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Fixing the Fabritech SAS nightmare

33K views 166 replies 28 participants last post by  muffinman944 
#1 ·
Ok,
A few years ago, I got the bug to do a 12'' lift / SAS on my '90 bronco and bought the Fabritech kit. At that time it was the only kit I could find. Now it seems there are a few more options out there, maybe not all from one vendor, but each component seems to have at least a couple reputable vendors that you could assemble pretty much a bolt on kit yourself.
Now, the steering sucks, the brushings are cracked, stuffs coming loose...needless to say im dissapointed.
Im now building my bronco into something with more function (daily driver/mild off roading). my idea is to lower the lift to 6'', run 35s, and convert to 1 tons (D60/10.25). I know the axles are overkill, but it was cheaper than regearing the existing D44 and 9''.
So obviously the whole radius arm and bracket crap that is on there is going to be a problem, and I want a new steering set up.
So heres my question, given what Im wanting the car to do, and the problems I have with the kit...What would you reccommend for fixing this nightmare?
I like the Cage off road raduis arms, and ORU (expensive) and Stonecrusher offer complete steering setups. If I repalce my Fabritech radius arms and steering with these, can i keep the rest (pretty much coils and mounts from what I can tell).
My goal is to have something quality, reliable, and street functional (I have no welding/fab skills). Ill get some pics up for reference but in the mean time go for it. Thanks for the help!!!
 
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#51 ·
Thanks again... you probably got my reply to your message too.. said pretty much what he just said. Let me know what you get back from Cage. I don't think we all should have to cut our trac-bars due to a mistake on their end ya know? I'm pretty sure the bar is supposed to fit on 4'+ lifts, and it's not even coming close to fitting on my 9". Here's a pic:

 
#52 ·
Yeah, with my high steering kit, I was already looking at probably having to shorten it, now looks like Ill be shortening it even more. :shrug Not that shortening the bar is a big deal, but it kinda defeats the purpose of buying it pre-made from somebody else. Ill give cage a call and see what they say.
 
#53 ·
Hey everyone,
Just letting you all know that the project is still on....I ran into alot of difficulty getting my D60. On top of it all, Im moving to Tuscon, AZ day after tomorrow, so Ive pretty much been focusing on that. The D60 should be waiting for me up in Tuscon (fingers crossed) and then itll be time to hit it hard!! Ill post some new pics as soon as I get some progress....
 
#56 ·
Finally!!!!

Ok, I finally got settled in Tucson. Today is the first Ive been able to touch my truck. Basically, I got the rear off and the sterling cleaned up (no pics of the cleaned up version yet). The tiny tires were put on for towing and getting in the garage.

Heres the 9'' after it was pulled....
Itll be up for sale soon after I clean it up a bit (5.13 / Detroit True trac)


Heres the truck with no rear.....



and heres the sterling sitting in front soaked in degreaser waiting to take its place....

Tomorrow, I hope to get the frame painted and the sterling mounted. Then its time to tear down the front!:rockon
 
#58 ·
Wow, everything seemed to go wrong today....My new paint gun came broken out of the box, and everything I tried to do required some nut or socket that I magically didnt have. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day....
 
#59 ·
Well, today was basically an ass load of grinding and prep. I actually got a little done though.....

Heres everything in the rear cleaned up, primed, and ready for painting....




The only advise I have is invest in some good paint brushes, and wear pants when cleaning everything with a wire brush, hehehe.

More to follow!!!!:thumbup
 
#60 ·
You mean you didnt take the springs apart and prime each leaf separately? :twak

:toothless


If those are old springs then i would take this opportunity to change the center pins, even if theyre only a couple years old. Once mud gets in there, they start to rust fast.
 
#61 ·
na, painting them was for pure asthetics....however, I ran into a little snag (one of the backing plates is bent on my rear) so Ill probably break the whole thing down now that Ive got some time.
 
#62 ·
Well Ive been scrounging about trying to find a salvage back plate to replace my bent one. I finally found the right one and now the rear is bolted up.....


I went to work on the front and was able to pull the entire "kit" off as a whole......





After some grinding and banging, i got the buckets off.....


I was a little unsure when I read "move the buckets forward as far as they will go", but its pretty self explanitory here.......


So far, getting the buckets off is the one thing I never want to have to do again!!!
Its been VERY slow due to all the hold ups with the rear. Now that thats finished, things should start to pick up. More to follow....:rockon
 
#63 ·
There have been a lot of questions about why exactly this kit is so bad, so here are SOME of the major defects I have found....

First, the trac bar setup...

1. It was too short, so I ended up lengthening it. I realized this when the trac bar disconnected from the upper mount while I was coming out of a parking lot. Without it, the axle just moves left and right instead of steering, so I had to push thru 4 lanes of oncoming traffic and park on the median. this was clue 1 that I may have made a bad choice...Also, there aren't any joints, just bushings at the ends...

Fabritech trac bar end...


vs CAGE trac bar end....


Next is the radius arm and bracket design....

