Drop boxes or caster bushes

[B rad]

I have found a couple local suspension places able and willing to do me a 4'' lift
one guy is telling me around 2000 to use caster bushes with his set up and the other high 2s to 3 to use drop boxes they both basically wrote each other off and tried to push there method.not helpful at all when iam unexperienced in this field. Throw you honest opinions at me please as thats why im here to listen to those speaking from experience. Cheers :049:

[Bloodyaussie]

I have castor bushes but am looking at drop boxes as I think they make more sense.. its one thing to have the caster correction done but where it bolts into the chassis is on a greater angle and must wear the bushes there so much quicker??!!

[MudRunnerTD]

Drop Boxes for sure. the Nissan Rubber radius arm bushes are great and should be kept at all costs. the caster correction bushes are nowhere near as good.

You can buy Drop Boxes off ebay for $280 and they are a straight bolt in. there should be no more than $150 difference between bushes v drop boxes. ask the cheaper guy for a price if you provide the boxes and i will get you a link to what i use in BOTH Cars.

Here is the link

NISSAN-PATROL-GQ-GU-FORD-MAVERICK-DROP-BOXES-3-6-INCH (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NISSAN-PATROL-GQ-GU-FORD-MAVERICK-DROP-BOXES-3-6-INCH-/151119857093?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item232f7205c5&_uhb=1)

[@GUte]

Caster bushes are a shocking thing really. A cheap remedy to correct your caster angle. The bush is the thinnest where you need it most. They change the centreline angle not ideal from the arm pivot to your diff. The new angle that the suspension has to travel up when hitting a bump isn't ideal and the rear bush takes alot of this shock.

Boxes help keep your arms at the correct angle and you keep your oem bushes at the diff for a more natural movement.

[Thirsty]

I agree with all that drop boxes are the way to go but from memory they are not legal. In QLD anyway. Something to think about when dealing with insurance if the event ever come about.

[Drewboyaus]

I have castor bushes but am looking at drop boxes as I think they make more sense.. its one thing to have the caster correction done but where it bolts into the chassis is on a greater angle and must wear the bushes there so much quicker??!!

How come you have castor correction bushes? I thought you were only running a 2 inch lift....,,

[sil3nt_dr3ams]

I run a 4 inch lift kit and castor correction bushes, I have no problems. I would love to be running drop boxes but police here are onto them.

[Dave n xanths gu]

I have 4 inch lift and am using superior castor correction plates as provided in the kit... I have done some research and I am changing to superior radius arms... Bushes shag out... Drop boxes are unnecessary... Plates suck ass... Please correct me if I am wrong because I was going the drop boxes until I was recently convinced to change arms... Trucks goin in on wed...

[@GUte]

Drop boxes help keep the natural line of your arms.

These are the ticket -

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=31_32_34_194&products_id=20309

[MudRunnerTD]

I have 4 inch lift and am using superior castor correction plates as provided in the kit... I have done some research and I am changing to superior radius arms... Bushes shag out... Drop boxes are unnecessary... Plates suck ass... Please correct me if I am wrong because I was going the drop boxes until I was recently convinced to change arms... Trucks goin in on wed...

The idea of the drop boxes is to drop the rear mount of the radius arm down to cope with the lift and still retain basically a Level radius arm so on compression it is already at the correct position of its arc of movement. With caster correction bushes the radius arms are pointing down still and on compression the diff actually has to move Forward in the arc as it travels up. This is terrible for bushes, bearings and pretty well everything else too, causes over steer a d can be terrible.

So your options are to retain the functioning factory Radius Arms with genuine rubber bushes, drop the rear mount using drop boxes and happy days. The Only Down side is that the drop boxes hang down and some might suggest that they get hung up on stuff? I am here to tell you I play pretty hard and can't think of a single time that I have been hung up on my drop boxes.

So the other option is manufactured drop arms. Very nice hit of kit indeed. Effectively they are designed to achieve that flat radius arm from the factory mount by increasing the drop of the front half of the arm. Nice but Very expensive. If you have the cash then happy days.

But for what it is worth mate Caster Plates are Junk. There is simply No Comparison between drop Boxes and Caster plates. The flex sideway and are rubbish.

There is nothing wrong with drop boxes. It depends who is selling to you and how much they think they can get you to spend

IMO

Cheers MR

[@GUte]

"Effectively they are designed to achieve that flat radius arm from the factory mount by increasing the drop of the front half of the arm."

MR, they will still retain the same geometry as factory arms with correction bushes regardless of how you design the arm. You have to drop the rear. The main benefit of those arms is that you retain the OEM bush.

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=31_32_34_194&products_id=19954

These arms that use the drop box help keep the line to factory depending on lift.

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=31_32_34_194&products_id=20308

Al.

[Bloodyaussie]

So B rad did you get your answer you were after???????

I will be saving for drop boxes for many reasons already covered... I feel the best option for me.. I will thank you guys for your input!!!

[megatexture]

"Effectively they are designed to achieve that flat radius arm from the factory mount by increasing the drop of the front half of the arm."

MR, they will still retain the same geometry as factory arms with correction bushes regardless of how you design the arm. You have to drop the rear. The main benefit of those arms is that you retain the OEM bush.

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=31_32_34_194&products_id=19954

These arms that use the drop box help keep the line to factory depending on lift.

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=31_32_34_194&products_id=20308

Al.
These would be the go getting rid of the stock chassis bushes for a more suited less restrictive bush but alot more coin if your on a budget

[4WD DUDE]

Do you need to worry about this if all you want is a 2" lift?

[@GUte]

These would be the go getting rid of the stock chassis bushes for a more suited less restrictive bush but alot more coin if your on a budget

Yeah they are the go.


Do you need to worry about this if all you want is a 2" lift?

Occasionally some vehicles don't need caster correction. If you need correction, your best going the drop box route.

[Drewboyaus]

So someone (can't remember who) mentioned earlier in this thread that there was some question on the "legality" of drop boxes.
Thoughts, comments from those qualified?

[BigRAWesty]

So someone (can't remember who) mentioned earlier in this thread that there was some question on the "legality" of drop boxes.
Thoughts, comments from those qualified?

Illegal unless engineered.. It's a chassis and suspension mod outside of the legal acceptable changes made by law..

But there sorta like light bars. People take the risk as its not a huge thing to change back..

[boots]

Do you need to worry about this if all you want is a 2" lift?

No not necessary

[Robo]

No not necessary

I disagree, our Mav simply had to have correction.
Steering in the wet was totally dangerous without correction.
Oversteer was very evident even in the dry.

Every vehicle is different, get an alignment report printout and check off angles against std settings.
and remedy to suit. m2cw

[DSzuke]

Every vehicle is different, get an alignment report printout and check off angles against std settings.
and remedy to suit. m2cw


I have a question on this too...

I am about to throw some 2" springs and shocks in mine.

Should I go and get a check of the current castor angle so they can compare them after the lift?

Can I expect the local Bob Jane to know the factory specs for a GU or are they somewhere in the bible here?

[MudRunnerTD]

I have a question on this too...

I am about to throw some 2" springs and shocks in mine.

Should I go and get a check of the current castor angle so they can compare them after the lift?

Can I expect the local Bob Jane to know the factory specs for a GU or are they somewhere in the bible here?

Bob Jane will know the factory settings. Don't bother until after the lift and make a decision then.