lol so that link to fb is sweet reading the comments.... like this one that is probably my favorite: "sick as aids" hahahaha
The 4WheelUnderground 3 link thread
- Thread starter jcardona1
- Start date
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iptman
SILVER Star
Just made the first page on reddit.
http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/34ul68/how_to_build_a_rock_crawler/
Edit: actually 38th and rising so not quite the first page. Was looking from my phone in a meeting and couldn't tell which "page" it was but that's still pretty good.
http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/34ul68/how_to_build_a_rock_crawler/
Edit: actually 38th and rising so not quite the first page. Was looking from my phone in a meeting and couldn't tell which "page" it was but that's still pretty good.
Last edited:
Feed it a few Prius's it looks hungry
- Thread starter
- #324
I haven't connected it yet, but I plan on just running a longer line back up to the same fuel filter I have on the firewall.
Thanks! And I don't think the weight is significant. Coils and springs weigh probably the same as coilovers. Steering links were reused. Hellfire knuckles, maybe an extra 15lbs between the pair. Lower links vs radius arms, maybe an extra 20lbs. Axle did get a bit heavier though. I'd estimate 50-60lbs or so there? All just guesses
I saw that! Good stuff. I don't have a FB account but it's cool to see. Funny how Reddit makes things spread like wildfire.
- Thread starter
- #325
Mall crawlin
You doing the hollister run? Or just stopping by for a hotdog on a stick? 
surfpig
The Anti-Tech
That's just friggin' porn right there...
- Thread starter
- #329
Kinda hard to tell, but here's what I did with the air cleaner. Turns out only thing in the way was the catch can. It was sitting right on top of the shock tower. So I cut it off, patched the hole, moved it over a few inches welded it in place, cut a new hole and painted it black. Easy
And here's a current side profile shot. You can really see how far the axle moved forward. And check out that rake! Installing the taller springs tomorrow, hopefully it evens out. Then I can set the final caster and take it for a high speed test drive
And here's a current side profile shot. You can really see how far the axle moved forward. And check out that rake! Installing the taller springs tomorrow, hopefully it evens out. Then I can set the final caster and take it for a high speed test drive
What's happening on the rear suspension?
I'm ignorant on suspensions. Would you ever 3-link the rear as well, or would that de-stabilize the handling and be more like balancing a pumpkin on a pencil?
4WheelUnderground
Suspension is EVERYTHING
You certainly could 3link the rear. No it would not have any negative affects on the vehicle. As the moment we're still sketching up ideas for this.
It got a 5" replacement lift spring and shock combo from Radflo
- Thread starter
- #334
Ok I think this thread is due for an update with real world impressions. It's been a few months and I've put about a thousand miles on the truck since then, taking several wheeling and camping trips. After I got everything dialed it was pretty much set it and forget it.
Dialing it in took a bit of trial and error since this was my first time dealing with custom suspensions. And time and again Brian was a great help. Spent lots of time with me on the phone and responding to texts. He made sure I set caster and alignment right and made sure I had the right amount of pressure in the air bumps and coilovers. I actually ended up investing in a nitrogen fill kit so I don't have to pay $20 each shock to get them topped off. Based on Brian's advice I set caster to approximately 7* and alignment to about 1/4~1/2" toe-in. Air bumps are at 100psi and coilovers were set to 200psi. I have very little preload on the coilovers as I wanted to keep the ride height somewhat low.
Now what everybody wants to know: road handling. Around town and on the freeway the truck drives great. Coming from the old setup of blown shocks and 0* of caster it's a huge difference. The truck drives straight as an arrow, doesn't dart around or wander on the road like before. And that's all without running a steering stabilizer. Because of that I do get a slight pull to the right but I'm planning on a hydro assist setup shortly.
