Anyone Running Forced Articulation Suspensions (1 Viewer)

[Jetboy]

Is anyone out there running forced articulation suspensions? I have been kicking the idea around and would like to get some opinions. There's a guy out of billings MT that has a 4runner with a set up that I will try to explain…. On the top of the rear diff. housing there is a yolk welded on. Then a driveshaft connects to the yolk via ujoint. This dive shaft has a slip section and then is mated into a torsion rod. Then back to drive shaft. This enters via another ujoint the axle side of a narrowed D60 center section (just the diff & a few inches of axle shaft) with a welded up ring gear. So the torque goes in to the side where the axle shaft would go in. then out the other side (to the front comes a mirror image). It travels down to the front axle. the D60 center is mounted to the side of the t-case. The D60 center is an open diff so when one axle is flexed one way the other axle is forced the opposite way. It seems like a sweet setup. Keeps the body from rolling in corners like a sway bar and keeps the rig form having body roll on side hills, but increases flex. He came to our top truck and made our rock garden look like a gravel road. Plus it looks like he has four driveshafts (adds to the coolness) So I was wondering if anyone else out there is running a similar setup and how you like it. Also is anyone running a master/slave air cyl. Set up on opposing corners? I’ve gotta go so I won’t be able to answer any ?’s till tomorrow…sorry.

 

[woody]

cruiserrg thought about it....big time....

IMO, that's a LOT of added weight with very little real gain in offroad prowess....and since forced articulation isn't "allowed" on comp rigs, it's received very little experimentation...

 

[Jetboy]

It just seemed to make the rig incredibly stable and kept the body in the center so both axles were flexing equaly. plus on the ramp the axles would get very very close to the 90 degree mark.

 

[bad_religion_au]

in australia a guy makes bolt on (relatively) forced articulation for 40's and 45's. dobbinson's the guy... he cleans up offroad coms out here... 30 inches of travel, 44's, duals, custom 9 inch portals, and i think a big block to turn it all.

 

[LT]

Why not just go air bags? Three guys in the Cascade Cruisers run the air bag set up and it works really well. You can adjust the air pressure in your suspension whenever you want.

 

[wngrog]

Buddy of mine runs one. No way would I sacrifice the weight for the little gain he gets from it.

The only positive is that he can "lift his tire" and make it look like he is peeing on another rig.

It's funny

 

[Jetboy]

I was talking about a passive system not an active controlled system, I think a passive one like the clockwork style system would add about 200lbs including all of the brackets, so I just need to loose a few lbs of excess weight... like a passenger

 

[cruiserrg]

sounds like we are all talking about the same thing with 2 ways to approach it. Input (Active and passive), and 2 different axle attachments (rollcentered, sprung point)

As woody stated I have thought of both, but for those that don't know me...my mind thinks of crazy wheeling technology about every couple minutes

I seriously considered active changing of my coilover upper mounts with hydraulics. Basically a cantilever system with a ram to control ride height at the coilover top mount. Scraped the idea because of weight considerations, and the fact its not comp approved. I decided on a centered airbag on top of the axle to allow for ride height changes only front and back if highcentered and for COG changes on inclines/declines. I am now playing in my mind with a better way to approach this with the internals of a shock. Won't fool around with until my rig is done. Basically a shock with coils and internals between a set of pistons air driven to raise/lower rideheight at the shock.

Now passively controlled around a rollcenter. I have thought about in many forms, the idea jetboy posted is interesting but way heavy. But thinking about it you could do much simpler and more compactly and low added weight. It would require going to a torque tube type suspension with a differential type assembly surrounding the t-case. All custom, but would require extra d-shafts. All crazy talk and thoughts but could be done.

While on topic, has anyone seen connected remote reservoir coilovers sharing a single nitro charge from one front corner to opposite rear corner? Might add some passive forced articulation.

 

[Jetboy]

I think if you connected opposing corners in this way there would be little added benifit, because you want both opposing corners to droop together and compress toghether. I has to be set up as a master-slave so the air coming out of the RR under compression forces the LF to compress as well not extend. with two way air cylinders it could be done, but I dont know of any shocks that have the ability to work as a two way cylinder.

 

[cruiserrg]

Yep, good catch it would be same sides linked together. There currently are not two adjustable ride-height shocks, just thinking it could be designed and developed.

 

[BJ40 3B]

Check this suspension... (Strut Unit) I think this is FORCED!

 

[BJ40 3B]

Sorry

Forgot to post the link...

http://www.dobbinengineering.com/products.htm

 

[bad_religion_au]

that's the one i was talking about earlier

 

[helocat]

The air bag syst. The guys up here are running really do not add a bunch of weight. The air bags completely replace any steel spring set up. The rest of the system that different is just the valves and typically larger air tank for reserves.

The air bag system works and works well if you are willing to play with it as you go through an obstacle. It is nice to bag over to one side as you camber or bag up the front as you drop off of things. You need lots of air for a fast system or it’s a real PITA. W’ of Over the Hill runs two air compressors for this. I thought about this system but don’t want to deal with the running 4 corners of air bags at the same time of hammering through things. Yes there is a cool factor to be baged 18” up then dump the air and look like a low rider before you get out. For me the basic coil over’s are sitting on the shelf.

A video production company just shot a bunch of video of W’ Heralds son in Nor-Cal in his (the son’s) chopped and air bagged 55. It will air on Spike TV in Jan or first of Feb. This truck runs an air compressor from a dump truck and a small reservoir tank. I am sure they have lots of his suspension going up and down. Once I know the date and time I will post it up.


Mark