If you are an avid participant in rally raids like the Dakar Rally or driver of an off-road vehicle like the ATV, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro, or a Unimog, you might be familiar with the term long-travel suspension.
In this post, you will learn what suspension travel is, the types of suspension kits, and their differences. As the title says, we will be telling you if the long travel suspension is the right choice for you, so make sure to read till the end.
What Is Suspension Travel
Suspension travel refers to how much a wheel moves up and down over rough terrain. It can also be said to be the distance your vehicle’s suspension can move up and down. A source called it: “A fancy term manufacturers use to make you think they invented something extraordinary and make your wallet cry after unnecessary upgrades”.Suspension travel is measured in inches.
Travel numbers are often used as an indicator of suspension performance, so auto manufacturers and aftermarket suspension companies are always boasting about how much travel you can gain by buying their products.
Travel By Long Suspension? What Is It?
Long travel suspension is a type of vehicle suspension often used in off-road racing. Vehicles such as dune buggies, Baja racers, mountain bikes, and rock crawlers use it to dampen the effects of rough, off-road driving conditions.
Some enthusiasts will argue that the kit is only called long travel if the upper mounting position of the shock has been moved up to allow for longer shocks. Others say as long as it’s got wider control arms and thus a wider track width, it’s considered long travel. But one thing is certain; Long travel kits are at the upper end of suspension modification, and the last stop for bolt-on performance parts.
Importance Of Long Travel Suspension
It is a very important tool for off-road motorsport drivers, usually participants of rally raids like the Dakar rally raid or anyone who drives on rough terrain. The major importance of this travel suspension is that it is used to dampen the effects of rough, off-road driving conditions like rock areas, mud, snow gravel, and riverbeds.
The more travel in the suspension, the more time your shocks have to “dampen” or react to the terrain, thus transferring less of that harshness to you and your passengers, giving you a smoother, more controlled ride.
Mid-travel suspension or mid-travel kits will give you a notable increase in overall suspension travel, but due to so many variances between platforms, there’s no defined amount of increase.
Differences Between Long And Mid Travel Suspension
Performance
Long travel will outperform mid-travel suspension in rough terrain such as fast desert trails and situations where more articulation is required. There are several performance advantages of a long travel kit when compared to a mid-travel kit.
The increased track width provided means the vehicle has a wider stance, therefore giving it more stability overall. With the wheels sitting further out, there’s more room to articulate the suspension up and down without interfering with components such as the firewall and frame.
Supporting Modifications
Mid-travel suspension’s beauty lies in its simplicity which is often overlooked. Upper control arms and upgraded coilovers are all you need for a stout mid-travel system to take on the vast majority of off-road trails out there. Some might argue that adjusting the coilovers for a lift so you can fit larger tires is a requirement as well, but that’s not the case.
A mid-travel suspension will perform just as well as stock-size all-terrain tires and OEM wheels at stock ride height. It will make obstacles a bit more difficult to climb, and you’ll need to be mindful of ground clearance, but the ride does not change if you opt to lift it and increase the tire size.
However, this travel system does not require supporting mods. For starters, most of the kits increase the vehicle’s track width by several inches. Additionally, many aftermarket travel systems require a specific wheel if you’re still on the stock ones.
Cost
If the performance and modifications won’t help make up your mind, maybe the cost will. Off-road vehicle modifications are very often cost-driven decisions, and suspension systems are no exception.
There’s a drastic difference in cost between long-travel and mid-travel suspension. This is especially true when considering the host of supporting modifications needed to get the most from your travel rig. A decent mid-travel suspension system will set you back about $1,800 to $2,500 for most modern platforms.
Also, a long travel suspension system including coilovers will likely run you into the $5,000 or more range, for many of today’s popular truck and SUV applications. And this does not include all the supporting mods like fiberglass fenders, gussets, wheels, and tires.
There is also the cost of installation to consider if you don’t plan on doing it yourself. Installation is possible for Mid-travel systems in a single day. The Mid-travel will be completed within four or five hours, whereas the estimate for long travel installations is 18 hours or more.
Long Travel Suspension | Advantages
- When launching off dunes, having a long travel suspension can soften a vehicle’s landing. Their setup also means longer wheel travel, which improves tire traction.
- Longer suspension parts will cause the wheels to sit further out, creating more room for up-and-down movements without hitting the firewall and frame.
- Vehicles with this particular kind of travel system have a wider stance than those without one, which makes them more stable when traversing on uneven road surfaces.
Disadvantages
- Like other major modifications, converting your suspension system can be quite costly. And if you want a system as such, that’s going to do its job, you’ll need to replace more than a few parts.
- You might need to replace your stock wheels, get wide-body fenders, install gussets, and other upgrades to accommodate the extended track width and other features that come with the travel system setup
- When it comes to performance, it can hinder trucks on tight trails because of the modified width. Some body damage is expected due to wide fenders.
The Travel System Is It Worth It?
This Kind of travel system isn’t for everybody, and having one isn’t exactly a requirement if you own a truck. Off-roaders might see this kind of setup as a necessity, but that will depend on driving styles, habits, and hobbies.
Most off-roaders with a suspension system might tell you that ride stability and control are two of the main benefits of this setup. You should also expect some downsides that come with having a wider track width like reduced maneuverability.
