by turnturn » Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:45 pm
rcolijn, don't get "raised suspension" confused with extra flex you are seeking, this is not always the case.
Like Geeves has touched on, you can actually lose flex (articulation) if you raise your front suspension to the extent that you lose compression (upward travel of the wheel assembly).
I bought a Mu that had -
- 33" tyres
- wound up front end
- extended rear shackles
- reset rear springs with an extra leaf fitted
- 40mm body lift (not really relevant to this topic)
I ended up removing most of these things (didn't want to certify it at this time) and ended up getting further up my home made wheel travel ramp! The things that had compromised it's flexibility (articulation) had been the wound up torsion bars and the extra leaf added to the spring pack.
Unless you specifically require extra ground clearance my thinking has always been to fit good tyres, good shocks (your Rancho's are fine) and any traction aids you can afford (LSD, Air-locker etc). As soon as you start raising things too much you start to get the handling of a boat (you mentioned that most of your driving is on the road).