Has anyone done the coilover conversion?

[2Krngr]

Did you plate or otherwise reinforce the lower arm for the shock mount? Those arms arent exactly the thickest steel, I'd be worried about it getting stressed over time and cracking/breaking. Lots more pressure on that arm supporting the whole vehicle.. rather than just damping.

I have no concerns about these arms. Unless it's some extreme pre-runner jumping machine they are not going to break. I've seen and disassembled some pretty horrific accident trucks that have snapped the cast spindles, but not messed up the lower arms.

They are quite robust for the size of the vehicle. They are very short without much leverage to assist bending, they really are quite thick, and the top flat has a compound curve indention adding even more strength, plus the coilover mount is at the edge of the arm sitting on top the 90 bend which also has an additional bent flange again at the bottom.

But yes, since when you remove the lower shock, there is now a square hole in the arm for the bar-pin to mount and eyelet to pass-thru, which has to be welded up, so yes there is now flat plate welded on top of the arm there, before the lower mount is welded on top.

Now for the upper shock tower, it's extremely beefy, but I could see that bending inboard towards the motor over time without welding the gussets to the front of it, because it is so tall, and your pushing back on it at an angle. So I defiantly wouldn't run coilovers without something to tie them to the face of the frame.

 

[2Krngr]

I'm guessing you made the sway bar link mounts as well? Way nicer setup than stock. I may copy that...

Just out of curiosity, which shocks and springs did you go with?

Yes I added the sway bar links, lowering the truck so much changed the angle of the stock endlinks so bad it was just smooshing brand new bushings out the side in a few hundred miles. So I welded mounts in a location that relaxed the angle to be straight up/down again. And used balljoint style endlinks for a firmer mounting style and more articulation.

The coilovers are QA1 PromaStar Double Adjustable with 7" 16kg (900lb) Fortune Auto Springs. They ride amazing, going double adjustable is totally worth the cost. It took about a week of driving and adjusting both settings to get them dialed in for the truck, but once they were right it's crazy how good they feel. Even with spring rates ranger guys seem to consider high, it is not harsh, hard, or bouncy by any means.

I started with HyperCo 650lb springs, because 550-600 is what forums and manufactures kept suggesting. Way too soft, way way too soft. So I tried some spare 16k I already had and it was night and day. I think I would actually move to 18k or 20k if I ever change them again.