Trailhunter Build: Lift & Tires Are On! Westcott front preload collar lift, OME rear spring, 35x12.5x18 Baja Boss AT tires

[Unit38]

Not necessarily true. You get lift adjustment by changing preload, but uncompressed length of the shock, spring rate, and preload are all factors that go into setting the nominal lift height. A lot of aftermarket shocks I’ve looked at have a longer uncompressed length than the OEM units.

Yes, but on the trailhunter your starting off with OME (ARB) MT64 shocks, not the standard 4runner shock, they already have more travel then OEM.

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[Unit38]

Nice! We just got back from the Ozarks. It’s kinda fun opening OnX, looking at an area and then heading out. The TH has handled everything great, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

 

[3rdRunner]

That’s a great setup! What trailer is that…my wife has started showing me pics of friends in CO with a similar setup. I can take a hint…lol

 

[Macaque]

Yes, but on the trailhunter your starting off with OME (ARB) MT64 shocks, not the standard 4runner shock, they already have more travel then OEM.

And your point is?

 

[IRFAN0922]

I don’t think you fully understand how springs work and/or are misusing the term stiffness.

The force in an “ideal” spring is:

Force (lbs) = spring constant (lbs/inch) * displacement (inches)

“Stiffness” has a very literal meaning - it is referring to the value of the spring constant

When the truck is sitting still the force is constant, meaning that it doesn’t change. The force in the spring is just what’s required to support the truck. With linear springs the spring constant is also constant, meaning it doesn’t change with compression or extension of the spring.

Displacement refers to how compressed or extended the spring is relative to its free length - the length it has with no force on it just sitting on a table or whatever.

So if the weight of the truck is a fixed value, and the spring constant is a fixed value, then the displacement is a fixed value.

What adding preload does is add in some of this displacement to the spring when the shock is fully extended and the weight of the truck isn’t on it. Then when you add the weight of the truck it doesn’t have to compress as far to hit that fixed displacement value we talked about earlier. The result is the truck sits higher in the travel of the shock and is lifted.

When you do that the spring constant, the literal definition of stiffness, does not change.

There are plenty of other reasons not to use a collar lift, but stiffness isn’t one of them. Ride quality can definitely be impacted but it’s not stiffness that’s creating the impact.

Thanks for the detail .

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