[gmonk99]

Could someone please explain to me how a 1 1/4 inch front spacer makes a 2.5 inch lift? This is mind boggling for a simple man like myself.

Thanks,

 

[AndysLog]

you think thats odd.

why does water freeze differently when you don't watch it?

 

[gwhipp]

The 1.25" block isn't lifting the front suspension. It is compressing the front coil. So it is really 'pre-loading' the front spring. This forces the shock to be more extended. Therefore lifting the truck 2.5".

Does that make sense?

 

[domoMKIV]

The 1.25" block isn't lifting the front suspension. It is compressing the front coil. So it is really 'pre-loading' the front spring. This forces the shock to be more extended. Therefore lifting the truck 2.5".

Does that make sense?

Probably not.

 

[NissanPD]

you think thats odd.

why does water freeze differently when you don't watch it?

why is everything always in the last place you look?

 

[Whiffle]

I actually haven't looked recently, so I'm probably wrong.

But, I'm lazy, so I'll speculate. I bet if you look at the geometry of the front suspension, you'll see that if you move the A arm up and down, it moves about twice as far at the wheel as it does where the shock is mounted. Therefore, to lift the truck 1" at the wheel, you'd only have to move the A-arm down 1/2" at the shock, which is where the spacer goes.

I'd draw a picture, but it would probably make things worse. Go stick your head under your truck and have a look.

 

[zoomzoom]

just trust that it will give you the specified lift.

 

[colin123]

yeah its all about geometry, maybe it will help if you think about turning. you put your wheels to full lock and go around and around in a fixed circle, your wheels on the inside closer to the center of the circle have much less distance to cover than the wheels on the outside which is why the wheels on the outside have to spin faster to keep up. the same thing is happening here, the shock is mounted closer to the center point of the angle so any movement in distance that happens there is less than what is happening at the wheels which are farther away from the center point but the line (or in this case control arm) as a whole is moving a set amount of degrees. that was probably not as much help as it seemed like it would be in my head once i read over it again lol.

 

[dubie2003]

As stated above, it is geometry. If you still really don't understand, then it may help to search for a nice thread where Mike put up a nice picture on how the front suspension is set-up.

 

[mustard23]

for the same reason a shock with 5 inch of shaft travel gives you 8 inches of wheel travel.

basically your lower control arm is a leaver. The fulcrum the frame the shock is the effort applied to the leaver. Because it is a leaver you do not have a 1:1 ratio on your lift. Depending on were the the effort is applied to leaver gives you the ratio. So it is is halfway down the the leave you have 2:1 ratio. So for every 1 inch of more effort is applied you get 2 inch of lift.

Disclaimer all my math is rounded, to make things easier.