3-link or SOA in front? (1 Viewer)

[truggier]

Hey, anyone have opinions on how a complete coil spring suspension rides on the highway compared to SOA? I'm going 4-link in the rear, and debating between going 3-link in the front or SOA. From what I understand the 3-link will give better articulation but I'm not sure about the highway characteristics.

 

[Adventure Teq]

No experience but I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that a coil sprung front will ride smoother on the road than a leaf sprung will anyday. As far as stability and roll, you might need some torsion bars to keep her on the level around turns.

Just a guess...

 

[truggier]

Thanks HawkDriver. That would be my guess too...hopefully someone out there knows from direct experience. I've changed my mind so many times on this suspension it's driving me a little nutty.

 

[coolcruiserfj40]

just do it

 

[YODA 88 62]

3 link.

 

[FJ40onNOS]

id go with 3 link, i dont see any reason it could be wores then leafs

 

[CruisinGA]

3-link wishbone or control arm w/ panhard?

I honestly think an SOA would handle better on street, (body roll etc) than the 3 link judging from my experiences with a long-arm 3 linked ZJ on 37's. Lots of looseness (bushings), some bumpsteer, and lots of body roll. It is a bearable DD (the ZJ), and flexes very well.

Depends on your intended usage and budget... You obviously have the skill if you are installing a 4 linked rear.

 

[bustanutley]

I totally agree with Bailey, I'm not really a big fan of radius arm front end. You would definitely want a sway bar for a coil front end, while with SO front no sway bar is just fine. The front of my sprung over cruiser flexes very well, it is only limited by shocks, and this is with outboarded springs.

My vote is SO front with SR, and a linked rear.

 

[truggier]

just do it

Lol dude, I had no doubt how you'd feel about it. I've got to be able to take my kids into this thing too.

 

[truggier]

3-link wishbone or control arm w/ panhard?

I honestly think an SOA would handle better on street, (body roll etc) than the 3 link judging from my experiences with a long-arm 3 linked ZJ on 37's. Lots of looseness (bushings), some bumpsteer, and lots of body roll. It is a bearable DD (the ZJ), and flexes very well.

Depends on your intended usage and budget... You obviously have the skill if you are installing a 4 linked rear.

The plan was control arm with panhard. Don't give me too much credit for having skill - I'm purchasing the kit through Proffitt's and I can at least (debatedly) follow instructions and can weld. As thing stand now I'm getting the whole front SOA / rear 4-link through Proffitt's, but someone (coolcruiserfj40) put a bug in my ear about going 3-link in the front. Money is not much of an object here as I only want to do things once the right way (unless of course I break it on the trail), and one motivation for going 3-link in the front was to not have to replace sagging front springs every couple of years. The rig just needs to not be too much of a beast on the highway...my wheelbase will be 103" with the current plan so this should help.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far.

 

[truggier]

3-link wishbone or control arm w/ panhard?

I honestly think an SOA would handle better on street, (body roll etc) than the 3 link judging from my experiences with a long-arm 3 linked ZJ on 37's. Lots of looseness (bushings), some bumpsteer, and lots of body roll. It is a bearable DD (the ZJ), and flexes very well.

Depends on your intended usage and budget... You obviously have the skill if you are installing a 4 linked rear.

The plan was control arm with panhard. Don't give me too much credit for having skill - I'm purchasing the kit through Proffitt's and I can at least (debatedly) follow instructions and can weld. As thing stand now I'm getting the whole front SOA / rear 4-link through Proffitt's, but someone (coolcruiserfj40) put a bug in my ear about going 3-link in the front. Money is not much of an object here as I only want to do things once the right way (unless of course I break it on the trail), and one motivation for going 3-link in the front was to not have to replace sagging front springs every couple of years. The rig just needs to not be too much of a beast on the highway...my wheelbase will be 103" with the current plan so this should help.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far.

 

[truggier]

I totally agree with Bailey, I'm not really a big fan of radius arm front end. You would definitely want a sway bar for a coil front end, while with SO front no sway bar is just fine. The front of my sprung over cruiser flexes very well, it is only limited by shocks, and this is with outboarded springs.

