link questions

[kwellst]

im having some problems with the links on my truck i just built. the rear wants to stand up when i try to go up obstacles on power. its kind of annoying that it will flex a little on power. it does have quite a bit of torque twist. can some one give me some pointers or directions on which way to go or where to start. any help would be much appreciated.

[BENDER]

Try moving the upper links down on the chassis more, so they are closer to the lower links mounting points.

[Mudhen]

Bender, your suggestion got me questioning my assumptions about link setups. I had always thought that 4links worked best when the upper and lower links are close to parallel, and many seem to be that way. Yet you have obviously been successful with the chassis mounts close together.

Can you help me understand the pros & cons?

[Booger]

You are from Chattanooga, I thought I was the only one in this area.

[kwellst]

thank you bender, that helped alot. yet it showed me something very important. standing the pede trans upright and against the side of the truck sucks as far as rolling over to one side... maybe wheel wideners will help a little

[BENDER]

Originally Posted by Mudhen

Bender, your suggestion got me questioning my assumptions about link setups. I had always thought that 4links worked best when the upper and lower links are close to parallel, and many seem to be that way. Yet you have obviously been successful with the chassis mounts close together.

Can you help me understand the pros & cons?

Having the links parallel, for the most part, will allow too much articulation. You can limit the articulation with shock position, but I'm still not a fan of the set-up. Upper links that are at a downward angle towards the axles, hurts performance. The wheelbase has to grow a lot while the suspension cycles. When you have one front tire come up against a wall, you want the front suspension to compress with ease. If your wheelbase has to grow in this situations, it'll amplify torque twist/unloading. Total opposite of what you want. Running the upper links flat will eliminate this problem altogether. That is what seems to work best for me, some may disagree though.

Link being parallel can work great too, like when all 4 links are almost parallel to the ground at full droop of the suspension. But, usually the ride height has to be sacrificed for that particular set-up.

Originally Posted by kwellst

thank you bender, that helped alot. yet it showed me something very important. standing the pede trans upright and against the side of the truck sucks as far as rolling over to one side... maybe wheel wideners will help a little

No problem, glad it helped. Try to lay that tranny on it's side, your rig will become a lot more capable instantly.

[Mudhen]

Thanks much Bender, for your clear and informative reply.