Zimmerman TTB Mod?'s

[bubba33code]

I was wondering how many people have done this mod? And how long it took on average? What were any problems anybody ran into? And where is the best place to start?

 

[CopyKat]

Best place to start is to read up on Will's and 4x4Junkies posts on TTB.

Whatever you saw of the Zimmerman explorer forget about it. It's the worst setup period.

 

[bubba33code]

can u send post links?

 

[odie1969]

hey copycat what is wrong with the zimmerman set up. I was kinda thinking of doing Cut and turned d44 would this not be a good idea?

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah Zimmerman did it the wrong way.
The beams are supposed to be modified by relocating the lower balljoint outward, not hacked in half between the pivot and the diff. Doing it at the balljoint not only lessens to some extent the added strain on the center slip-spline, it also gives you some extra clearance under the differential (under the whole axle, actually). It also is more aesthetically pleasing as well.

Modified beams aren't without a few handling drawbacks however. What type of use are you planning on? Crawling? Jumping? Speeding through the desert? Mud? General trails? (like powerline/fire/logging trails?)

 

[odie1969]

Yeah Zimmerman did it the wrong way.
The beams are supposed to be modified by relocating the lower balljoint outward, not hacked in half between the pivot and the diff. Doing it at the balljoint not only lessens to some extent the added strain on the center slip-spline, it also gives you some extra clearance under the differential (under the whole axle, actually). It also is more aesthetically pleasing as well.

Modified beams aren't without a few handling drawbacks however. What type of use are you planning on? Crawling? Jumping? Speeding through the desert? Mud? General trails? (like powerline/fire/logging trails?)

I will be using my truck for just about everything from desert to snow. So I was thinking the wider front end might help.

 

[4x4junkie]

Desert use (going fast, jumping, etc.) is where modded beams really shine. Their clearance helps a lot in mud & snow too, so I'd say go for it if those are your primary intended uses.

Crawling (climbing while sidehilling especially) is where modded beams can potentially get you into some trouble though. With the pivot mounted up higher in the chassis, the tendency for the suspension to jack is increased. You also have much more narrowing of the track width when the suspension unloads while climbing a steep hill. For these uses I would recommend keeping the beams stock and instead use a good set of beefy drop brackets (such as Skyjacker's or James Duff's). Your axle being wider will to a small extent offset these drawbacks however.

 

[bubba33code]

Yeah Zimmerman did it the wrong way.
The beams are supposed to be modified by relocating the lower balljoint outward, not hacked in half between the pivot and the diff. Doing it at the balljoint not only lessens to some extent the added strain on the center slip-spline, it also gives you some extra clearance under the differential (under the whole axle, actually). It also is more aesthetically pleasing as well.

Modified beams aren't without a few handling drawbacks however. What type of use are you planning on? Crawling? Jumping? Speeding through the desert? Mud? General trails? (like powerline/fire/logging trails?)

If you do it that way, then isn't your 3rd u-joint put on an angle? I heard it's best to have it as flat as possible.