You know anything bout cantilevers and coilovers???

This is kinda off the wall and I don't know if anyone has personal experience with this but maybe someone has enough knowledge on the subject to help me think this out.... I'm backhalfing my mazda b2600. I'm using a 300zx IRS and I want to do a cantilever setup. And I really like the look of coilover shocks. I was tryin to think of how i could do this and have them not restrict my lift/drop ammount. So question 1 is about how much range do coilovers get compared to a similar sized regular shock??

I was lookin at Mike Alexanders (i think) rear setup on his truck (in the pic), and it looks like his truck lifts by pushing the coilovers down and the coilover is actually on of the "bars" of the cantilever, not just a shock. So coul I do something similar to this??? For example, if my canti arm pivots in the middle, the bag pushes up on one side and the other side is attached to a coilover that pushes down on the IRS to lift the truck. Would that work?? And what kind of coilovers would I need?? I was lookin on ebay and they have different weight ratings on some. 200, 250, and 300 pound coilovers. Would I need like the 300 lb ones???

I just don't know anything about coilovers so really any insight would help. Thanks!!!

Josh

Hey man hit up Twisted Minis on here (little Blue truck) or go to (god forgive me for sending there) Streetsourcemag.com and hit up the Ask Max forum. Or even PM Max. He is a friggin genius on these things.

Sounds like its a no go, wish they made simulated coilovers where it was jus a shock and the coil was so soft that it served no purpse

i dont see how these are gonna be effective. in order for the coilovers to be work, the weight of the truck will have to be on them but the weight will also be on the bags. when you hit a bump, the bags are gonna give first before the coilovers react. unless the bags are locked out, the coilovers are just there as pretty ass push rods.

If that where the case, your idea wouldn't work. The bag would inflate, and compress the shock, and your truck wouldn't lift up. When it got to the point where the shock could work as a link between the suspension components the force would destroy the shock body, or the bushings at least.

Just do it like this.

That is beautiful. I really like the formed rails and the look of the fabricated canteliever arms. I just don't understand the concept. IMO suspension should be simple and functional. I think some like the "Goldberg device" look, which is fine if you are trying to make a name for yourself as a shop. Personally I would rather put the extra money into chrome or paint or sound or performance items or or or. (Of course my mantra is K.I.S.S. Keep it stupid simple. )

This set up seems like it would be rather soft in ride because of all of the mechanical advantage on the bag. Also, since there are no shocks on the bag side of the arm I don't believe that there is any rear dampening at all. This setup would make more sence to me if the bag were replaced with a hydro cylinder or an electric actuator ( both solidly mounted with heims or bushings) That way, the suspension would have the same spring rate at all ride heights and the rear would have the dampening of the coilover. I still think it is beautiful work, just not properly engineered.

^ I agree. But thats what you get from the Choppin' Block. Work looks killer, but IMO not always as well engineered as it should be. But still always beautiful work.

I agree about Goldberg Devices. But I like them if they are well engineered. I'd like to build one of my own design someday. But it would still be a simple one, just working with a bell crank or something.

Thats like I was sayin! A bag on one side and coilover on the other! So it does work?? I don't care if its high performance or if it performs anywhere near what coilovers can do or whatever. I jus want it to look nice and cool and have some advantage of absorbing shocks.

And what i was sayin bout the "simulated" coilovers, I would use those as a shock, not as a lift bar for the cantilever

dont hate what you dont understand