TC Gen 1 Caddy kit, convert to coilover?

[philofab]

I just picked up a 94 regular cab 4wd 22RE with a Gen 1 Caddy kit. Still uses the upper arm torsion bar. It seems really stiff and I'm not sure if it's the bar or shocks. I haven't pulled the shocks apart yet to see what valving they have but I will be soon as they are leaking / neglected.

Does anyone have experience with spring rates or ride differences between both? Will the lower balljoint handle holding the truck up?

Appears to have a 10" SAW 2.5 up front with a uniball welded to the shaft to make it shorter. I'm pretty sure I still have a set of SAW 8" 2.5s with coil hardware in my container I could swap onto it. It's not a high speed truck so I'd rather have a cushy ride vs what it is now.

 

[philofab]

 

[4XForOffroad]

@Camper shell fun would I think

 

[SaltyMethods]

I swapped from Swayaway torsions to coilovers. Definitely smoothed out the ride. Did the hoop with 2.5 coilovers and bypasses. Blew out my stock lower ball joint and then upgraded to Total Chaos lower uniball. So ya... I would do all of that if you want a better ride and reduce the chances of your BJ blowing out on the trail.

 

[philofab]

I swapped from Swayaway torsions to coilovers. Definitely smoothed out the ride. Did the hoop with 2.5 coilovers and bypasses. Blew out my stock lower ball joint and then upgraded to Total Chaos lower uniball. So ya... I would do all of that if you want a better ride and reduce the chances of your BJ blowing out on the trail.

What spring rates did you go with? Single or dual rate? 22RE or V6?

Looks like I need to make a new longer tab to get the lower shock mount away from the axle. A +3 rod end may work too. It appears the 2.5 is hitting the axle at full bump right now.

 

[desert_steve]

I saw a dude running 8" SAW C/Os on a gen 1 kit. IIRC he moved the shock mount as far forward on the arms as he could and ran longer rod ends too (for axle clearance). But its been 10+ yrs since Ive seen that truck, so I could be remembering wrong.

That said, I went from a Gen1 caddy kit to their boxed lower arm C/O kit and there was a negligible difference in the "ride quality" IMO. I only did it because I wanted to get rid of the torsions as I was afraid I'd break a torsion socket in the middle of nowhere and be screwed (it was a good justification in my mind at the time). I kept the same bypass from the Gen1 kit and just added a C/O as a coil carrier basically. Single 16" 600lb spring, V6.

 

[SaltyMethods]

What spring rates did you go with? Single or dual rate? 22RE or V6?

Looks like I need to make a new longer tab to get the lower shock mount away from the axle. A +3 rod end may work too. It appears the 2.5 is hitting the axle at full bump right now.

JD Fab recommends a 600lbs single spring and I ran that initially but I wanted to do what I could to soften up my front end. So I was able finagle dual springs. It's tight running dual spring with only an 8" shock and probably not recommended by most. I believe a ran a 4" 500lbs main spring and like a 4" 400lbs spring. Don't quote me on that though. I'll have to look again and I'll report back.

V6 3.4L

If you can run a 10" shock on there, I would try to keep it. Those 8"s run out pretty quick on the bigger bumps.