Rear suspension for lifted EA81??

[Blue84Hatch]

I put a 4 inch lift on my 84 EA81 hatch. The rear suspension has been converted to accept coilover struts. I had some that came with the lift but one broke the first day I got the hatch back on the road. I hit a bump in a wash and the strut top broke in half (it was plastic). I am looking for some stronger brand name long coil over struts that I can use. What does everyone else use for the rear suspension on the EA81s with the torsion bar setup and a lift? I have heard if you just get longer shocks the bind and break due to the lift. Anyone have any ideas that could help me out???

[Mike W]

If you're going to toss the coil overs and use just the torsion bar for spring, shocked spec'd for a Toyota FJ Landcruiser will work with a 4" lift. These shocks will allow more downtravel than the stock axles can take and they'll hyperexend sooner or later. The fix to that is installing the longer cups from the later EA82 style axles. That will give the axles an extra inch or so of stretch and should fix the hyperextension issue.

[TomRhere]

Can't recall who it was that posted it, but someone posted that the rear shocks from a Chevy Chevelle are 4" longer and a direct bolt on to the EA-81s. Sorry, don't recall what year either, maybe doing a search will turn up the info.

[Blue84Hatch]

I bought some Rancho RS5185. They are the type of shocks that have to have springs to work though. I threw them on my hatch with the torsion bar setup and when I dropped it off the jack the shocks compressed completely. Very bumpy ride to say the least. They didn't last a day. hahaha. Anyway I knew they wouldn't.

 

So yesterday I got so 1970 Chevelle shocks. The are gas charged so they push back, un-like the rancho shock absorbers which are more like struts. These work great and hold the rear up a little. I have prenty of downward travel and plenty of upward travel.

The back suspension works great for now.