4-Link with Hybrid Air/Coilovers?

[Sputnik40]

For an FJ40 retaining rear frame.

Does anyone have any idea if the new Ballistic hybrid air/coilover shocks would be sufficient for a full bodied four link? Shocks would have to be mounted inboard due to frame. Any concerns with load carrying capacity? Any suggestions as to what spring rates to order? I think they're set up for dual rate like a normal coilover - but am not really too savvy about these things.

Waiting for a decent income tax return to show up and was looking to order Ballistic joints and shocks - already have most of the other junk I need.

 

[bustanutley]

hack the frame and do it right..

 

[mookie]

just wondering how much is known about the quality of these ballistic shocks? i know ballistic makes some nice brackets and stuff but shocks are a whole different game..... who makes them and how long have they been out and what are people saying about them that use them? if you have any interest in fox shocks shoot me a pm, a guy in my club got some for basically half price from a vendor in TN, be glad to pass on the info to you

 

[Sputnik40]

PM sent.

That's kinda why I'm posting up - like the concept of having some of the load supported by coils. Have a few friends that are running air shocks at all 4 corners with good results, this just looks better?

Full buggy rear would be nice, especially considering I've thoroughly thrashed my tub from rolls, driving sideways, etc. - but believe it or not I'm somewhat sentimental about full bodied 40's - and have a spare 3/4 tub I'm planning on boat tailing, pulling the family cage and building a smaller/lighter cage, and a few other minor body protection mods. I have a roof top tent, OEM soft doors and 40" MTRS that will go on for rally trips thru the Ocala and Appalachicola NF, etc. I miss driving it around on the street in town - and a half buggy would get too much attention where I live (I drive this or my 88" Rover across the bridge to Palm Beach to surf frequently - some of the most bored cops on in the US - a buggy wouldn't fly well there). Still a windshieldless trailer queen for north Florida and out of Florida runs - but at this point I only go to real trails once a year for 9 days, and to instate pits a few times a year. Not enough to justify hacking it up yet.

 

[Mace]

No reason you can't hack up the rear frame and keep the tub. Inboarding them will not give you the performance you want. Narrow the frame, keep the shocks outboard and tie the shocks into the cage.

The Balistic fab stuff is top notch. I would not hesitate to run them in my rig.

 

[bustanutley]

Exactly, dhondagods rear comes to mind

 

[Sputnik40]

I agree - just am short of time, money and fab skills to pull something like that off without it taking months. Moot point as I've been putting this off for a year - so why not just do it (also have 125' of 1.75 x .125 tubing to use).

Nonetheless, will look into it. Minor difficulty is creating a cross member that deals with the offset Orion - without having to push the bellhousing and AA mounts higher (thus affecting driveline angles). One huge benefit is that I'd be able to inboard the lower link frame mounts a bit more - as I could weld them to the back lower side of the new cross member - versus underneat the frame rails. Using RT's last build thread as an example...

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Exactly, dhondagods rear comes to mind

Yep, saw his rig in action at Kitemacy, it works very well.

 

[Mace]

I agree - just am short of time, money and fab skills to pull something like that off without it taking months. Moot point as I've been putting this off for a year - so why not just do it (also have 125' of 1.75 x .125 tubing to use).

Fawk that, call up All and get it done.

5 mins of gay sex pain and you will have a better rig

 

[Sputnik40]

Fawk that, call up All and get it done.

5 mins of gay sex pain and you will have a better rig

Thankfully Al (per Hales) does not run amok like the other freak NFCer's - but then again... I did e-mail Fernando (Campinglab) to see what he might be able to do - he's got an insane shop, does good fab work, and hopefully could might help out (sooner than my later).

Aside from that - got a reply back from Tom at Ballistic - I asked some stupid questions about the shocks (am spring rate ignorant) and got a equally stupid answer. Figure I need to study Bellavista's shock bible and figure it out myself - but damn, those Ballistic shocks are nice. Gonna go ahead and and order the joints and all the link end hardware while the sale is on. Will have everything ready some day - and will get it done.

As an aside - I have a nice board for the buggy if you're still looking - about a 6'9" mid 70's single fin pintail - has a classic mid 70's pipeline shape to it. Bright mustard yellow, with some pinstriping on the rails - few major dings on the bottom, top is nice (damn bright yellow) and some minor tail damage due to age. Rode it one overhead evening at Reef Road and while it hauled arse, it had too much material in the rail for me to properly throw it around - it was a recent gift from the original owner - but I've been needing to make space for the girlfriends stuff - so it kinda needs to go. Free you pay shipping.

 

[Mace]

Thankfully Al (per Hales) does not run amok like the other freak NFCer's - but then again... I did e-mail Fernando (Campinglab) to see what he might be able to do - he's got an insane shop, does good fab work, and hopefully could might help out (sooner than my later).

Aside from that - got a reply back from Tom at Ballistic - I asked some stupid questions about the shocks (am spring rate ignorant) and got a equally stupid answer. Figure I need to study Bellavista's shock bible and figure it out myself - but damn, those Ballistic shocks are nice. Gonna go ahead and and order the joints and all the link end hardware while the sale is on. Will have everything ready some day - and will get it done.

As an aside - I have a nice board for the buggy if you're still looking - about a 6'9" mid 70's single fin pintail - has a classic mid 70's pipeline shape to it. Bright mustard yellow, with some pinstriping on the rails - few major dings on the bottom, top is nice (damn bright yellow) and some minor tail damage due to age. Rode it one overhead evening at Reef Road and while it hauled arse, it had too much material in the rail for me to properly throw it around - it was a recent gift from the original owner - but I've been needing to make space for the girlfriends stuff - so it kinda needs to go. Free you pay shipping.

What questions did you ask and what responses did you get? I would love to see what he said

get your links set up. The shocks are easily taken care of alter in the game. I will say, if you inboard them to clear the frame, you will be dissapointed in the handling..

Sweet, lemme know how much shipping is and I'll get it out to ya
the 11 car is not done yet, but I am probabyl going to be in a race this weekend in another car

 

[Sputnik40]

get your links set up. The shocks are easily taken care of alter in the game. I will say, if you inboard them to clear the frame, you will be dissapointed in the handling..

Agree. Looks like I'll be getting some help for Fernando - so will be cutting off the frame as everyone is suggesting. Will set something up for end of wheeling season. Ordered the joints and hardware this morning. Have a spare axle housing sandblasted, bunch of goodies from Ruff Stuff - getting there. Be easier if I had my bigger garage that the ex-wife got . Then again, I wouldn't be able to have the flats boat, the Rover, freedom, and a kick arse girlfriend.

No more posts on this until I have an actual build thread to post.