Granite's Currie suspension upgrade

[Granite]

Well it’s been hard to make time to finish this with summer wrapping up and fall activities starting for the whole family. It’s frustrating being so close!

But I made some time today. I reconnected the diff hoses & connector, securing those to the pumpkin and new control arm so they wouldn’t bind, pinch or pull free. Re-torqued the track bar nut and gave it a fresh cotter pin. Somehow my pitman arm needed one too! Oops.

I did a little axle cycling; not as much as I had in mind, but it’s hard to do much more with the tools/jacks I have. It all looks good though. At ride height I have 4.25” of bump stop gap, 5” of shock up-travel and a good 9.5” from tire to fender. Brake lines are plenty long. I won’t be rock crawling or even disconnecting the sway bars much so I’m calling it good!

She’s back in all fours for the first time in months! Next up:

• Hook up the sway QDs
• Check and adjust steering straightness
• Check and adjust axle straightness
• Check axle position (track bar) and hope I can get by without an adjustable for now.
• Check and adjust toe in
• Check pinion angle; adjust CAs as necessary.
• Anti-seize CA threads. Torque lock nuts.
• Grease all zerks.

Then I need to get it inspected before I can spend much time on the road, but I can test drive it here on the property. Looking forward to that!
I hope to enjoy it for a couple months before putting it away for winter to do the rear end.

 

[Granite]

Kind of a redneck way to check axle straightness but it should work in theory. I used a washer and fishing line as a plumb bob from consistent points on the frame and the axle to the floor, marked the lines in chalk, to create what should be equal measurements on both side, unless the axle is tilted.
I got 34 3/8” passenger side and 34 1/2” driver side so I’m calling it good!

 

[Granite]

Same idea checking toe-in: plumb bob hanging off consistent points on the front and back of the tire, measuring front to front and rear to rear. I get about 1/4-3/8” of toe in. That sounds pretty good for nominal 33s (285/75/r16). Opinions seem to vary on toe settings … I’m going to drive it and see but feel free to post your opinion on what my toe in should be!

 

[Granite]

I took a little test drive and all in all it feels really good. I did get a clang over one bump that I suspect is my front driveshaft hitting the exhaust. That used to happen while turning but now it seems I can go full lock in both directions without contact. Just that one bump caused what I suspect is contact here. I’ll need to see if it’s worth messing with pinion angle or creating clearance some other way.