Thoughts on Metaltech Long Travel kit?

[ianf5]

Hey guys, I'm looking to take my rig to the next level and the mt long travel caught my eye. I was just looking for anyone's tips/ experiences with the kit. I have heard about it having very bad up travel making it bottom out frequently, is this completely true? Also, are there any other options to gain articulation in the rear? I've heard Superflex coils but I am unsure about how much those really give.


Thanks,
ianf5

 

[Brian3676]

Hey guys, I'm looking to take my rig to the next level and the mt long travel caught my eye. I was just looking for anyone's tips/ experiences with the kit. I have heard about it having very bad up travel making it bottom out frequently, is this completely true? Also, are there any other options to gain articulation in the rear? I've heard Superflex coils but I am unsure about how much those really give.


Thanks,
ianf5

I pieced my long travel together. I did MT Radflo 2.5" long travel shocks, valved slightly softer though. Dobsons 577v long travel springs, MT bump stops, MT lower links. I choose ReszFab upper link because they offset it, as where MT does not. I read a few things about upper links hitting the gas tank at full flex. The ReszFab ones do not. I also got a ReszFab panhard bar, but that's only because they gave me a killer deal on it, it's not necessarily needed. I dont recall what brake lines I got, I think they are Wheelers from a black Friday deal.

All works well. Rides awesome. I have not fully flexed it yet, but have not bottomed it out from what I have done yet.

You wont get any more flex from just springs. The shocks limit your travel. Without different shocks you can change the ride all you want, but without shocks you wont change your travel.

Talk to Josh at Apex Overland. Great guy/vendor to deal with. I got everything except my ReszFab stuff from him.

 

[ianf5]

I pieced my long travel together. I did MT Radflo 2.5" long travel shocks, valved slightly softer though. Dobsons 577v long travel springs, MT bump stops, MT lower links. I choose ReszFab upper link because they offset it, as where MT does not. I read a few things about upper links hitting the gas tank at full flex. The ReszFab ones do not. I also got a ReszFab panhard bar, but that's only because they gave me a killer deal on it, it's not necessarily needed. I dont recall what brake lines I got, I think they are Wheelers from a black Friday deal.

All works well. Rides awesome. I have not fully flexed it yet, but have not bottomed it out from what I have done yet.

You wont get any more flex from just springs. The shocks limit your travel. Without different shocks you can change the ride all you want, but without shocks you wont change your travel.


Talk to Josh at Apex Overland. Great guy/vendor to deal with. I got everything except my ReszFab stuff from him.

Thanks for the info. Is there a reason you went for the Dobinson coils over the MT coils?

 

[Brian3676]

MT springs were out of stock at the time, and Dobsons were slightly cheaper. Another benefit is that I got the lift I wanted but with the lower spring rate. The MT springs to get the height I wanted I would have to go with there heavy spring.

Now that MT has there Gen 2 springs though, I would likely have choose them. I like that the gen 2 has a driver side with 3% higher rate. With the Dobsons I had to put a 1/2" spacer in to get it to sit level. There gen 2 also has the height I would wanted with a nice rate, as where the first gen did not.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Dobinson and Metaltech dual rate coils seem to be popular on this forum, and I have no complaints with my MT heavy coils even when I was mostly stock weight in the rear. You will need a long coil for the MT LT setup so it doesn't fall out a full droop.

If you are playing fast in the desert all the time I wouldn't think the MT LT setup would be the best, but for rock crawling it does well. Getting 3" rear lift springs will help gain you some more up-travel. Keep in mind if you aren't getting offset upper and lower links with more flexible joints and removing the rear sway bar, it may not be a huge benefit over standard length Icon or King shocks. I can get quite a bit of down travel with my standard length Icon rear end with all stock links. Good enough for me anyway.

 

[ianf5]

Dobinson and Metaltech dual rate coils seem to be popular on this forum, and I have no complaints with my MT heavy coils even when I was mostly stock weight in the rear. You will need a long coil for the MT LT setup so it doesn't fall out a full droop.

If you are playing fast in the desert all the time I wouldn't think the MT LT setup would be the best, but for rock crawling it does well. Getting 3" rear lift springs will help gain you some more up-travel. Keep in mind if you aren't getting offset upper and lower links with more flexible joints and removing the rear sway bar, it may not be a huge benefit over standard length Icon or King shocks. I can get quite a bit of down travel with my standard length Icon rear end with all stock links. Good enough for me anyway.

Interesting. So you just used the mt coils with a standard length shock? Did you extend the brake lines or bump stops? Also, do you have a picture of the flex on your setup? I will be mainly rock crawling so there are no worries about high-speed offroad applications.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Interesting. So you just used the mt coils with a standard length shock? Did you extend the brake lines or bump stops? Also, do you have a picture of the flex on your setup? I will be mainly rock crawling so there are no worries about high-speed offroad applications.

Yes, 'LT' coils will work just fine with a standard shock. I have no extensions, just coils, standard length Icon shocks, removed sway bar. Keep in mind I have a 1.5" body lift which will make my flex look larger, but 35" tires which makes it look smaller compared to say a 33".

If you're going to buy upper/lower links anyway and potentially remove your rear sway bar, MT LT is a great option. But you can basically bolt on the standard length shocks and get good travel from them as well. I don't think my rear tires see air too much and if they do it's because I'm dinking around on an RTI ramp or took a bad line on a weird obstacle.

Tire is just off the ground in this first picture but completely tucked on the other side and probably on the stock bump stop.

 

[ianf5]

Yes, 'LT' coils will work just fine with a standard shock. I have no extensions, just coils, standard length Icon shocks, removed sway bar. Keep in mind I have a 1.5" body lift which will make my flex look larger, but 35" tires which makes it look smaller compared to say a 33".

If you're going to buy upper/lower links anyway and potentially remove your rear sway bar, MT LT is a great option. But you can basically bolt on the standard length shocks and get good travel from them as well. I don't think my rear tires see air too much and if they do it's because I'm dinking around on an RTI ramp or took a bad line on a weird obstacle.

Tire is just off the ground in this first picture but completely tucked on the other side and probably on the stock bump stop.

So if I were to do extended shocks and the coils with the bump stops/brake lines and no rear sway bar, but did not do the links, would I be gaining anymore flex than what you have?

 

[ianf5]

As of now I'm getting about 12in at full flex between my 33 and the middle of my wheel well

 

[Inv4drZm]

So if I were to do extended shocks and the coils with the bump stops/brake lines and no rear sway bar, but did not do the links, would I be gaining anymore flex than what you have?

Yes you would but you could get more with the links.

 

[ianf5]

Yes you would but you could get more with the links.

but without the links would it be not worth having extended shocks?

 

[Inv4drZm]

but without the links would it be not worth having extended shocks?

From what I've heard the LT setup does nicely in the rocks, and most of the people running it have aftermarket lower links if not both lower and upper links. Added strength (easy to bend the stock links in the rocks) and easier flex, I've heard more flex as well but I'll let others chime in on that. The stock bushings may not last as long with the LT.

From the measurements I have, you give up 2.5" of uptravel at the shock for like 4" of droop.

For the obstacles I do, without a rear locker, my setup is fine. Simple and cheap. However I would be getting the MT LT setup if I wasn't more interested in doing something custom with a new upgraded rear axle.