[poncho62]

Originally Posted by deadbodyman

A 4x4 is actually 3 1/2' x 3 1/2" some people shouldnt be messing around with cutting tools and tape measures anyway

Depends if it is rough cut or finished cut..........Lots of barn builders use rough cut.

[deadbodyman]

LOL ,true enough...

[rusty duck]

As a guy who does lots of woodworking I am aware of the dimensions of the lumber yard bought 4x4. With a table saw there are lots of ways to make real 4"x4" blocks. I think they will suffice and 2" dropped spindles will spare the large expense of airbags. Good shocks, and healthy IFS will provide a nice ride.
Thanks for the tips though.

[1971BB427]

One problem with a set clearance to any obstruction is where that lowest point is. If it's inline with the front or rear wheels it will rarely cause an issue, but if the lowest point is halfway between front and rear wheels it will be a constant problem. As will a low point that is close to the front or rear bumpers. The farther you get from the wheels, the more likely the low point will scrape.

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by deadbodyman

A 4x4 is actually 3 1/2' x 3 1/2" some people shouldnt be messing around with cutting tools and tape measures anyway.
4" is a good (what we call ) ride hight. and there is no better ride than a car on air bags..plain and simple

You are correct, but when I chose that piece of 4x4, many years ago, 4x4's measured 4x4 and 2x4's measured 2x4. Younguns may not know that there was a time in this country when everything actually was what it was supposed to be.

[lakeroadster]

A lot of fellas don't care about scrub line issues, but since it is being discussed, consider this:

The 4 x 4 method doesn't take into account tire sidewall height. Let's say your rear shock brackets are the lowest part of the rear suspension and they are 3-1/2" off the ground and are mounted close to the tires. Let's also say you have a 5" tall sidewall on your rear tires. If your rear tire goes flat your shock brackets are now plowing into the asphalt.

The air bag anology of "adding more air" is a faulted one... what if you loose an air line?

To be safe the other scenario you have to look at is to assume the vehicle is sitting on the snubbers on all four corners, assuming the vehicle even has suspension stubbers.

Study the scrub line photos Sedanbob linked to, I attached them to this post also. They help to define what the issues can be.

Hope this helps.

[rusty duck]

I'm getting a real education from you guys and I appreciate it. I'll make those measurements in the pictures tomorrow and see what I get. I feel pretty good about how mine sits, safety-wise, but just to be sure I'll take these extra steps.

[bentwings]

4 inches minimum seems like a good number.

I hit a dead racoon and wiped out my air dam which is 2 inches and it missed the front crossmember at 4 inches.