1. To "pre-set" your caster, they drop the radius arms from the mounting brackets to run pretty much parallel to the ground. Its about 8'' of bracket hanging off of your frame, with a large stabilizer bar running between them. This sucks for rock crawling or anything else that requires clearance in general.

2. Look how the radius arm connects to the mounting bracket. THERES NO JOINT!!! Theres just one bolt straight through with rubber bushings on each side. Imagine the wear and stress that occurs when you try to flex your suspension. This is what I was talking about when I said this kit wears out quickly. Go off roading for a little bit, and it will drive loosely, death wobble, and everything else until you replace it all. This is very unsafe, especially if you have to take the highway to and from your favorite trail.

Here's where the mounting bracket connects to the radius arm. You can see the lack of clearance, strength, and overall performance with this setup....


and here's a different pic of the kit as a whole....


I got this thing about 5 years ago when I was still in college. I wanted something quick and cheap....and I got what I paid for. I hope this helps some people make a more informed decision......

More soon on the CAGE setup!!:chili:
 
#72 ·
2. Look how the radius arm connects to the mounting bracket. THERES NO JOINT!!! Theres just one bolt straight through with rubber bushings on each side. Imagine the wear and stress that occurs when you try to flex your suspension. This is what I was talking about when I said this kit wears out quickly. Go off roading for a little bit, and it will drive loosely, death wobble, and everything else until you replace it all. This is very unsafe, especially if you have to take the highway to and from your favorite trail.
Thats the same setup used from the factory, and by most of the aftermarket radius arm companys (solid or TTB). It transmits less vibration than the heim joints. It actualy works fairly well, and if maintained with good quality bushings, lasts quite a wile. But for true performance, the heims on the Cage arms are far superior.
 
#73 ·
the cage arm setup is far superior because of the allowable movement from the heim, BUT it also has good damping due to 1) C bushings, and 2) bushings from back of C to Cage arm. So nothing is really transmitted from heim to frame since the damping occurs at the other end of the arm. I honestly don't expect any issues, or will likely not need any heim or bushing replacement for a long time.
 
#67 ·
yeah, I noticed that it would go a little further if I notched the lip in front of the last rivet. Ill go ahead and do that then, since I havent bolted the buckets on yet. Thanks!!:thumbup
 
#69 ·
Ok, made SOME progress today. The passenger side coil bucket was a BITCH, but I finally got it off. I notched the lip on the drivers side to allow the new coil buckets to slide forward a bit more, bot the buckets mocked up, painted the rest of the frame, and ground all the "extra" stuff off my D60.

Heres the drivers side bucket.....


and heres the passenger side. Its pushed all the way up to the rivet....


I also ground off all trac bar brackets and spring mounts and such off the axle. My 4.5'' grinder wasnt up to this task, so I ran to HF and grabbed a 9'' grinder....MUCH better:thumbup This thing sure would have made getting the old TTB buckets off!


Thats all, hopefully, I can get the axle fully cleaned up and get everything mocked up in the front.:rockon
 
#80 ·
Boy do I feel stupid!!! :doh0715: Guess Ill make sure the new arms go on the right way this time. Thanks for the pics:thumbup:thumbup
 
#83 ·
My turning radius wasnt too bad. My tires were 15.5 inches wide and only really rubbed when I was trying to make tight turns. There probably would have been minimal to no rubbing had they been on the right way.
 
#86 ·
Its been a while huh???:banghead

Aside from numerous things coming up, I decided to get some welding gear and explore that for a little bit.
Ive also been debating between going with 37''s or sticking with my current 35''s......probably going with 37''s. I havent run them, so NTW agreed to exchange them for whatever size I needed. Im figuring about 8'' total lift will be plenty to clear them, so 1/2''-1'' spacers under the lower coil mounts (I need something to make them level anyways) should do the trick.....either way, I should finally be able to get some work done this weekend.:thumbup
 
#88 ·
OK......now back to the build. Its been slow to say the least, but heres what I have....

Here is where everything sits right now.....

For reference purposes, I used 13 1/4'' from the rear pin to the rear of the bracket for the placement of my radius arm brackets (remember Ive got the newer C-channel versions). This puts the eye of the heim bolt right at 21 3/4'' from the rear pin, which I got from Bossind's and Daves bronc 90's SAS threads, which they got from Shadowfax (thats probably the most searching I have done for one single piece of onfo :toothless).

I also installed a few 1/4'' spacers for some extra lift. I went with plates over making one big block for adjust ability reasons.


An couple interesting things Ive discovered so far....

First, if you have an AOD, theres no need to mess with your crossmember (I unbolted it in my inaccurate anticipation of this).


Second is it seems I seem to have less space available for my driver's side radius arm mount than others do......

heres mine....


compared to a pic I pulled off of Dave's bronc 90's SAS thread...


Im assuming this is because I'm using a D60 off of a '97 :shrug. Even with a 3/4'' spacer under it, the coil cup is still hitting the knuckle side of the axle housing. Im thinking another 1/2'' of spacing will fix the problem, unless anyone can see another mehod (heck maybe I can fit 38's :uhoh3). I thought about turning the coil cups around so that the majority extends towards the diff instead, but I dont see how that's going to line up.
 