My vote is SO front with SR, and a linked rear.

Yeah, I was under the impression that front SOA flexed pretty well too. Woody's statement that he can have one front wheel 5 feet off of the ground while the others are resting level is pretty impressive. He has the same 4-link rear I'm planning on, but is using FJ55 rear springs for the front SOA. I was planning on using my FJ40 front OME Dakars with 2 leafs removed, which should soften up in a couple of months to provide good flex.

 

[woody]

Mine is currently on FJ55 rears....but is likely gonna switch this winter...not sure what yet, but I want a spring pack with an offset center pin and a hair longer...perhaps a minitruck rear ....

Flex nice, and it's balanced. BALANCED is the hard part, flex is easy.....just takes lots of experiment time, and luck....

 

[Dietoy]

Woody, I do not understand what you mean by balanced in terms of the lift. If it is not too long and involved would you explain? If it is long and involved I can look it up.

Truggier, I would shy against a link front. Friends of mine work on 4 wheel ATV's and the ones with independent front and rear are rolling over all the time.
Food for thought.

 

[Mace]

Handling characteristics of a front three link (not a radius arm) depends on how you set up the geometry.. If you can do a good job making sure that your numbers are good then you will be fine. If you have no idea WTF I am talking about then you need to read a lot more before you go and try to link the front.


Woody is talking about having the front and rear flex equally. That way you do not make one end do all of the work..

 

[Dietoy]

Thank you Mace. What do you think is the deal with some of the new and aftermarket 4 wheelers? It seems as though the tires will "fold under" a little (like old VW transaxles) and that little can be the difference between rolling and not. I would think the guys who make 4 wheelers would have do the appropreiate calculations before attempting the suspension. Am I giving them too much credit?
I am just intrested in this topic. As far as suspensions I think a rear link front SOA would do everything and anything I need to do.

 

[truggier]

Handling characteristics of a front three link (not a radius arm) depends on how you set up the geometry.. If you can do a good job making sure that your numbers are good then you will be fine. If you have no idea WTF I am talking about then you need to read a lot more before you go and try to link the front.


Woody is talking about having the front and rear flex equally. That way you do not make one end do all of the work..

I have a partial idea what you're talking about. I guess that's enough to make me dangerous...

I'm fine with the flex on the front SOA from what I've seen. I guess what bothered me was the rate at which the front SOA seems to burn through leaf springs.

If I was to do the 3-link front, I'd probably haul the whole carcass up to Proffitt's and have them install it along with the rear. Again, this decision would depend on how a properly done full coil spring suspension (front and rear)handles on the highway, and just how quickly I'd burn through those leaf springs.

 

[Mace]

I seriously doubt that you will eat front leaf springs. MOst people that kill them quick are VERY hard on thier junk...

like I said, as long as the suspension is set up properly then it will behave very nicely on the street. If it si not set up well you can have some "interesting" handling characteristics. Proffit does good work..

Dietoy, I have not paid attention to the IRS 4 wheelers. But I can honestly say that quite a bit of the habit of them "rolling" over is due to the change from a straight axle in the rear and one spring (no articulation) to something that flexes per side. Where you could put a Quad into a sideways drift and remain stable before (rear axle forcing the quad to stay flat) IRS and IFS will allow a certain amount of roll. I bet it is more a problem of people needing to get used to something than anything else..

Besides, a straight axle that can articulate (side to side) has little in common to the old VW's that had a single piviot point at the tranny. The tires will not roll over any worse with a linked suspension than with leaves. The difference is only seen on the chassis itself. .

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

If you build the SOA leaf pack right you will be fine. It involves flattening them out and beefing them up at the same time IE more leafs or an add a leaf or 2...

 

[truggier]

I was planning to go with modified FJ40 front Dakar springs for the front SOA if that's the route I go. By removing the bottom two leafs, they're supposed to flatten out relatively quickly to a good ride height with optimal flex. See the thread:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=53591

for more on this. There's also some discussion on 'burning' through front leaf packs there too.