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Charisma.

slow240 said:
I've wanted to do a long travel setup in the front for a while now, but I never could figure out where the rear pivot points would go. Front pivot is easy, you could even use the stock Kmember with some modifications. But those rear bushings that you've been fighting with, I never could come up with a design for it.

Unless you went with a 7/9 style control arm with a stay rod, but even then, the pivot point has to be on the same plane as the front.

Idk, if someone figures it out it'll be you lol
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Seems to me like you either keep factory control arm mounting points and shoot for 11-13" (edit: more like 10") of wheel travel with a McPherson strut. Or get silly with some tubing and double A arms for 15-20" travel. Being budget limited and attempting to keep my goals realistic im leaning towards staying McPherson. I think 14-18" (edit: more like 10-12) of rear wheel travel is attainable and more than that will become difficult without just continuing to increase ride height. I think 12ish up front and 16ish out back sounds good.

For the front, i found a long travel strut for the rear of a Subaru forester made by hot bits with 305mm of travel. JohnV made some 240 steering knuckles with a billet machined insert to adapt to a modern strut assembly, so thats not unrealistic. I need to take a lot of measurements and check for limiting factors such as ball joint, and tie rods. Control arms will need to be longer.

Im not expecting the rear to be difficult but i have not looked into what that kind of travel will do to the driveshaft/pinion angle.

Probably going to run a 215/75/15

John V bits, i could copy this idea to run a suby forester strut.
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Hot Bits 305mm travel strut for the rear of a suby forester, they build to order and will custom valve. They have a single adjust and a double adjustable option. Still need to contact them and see what all the options are.
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Still just spit balling at this point... Opinions?

EDIT: emailing hot bits, a 305mm stroke strut is 811mm long. Thats like 7" longer than stock. Most lifted guys are going 3" longer and control arm angle at full droop is already getting extreme. I would have to change the angle that the ball joint mounts to the control arm and probably extend the control arms atleast 2.5" over factory. Not to mention the ride height and control arm angle at ride height would be concerning... Hmmmmmm 12" travel with a strut and factory control arm mounting locations may not be possible after all.

EDIT: I could cut the top of the strut tower out and raise the upper strut mount out the hood. Then there is maintaining tire clearance at full compression.
 
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Bought one of those aliexpress shifters. Thing is a piece of ****. The revers lockout collar is not even remotely concentric was binding on the stop at the bottom. The hole tapped in the top of the shift rod was not deep enough for the bolt they put in it allowing the shift knob to move freely. The ball pivot is not a ball it’s more like an oval and with the supplied brass bushings would bind horribly when shifting into anything other than 3rd. The shaft is straight and would require a bend to even work. They chose to use a different size pivot ball so I can’t even use the brass/bronze bushings with the stock shifter. Ended up just hacking the shaft off the China shifter and welding it onto the stock shifter and then extending below the pivot point with some 1/2” rod. After correcting the screw length as well as removing material from the lockout shaft to prevent binding, it looks good and feels good.

You get what you pay for?
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I am having JRZ build some struts for me right now with factory housing length but with 235mm of travel. Getting them valved for gravel / offroad.

food for thought
 
i think i still have the one you made like twelve years ago if you'd rather have that.
 
Been daily driving this 2012 TDI A3 for a year now. Charisma gets driven almost every weekend. Ignition switch is going out, fuel pump doesn't always prime/stay on. Other than that, I keep putting gas in it and changing the oil and it keeps running. I have done zero preventative maintenance.
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Jerd said:
Been daily driving this 2012 TDI A3 for a year now. Charisma gets driven almost every weekend. Ignition switch is going out, fuel pump doesn't always prime/stay on. Other than that, I keep putting gas in it and changing the oil and it keeps running. I have done zero preventative maintenance.
PaOkp55.jpg
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My wagon still runs...
 
Finally made a skid plate. 1/4" aluminum plate on a .095wall 1x1 steel frame.
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Oh and some new mud flaps from a $9 semi truck flap i picked up at a local place.
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