Mini-truss for front 3 link reinforcement; opinions needed (1 Viewer)

[Lil'John]

Short: doing 3 link on a Dana 60 and need a "mini" truss because upper link is on top of the diff(4.5" above bracket shown in picture). I've got a start and need opinions on reinforcement for 1/4" plate start:

Long:
FJ55 getting a 60" WMS Dana 60 front and a three link. Mild built big block cady(472, maybe 300hp and 400ft-lbs) with SM465. Gearing is going to be 3.54 for now. It might end up with 5.86 if I get stuck with that gear set Rig isn't going to be "hard core" use but 35" tires with ~2-3" lift. Might see some technical wheeling on Rubicon(~30 miles down the road). Primary abuse will be snow plow. Rig is going to loose a LOT of body weight(2/3 of roof gone, 16" out of the rear cargo area, no rear door)

Because I'm not going to do anything super abusive, I don't feel I need a full length truss. The material is 1/4" and 4" wide. How would you flesh out the truss?

 

[archie73]

Funny- I consider plowing to be pretty abusive and we get “champagne powder”.

 

[Lil'John]

Funny- I consider plowing to be pretty abusive and we get “champagne powder”.

Only really abusive to the frame

Plus, we don't get too much(maybe 18"):

I'll be plowing maybe 200 linear feet of 18" snow maybe three times a year.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Vertical reinforcement? I'd be inclined to build a "bridge", coped against the diff, finishing flat against the bottom of the pictured bracket.

 

[Lil'John]

Vertical reinforcement? I'd be inclined to build a "bridge", coped against the diff, finishing flat against the bottom of the pictured bracket.

So you are thinking of doing gussets and the like similar to the red in the following picture:

The purple is the upper link bracket.

I was considering doing something more like the blue. ~1" above the existing bracket with reinforcement between the two then a leg that goes down to the axle tube. Then the blue triangle to further tie them together and the axle tube.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Red is what I was suggesting, but blue and red together is probably what I'd do. Basically building a mini TMR truss:

Dana 60 Simple Front Truss

CNC laser cut and formed from 1/2" steel

www.tmrcustoms.com

Looking at those pics, the red bits I was suggesting may not be necessary, but their design is much tighter to the diff than yours. Then again, their design uses 1/2" plate, not 1/4" plate, so the additional gusseting is probably warranted.

 

[Lil'John]

That TMR truss looks interesting... but not the $120 nice It looks like it would work with my Dodge front 60 unlike most of the other "tighter" built trusses that were for Chevy fronts. One issue is the 3 3/8" cut. My front is 3" tube.

I went with 1/4" plate because my brake works with it I was expecting to have to add reinforcement. Most of the full truss setups I found was ~1/4".

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Oh yeah, 1/4" is fine, but I'd put some gusseting above and below. I tend to overbuild rather than risk underbuilding.

The 1/4" full truss setups have the red and blue gusseting most of the time.

 

[mr jits]

Red is what I was suggesting, but blue and red together is probably what I'd do. Basically building a mini TMR truss:

Dana 60 Simple Front Truss

CNC laser cut and formed from 1/2" steel

www.tmrcustoms.com

Looking at those pics, the red bits I was suggesting may not be necessary, but their design is much tighter to the diff than yours. Then again, their design uses 1/2" plate, not 1/4" plate, so the additional gusseting is probably warranted.

I had a truss much like the TMR one in 3/8 which I bent severely and later changed over to one of the artec trusses. I would agree with Johnny entirely that you need to add gussets in multiple planes to support the truss.

 

[cseitz]

Is there a reason you can't run your upper link on the driver side with a simple ruffstuff upper link bracket?

 

[Lil'John]

Is there a reason you can't run your upper link on the driver side with a simple ruffstuff upper link bracket?

Funny you bring up this option. It was brought up at another location

Unfortunately, Ruffstuff is too short. But I am giving serious thoughts to that route with a home made job

 

[cseitz]

Funny you bring up this option. It was brought up at another location

Unfortunately, Ruffstuff is too short. But I am giving serious thoughts to that route with a home made job

I'm using the ruffstuff axle tower and it sits higher than the top of the diff. Vertical separation of my links in probably 10". Bonus, you can drive down to ruff stuff and walk out with the pieces

 

[Lil'John]

I'm using the ruffstuff axle tower and it sits higher than the top of the diff. Vertical separation of my links in probably 10". Bonus, you can drive down to ruff stuff and walk out with the pieces

I've got a shelf full of their brackets for this project

Unfortunately, both of their brackets are for 9" above axle centerline... for that matter, so is Barnes. I need to be 10". I've got 11" link separation at the axle and 7" for the frame.

My fabricator friend picked the numbers for me and are biased a bit toward onroad behavior along with Rubicon as primary trail

 

[cseitz]

I got ya. Well if its any help, road manners with 10" of axle separation are pretty good. Good luck with the build, can't wait to see it out on the trail.