SWAMP RAT link placement?

[squish72]

i just recently noticed that on my xtrail the rear axle sweeps backwards on the up travel like a swing arm
setup and not like a 4-link (strait up and down)

strait



now when it twists (notice the angle of the yoke)



sitting strait



twisted up (rubbing the back side of the wheel well)



heres the link placement


i under stand that the distance from the upper link the lower link makes it do this but this is the first time i have used different length links (upper/lower) on an rc
please let me know

[squish72]

here is another pic showing the axle not being at a 90 deg. angle to the frame when twisted

[FightinURfear]

You want to start out with the top links as flat as possible or slightly negative. This will determine the travel path. The difference in the link length will also have a baring on the way it travels too. Anyone correct me if I am wrong on this. Cheers!

[squish72]

if thats the case then i will need longer upper links or my drive line angle would be ridiculous!

[yoda316]

if i understand what you are explaining you are talking about axle steer.
since you cant really make the uppers links longer , i would try triangulating the lower links at the chassis by making a new skid plate,(a cutting board is good material)
then either leave the uppers triangulated or try the cg1 chassis setup where only the lowers have triangulation.
i just did this mod today on a stock narrowed chassis and have to say that it helped out alot (double triangulation) but i still have some axle steer,not as much as before though, seems to have gotten rid of my axle sway though. it also made everything seem more predictable .
i say try it if it changes nothing than youre out like five dollars and some time.

[squish72]

im trying to think how that will work wouldnt that just make it more solid lateraly kinda like if i was to put a panhard bar? cause as of right now its super solid.
for more pictures go here http://www.flickr.com/photos/9814608@N08/

[william g]

upper links need to be longer
try it, that'll fix a lot of the axle steer the way you have it configured

[EeePee]

Try putting your lower links inside the mounts on the axle.

[squish72]

Originally Posted by EeePee

Try putting your lower links inside the mounts on the axle.

i cant the links hit the frame at that ride hight the pictures are a little funky but i have the lower links
running parallel to the frame in the pics they look like they taper into the middle but they dont

this is just a thought but wouldnt i need to lengthen the
upper links and actualy move the mount forward on the frame? to change the geometry

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by squish72

i cant the links hit the frame at that ride hight

What part? The bend?

Looking at the picture below, let's imagine where your axle would be sitting if you had your links mounted inside the stock mount on the axle.

[FightinURfear]

Like this.

[squish72]

here is a little better pic

[Oze30]

Does it help the axle steer?

[squish72]

i havent moved them yet

[Trimmy]

Put a spacer between the frame and the link to get it away from the frame so you can move the other end out further on the axle.

[squish72]

im running the tcs skid plate that moves the links to the inside of the frame rails but i moved a few things today and i didnt eliminate the axle steer but i did eliminate it a little more i made the top links a little farther and bolted them to the third hole farthest from the axle and it seems to work better ill try and post some pics of what i did sometime tonight

[2JSC]

You need to move your lower links on the frame side closer together and the axle end farther apart. It's called double triangulated and helps remove what is happening in your pic since both sets of your links are both going to the center of the axle.

[squish72]

yes i understand that part of it my pictures didnt come out verry good but those links were parallel to the frame
in the pic the bent links were swiveled to the side giving the aperance that they were sitting like that but since it moved them out farther and put the shock and the link in the ears of the axle and it still steers

the big problem i have is with the unequal upper and lower links i have make a few trucks with four link and i have always ran the same length links and mounted them in line upper and lowers (you could draw an imaginary line from the top link through the lower link and it would be perfectly a 90 deg. angle to the ground)

the problem i have is if you were to take the links and draw a circle with their travel the shorter one would make a smaller circle then the longer link (dont know if that makes any sence ) but the upper link is pulling on the axle faster then the lower link creating it to move the way it dose

[miller]

What 2JSC said...again:

Move your lower links as close together as possible on the frame end and as far apart as possible without binding on your axle end.

When you move them to the inside of the frame that will minimize it...you said it's still there, yes..but it will have been less than before. It won't completely go away until they are side by side on the frame end.

With the upper link the length of them has nothing do do with axle steer. It has everything to do with your lower links being parallel to the frame.

[squish72]

i have moved them closer to each other at the frame and i still expirience a lot of axle steer i guess ill just have to live with it for now

thanks for everyones help