Suspension travel upgrades on an 80

[jonb96150]

Not that Christo is checking this thread anymore, but that looks like Lower Helldorado. Did you do Upper?

 

[Walking Eagle]

I'm a well seasoned practical engineer looking for thinking and application 'ouside the box'.

Please don't use the word engineer to describe yourself in any way. It's insulting to all the people who have spent the time and energy to get real engineering degrees - BSME, BSEE, ect. I don't call myself an Audi Technician cause I've changed oil on an A4, don't call yourself and engineer cause you've added two plus two and ended up with apple.

I designed and installed front airbags into my 80, and was pleased with the outcome.

Calling up airlift and asking what bags will fit in a coil spring of X diameter and Y length and putting them in does not constitute "Designing and installing front airbags".

I confront issues with a focus to task. My apologies in advance if you interpret that as condescending.

Since pretty much everyone who's actually participating in the thread seems to think you're attitude is condescending, it might be you, not everyone else.

Curious, - you say you've forwarded enough information get the input needed by your engineer friends - what information did you forward them, and what question did you ask them?

Specifically, I'd like to know what their answer is to "Does it mater what shape the connecting link is to the radius that will be made by rotating it around a fixed point?" That should be a simple yes or no answer for any of them. Second question is, "If a link is swung around two different centers, can the end of it follow the same path?". The correct answers to those two questions will also answer the question of "Is the effect the same if you drop mounts on the frame raise them on the axle?"

 

[clownmidget]

"Does it mater what shape the connecting link is to the radius that will be made by rotating it around a fixed point?" That should be a simple yes or no answer for any of them.

depends on what you are measuring.

Second question is, "If a link is swung around two different centers, can the end of it follow the same path?".

in absentia of any other parameters?

The correct answers to those two questions will also answer the question of "Is the effect the same if you drop mounts on the frame raise them on the axle?"

no

 

[Walking Eagle]

depends on what you are measuring.

Poorly worded question. Given a center of roation, and a point mounted on a link, does the shape of the link between the center of rotation and that point have any effect on the radius of the circle the point will make when the link is rotated. Not sure how much better worded that is....

in absentia of any other parameters?

What other parameters do you need? Same link, two mounting points, will the other end of the link swing the same path? Same radius arc - of course, being the same link, the radius has to be the same.

no

Well, at least the answer to the most important question is not "depends"

 

[fzj80kidpen]

Who where depends?
Sorry, I think I stepped in something smelly.

 

[Hayes]

In the ongoing spirit of masochism, I'd like to flog this thread a little more.

This morning over coffee (my best thinking, as always), I was pondering the Great Arc Debate of '06, and came to the realization that the arcs of either end of an articulated axle WILL be different than when equally compressed or drooped--at least in the longitudinal plane of the frame.

During articulation, the ends of the axle (the wheels) follow an arc down or up--drooped or compressed, respectively--but they also follow arcs IN, toward the centerline of the truck. Think about viewing an articulated axle from the front--the wheels have rotated around an axis that is more or less the center of the axle--sort of.

The actual articulated arcs have the same exact dimensions as the unarticulated arcs (the radius hasn't changed, and neither has the focus), but they are in a plane that is NOT the longitudinal plane of the truck. The wheel moves through a plane that is more "diagonal" to the center line of the truck--think about it as the vector sum of the arc in the longitudinal plane (viewed from the side of the truck) and the arc in the lateral plane (viewed from the front).

During articulation, the longitudinal arc of the wheels is NOT circular--the arc changes as some of the wheel's motion is in the other axis--I guess it would be some kind of parabolic arc (step-up math people).

Maybe this is related to what SUMOTOY was referring to?

Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that moving the focus moves the arcs, but it might be food for thought in this beast of a thread.

Or it might be completely useless and erroneous blah blah blah.

Hayes

 

[Walking Eagle]

Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that moving the focus moves the arcs, but it might be food for thought in this beast of a thread.

Or it might be completely useless and erroneous blah blah blah.

Hayes

not erroneous. Like you said, doesn't change the drop bracket differences, but it does aid in the search for stuffing tires. If you look at the picture of my blue 40, you can see how this rotation that you're talking about helps the outside edge of the tire not hit the tub. When it moves straight up - as when I loaded with 1,000lbs of bricks, it rubs.

When articulated, the axle is actually going to rotate, to some degree, in all three planes.

 

[Walking Eagle]

hummmm..... wonder if we'll ever hear back from Sumotoy......

 

[Walking Eagle]

I guess we lost Sumotoy....

 

[tombomb4u]

I guess we lost Sumotoy....

.....but that only solves half the problem.

 

[Walking Eagle]

.....but that only solves half the problem.

What's the other half?