing it to come to find out that with a stock steering box the short tie rod will hit the shocks!! I had to bend the short one to get around it. Anyone experience this??? And I think the most travel ill be lucky to get is 7". I might as well stuck with stock shock towers with better shocks. Any body have any ides? Thanks.

Wed Dec 18, 2013 4:21 pm

I am not really sure but I am planning on doing the same thing, I think with the taller shock towers it will change the angle of the shock so I was planning on putting on longer trailing arms hoping that it would solve the problem that you are having. I don't know if that is the fix or not, but that will probably mean that you will need longer tie rods again I am not sure, I hope that others know about this so I can learn this one too. Plus this should give you another inch or 2 of travel, depending on the length of the trailing arms.

Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:56 pm

Yeah the kit I have you cou off bottom shock mount and weld on an extension and it pushes it out also. In doing that with stock trailing arms it wouts it right in the way of the shock. I don't know if you had a rack n pinion steering if it would help or not since it would change the location of one end. I know longer trailing arms would help, but then you would want to push the front end beam foward as well. I think it's a case of one step foward- 2 steps back. I will look at it tonight and try to post some pics.

Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:28 pm

I wonder if it would be better to add Tweed 3" raised spindles and their longer trailing arms to add travel, would you have the same problem? Can you leave the stock shock towers on? or do you have to add length to them also? I sure hope someone can answer that one. That seems like a way to go.

Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:01 pm

Actually you are right on
shock towers don't give lift
torsion arms or spindles will

Sat Dec 21, 2013 8:17 am

Ditto that...
For ride hieght raised spindles is the way to go. Instant 3" and no twisting or turning of the front end.
Also with longer trailing arms you would increase your wheel travel a bit. I have a second bug that I plan on baja-ing sometime in the future that I want to push out the front end, rack and pinion, 4" longer arms W/ throughbolts and coil overs. :) that's $$$$ and way down the road.
The only reason I used longer shock towers is so I can use a taller shock for better damping and I might gain a little bit of travel when I "bottom out" if I move my bump stop up a little.
I did find. That if I used stock shock mount location on the bottom shock mount that I can fit the shocks on and not hit with my toe rods and get about 7-8" of wheel travel. This will require me clearaning my front frame head for the longer tie rod at full droop. I plan on adding braces and strengthens the frame head wherever I can. I don't have to worry about hitting the fuel tank since I have a body lift on the car. I plan on using some bilstien shocks that are 13.5" at full compresion and 21.5 fully extended. I should have over an inch left over at full extension and almost 2" extra at full compresion. I'm just looking for a little smoother ride in the sand. Those whoops suck asS!!!