#89 ·
Ah. just noticed my C-channel mounts are on the wrong side (seems to be a trend here :rofl:). Ill post some updated pics in a little bit.:rockon
 
#91 ·
Yes, I am quoting myself....

Ok, I flipped the C-channel mounts around (running them what I like to call, "the right way" ;)), and added another 1/4'' spacer, giving me 1'' total spacing between the arm and the coil cup.....MUCH better!!!


I tacked all the 1/4'' plates together, but its mainly for the ease of bolting everything together. I really doubt this will make any difference strength wise.
Based on my second grade math, it looks like Ill be netting a little over 8'' with everything factored in (assuming Ill get another inch or so from the SAS). I recall Crazed ending up with an enormous amount of lift in the front and having to swap to shorter springs. With that in mind, I think I'm gonna just tack weld everything in place until I get the springs and tires mounted and I see where I stand. Also, as far as caster angle goes...after much research, I've concluded that 4*-7* is optimum. I think Ill be shooting for 5.5*. That way if my coils settle more or not as much as I'm anticipating, I'll still be in that range.
 
#90 ·
"I also installed a few 1/4'' spacers for some extra lift. I went with plates over making one big block for adjust ability reasons."

Don't like that idea. :itsatrap
 
#92 ·
Are you saying that litte 1/4'' blocks vs. one big one is bad, or just lifting up the coil cup in general is bad?

edit: I know that lifting up the coil cup is one of the lesser desirable ways of gaining lift, but in order to clear the knuckle side of the housing, Im not really sure if I have any other option.
 
#93 ·
If they are welded together, that certainly is the way to "do it". But, I don't like that much height off the axle. I'd like to see it kept to max 1/2" or so of wedge....yes wedge or whatever for the purpose of making sure the coil is aligned with the upper tower, and to make sure the cup is well supported (my wedge is wider than what you have under yours, more support for the cup). not for adding height.
 
#95 ·
I agree, it seems like Im balancing a fat man on a spear. My main reason is clearing the knuckle side of the housing, and I cant see accomplishing that without pushing up the coil buckets. I tried only going up 3/4'', but it was still too tight. I made the blocks 1-1/2'' wide, because after that width, the coil cup starts to curve. I recall you flattening out your coil cups is that correct and then using a wedge to align them to the upper coil buckets right? Im hesitant to flatten them out because Im not sure how well the lower coil retainer will fit (or did you flatten that out too?)
Im sure I could make them wider, but definitely not the width of the entire cup (due to the housing issue). Ill check your thread again and look at the pics.

I think it would be better to get a 1" block and weld it to the weld-on Cage piece... It seems like it would take away the stress on the bolts that those plates shifting could case... If it's only a question of finding 1" blocks of metal, I can pick you up a piece at the local scrap yard if you get me the dimensions for the cost of it and shipping. You'd probably be looking at around $15 for two... PM me with the dimensions if you'd like me to stop by at lunch and see if I can find something that matches.

Don

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Don,
Thank you very much for that offer!!!:beer Ive got a little more mild steel over here still, but I agree, welding them on to the mount is the best solution. At minimum I will be doing that.

At this stage, adding more support to the coil cup is an easy fix. Im pretty sure Im stuck at having to make it 1'' tall. Ill look at it some more and see how much wider I can go.
 
#94 ·
I think it would be better to get a 1" block and weld it to the weld-on Cage piece... It seems like it would take away the stress on the bolts that those plates shifting could case... If it's only a question of finding 1" blocks of metal, I can pick you up a piece at the local scrap yard if you get me the dimensions for the cost of it and shipping. You'd probably be looking at around $15 for two... PM me with the dimensions if you'd like me to stop by at lunch and see if I can find something that matches.

Don

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#96 ·
I just didn't like how the buckets sat on the cage C and stock C. So I flattened the bucket somewhat, and then took a grinder to the top of the mounting area of the C's (something Jopes had suggested to me). They sat much better after messing with this. I also added an extra little welded in holder on the cup for the coil, opposite side of where the retainer grabs the coil. Has worked great.
 
#97 ·
Well, the top of the weld on mount is pretty flat, and as far as I can tell the coil cups are pointing up pretty well.
by the way, I found this on one of your SAS threads. Do you have any other pics of the wedge you made to support your coil cup?
Here's a shot of the bowed side, and a shot of the "fixed" side:

it's clear to see here that the lower cup is not pointed directly at the upper tower. The energy handled in the coils is like electricity, and will follow the path of least resistance. since the coils are not aimed at the top tower, a bow in the middle is created. The top tower retainers also are not real secure. Under compression the added energy has an easy escape, squirt the coil out toward the side and avoid most of the work of handling the compressing weight.

Hopefully this will cure the problem. The coils are pretty close to the upper coil tower frame mounting bolts though.
I figure I could make a bigger plate that covers pretty much everything except the area where there is that big bulge downward, which would support it pretty well, I think.
 
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