Ok... so I gotta know. When an upper link "fails" ... what breaks? Is it the rod end?... the link capture?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I don't really want to join the debate here! I see both P.O.V.'s, so lets put it this way. "You never want to be in this position". My opinion is 4-link all the way, but regardless, build it tough. I've seen a link fail twice on the trail (4-link, suspensions). No fun, but strapping it can limp you home, if you do it carefully. You could destroy a lot even on a 4-link, but if the upper of the 3-link and it fails...... Your f-cked the second it happens, if not, your super lucky! That thing will flip (axle) and tear s*** up, in the blink of an eye! Major damage is possible with a a 4-link as well, but there is a much better chance of less damage. Both times I have seen it, no big deal. They both broke when the rig's hopped backwards on a ledge, and landed on it link. There were enough spectators to spot the problem and yell "stop". If the drivers had just kept on the throttle......... DESTRUCTION! That's what I have seen out there. I have to say both points are valid, Domba420 is right. A 4-link will be better in this respect, but not "fool proof"!
Ok... so I gotta know. When an upper link "fails" ... what breaks? Is it the rod end?... the link capture?
the other time the link mount just ripped off the top of the axle, he didn't get enough penetration on the welds i think...
Ok... so I gotta know. When an upper link "fails" ... what breaks? Is it the rod end?... the link capture?
This seems to be pretty common with housings that have a cast center section. IMO it's really worth it to build your truss so that it can be welded as much as possible to the center section. If you aren't personally personally capable of welding to the cast, then having a shop do it is cheap insurance.
Most of the DIY type guys who are building stuff in their garages really don't have welders capable of burning into the axle tubes enough to withstand the leverage that a tall upper link mount creates.
You are gonna hate me for this but..... This statement is wrong. The length of the axle upper link mount (distance from the axle centerline) has nothing to do with the forces that are put on the weld between the axle tube and the link mount itself. It does decrease the forces on the link itself, and on the frame side upper link mount.
There isn't many forces put through your rod ends/links, that wont be absorbed through the suspension. I'm not talking power from the engine as much as forces from impacts. Any time you hit something with your lower links, even right at the frame mount, almost all of the inertia is eaten by the suspension. Not all but most, the majority of the weight that would cause these forces are sprung, and dampened. Your suspension takes away all the momentum that would creat aditional intertia, and resulting extra forces.
I would say your sponsor is wanting you to run overkill parts. Thats a good thing! I understand from his point, he sponsors you to promote his biz. If your suspension breaks, in competition, with his ad's all over your rig, how would he look, bad! You can get away with less,
Says the guy who had to redesign his upper link mounts how many times???I wouldnt' say I hate you for it, but i disagree 100%. It is alot easier to snap a bolt off with a 3 foot breaker bar than a regular 3/8" ratchet...even though in a link setup the torque would be going from the bolt to the handle, it's still being passed through the bolt(weld). I'm no engineer so maybe I'm backwards but a longer moment arm is a longer moment arm in my book.
Mace, you are not quite correct, not all forces seen by the mounts are rotational delivered from engine power. If you bounce the truck and come straight down on it perpendicular to the links the moment delivered by a tall mount is going to be significantly more. Forces will remain the same despite mount height.
get away with less, yeah...especially in a lightweight rig, but for longevity and reliability i wouldn't use less than a high strength 1.25" shank for lowers, and no less than 1" shank for uppers
upper link forces are pretty grey area in my head, I can see them being in tension, compression and even being neutral. The case I present would be worst case and have seen it happen several times when trying to climb a big vertical-ish slab then losing all traction