Body roll / body lean: I won't tell you this thing handles like it's on rails and I take turns at 80mph with one finger on the steering wheel because I'd be lying, it's not a sports car. The truck does have lean and roll in the turns, but as mentioned before by others, it's a slow lean. Coming from the old radius arm setup with sway bars front and rear to a 3-link with no sway bar took some getting used to. Shortly after I finished the suspension I also did the part-time 4x4 kit with manual hubs. For a while I drove with the hubs unlocked. Then one day I drove with them locked but 4x4 disengaged. That made a huge difference in on-road handing. That's when I realized most of the body roll was attributed to my twitchy steering - the "dead spot" common on y-link / inverted T setups (unrelated to Brian's kit however). So locking the hubs helped tighten up the steering a bit which really improved the truck's handing. But I don't want to make it seem like this is all a bad thing because it's not. But I will say, this thing with a front sway bar (like an Antirock style) would be kickass. Problem is I haven't seen how to make it work without custom arms that clear the pitman arm/steering box. I just don't have the tools to machine a custom piece like that.
Offroad performance - well I don't think much needs to be said here. The suspension is amazing offroad. It really does boost your confidence as you're able to go over obstacles with much more control than before. It's really cool to see pics afterwards of how the suspension articulates while the body stayed relatively level. It's much smoother over rocks - almost feels like you're not driving over anything sometimes. Combined with 2.5" Radflo emulsion shocks out back, the truck really soaks up the bumps. I won't be jumping sand dunes anytime soon but driving at moderate speeds though rocky forest roads is a breeze. The air bumps can seem like an expensive add-on but they really are worth it. As the truck is pretty tall now I've only hit the bumps 3-4 times and they feel great. No more bone-jarring impact from the standard bump stops. Hard to describe, but you'll know when you hit them. It's a soft, cushy impact and you can almost hear the bump stop compressing. Definitely recommend going with air bumps if you can swing it. When Brian comes out with a kit for the rear and when (if) we get a transfer case doubler, this truck will become an really good platform for a fullsize trail rig.
So I'll close this off by saying I highly recommend this kit. It's very well thought out and put together right. Not to mention it's backed by a level of customer service and tech support you just won't find anywhere. It's a daunting project but it was a great experience to tackle a custom suspension project for the first time and I'm hoping it won't be the last - talking to you Brian, where's that rear kit?
Now some pictures/video from the last couple months. Here's some Gopro footage of the suspension in action
And in this one you really get to see the suspension flex
Sometimes it wasn't all about rock crawling
Dialing it in took a bit of trial and error since this was my first time dealing with custom suspensions. And time and again Brian was a great help. Spent lots of time with me on the phone and responding to texts. He made sure I set caster and alignment right and made sure I had the right amount of pressure in the air bumps and coilovers. I actually ended up investing in a nitrogen fill kit so I don't have to pay $20 each shock to get them topped off. Based on Brian's advice I set caster to approximately 7* and alignment to about 1/4~1/2" toe-in. Air bumps are at 100psi and coilovers were set to 200psi. I have very little preload on the coilovers as I wanted to keep the ride height somewhat low.
Now what everybody wants to know: road handling. Around town and on the freeway the truck drives great. Coming from the old setup of blown shocks and 0* of caster it's a huge difference. The truck drives straight as an arrow, doesn't dart around or wander on the road like before. And that's all without running a steering stabilizer. Because of that I do get a slight pull to the right but I'm planning on a hydro assist setup shortly.
Body roll / body lean: I won't tell you this thing handles like it's on rails and I take turns at 80mph with one finger on the steering wheel because I'd be lying, it's not a sports car. The truck does have lean and roll in the turns, but as mentioned before by others, it's a slow lean. Coming from the old radius arm setup with sway bars front and rear to a 3-link with no sway bar took some getting used to. Shortly after I finished the suspension I also did the part-time 4x4 kit with manual hubs. For a while I drove with the hubs unlocked. Then one day I drove with them locked but 4x4 disengaged. That made a huge difference in on-road handing. That's when I realized most of the body roll was attributed to my twitchy steering - the "dead spot" common on y-link / inverted T setups (unrelated to Brian's kit however). So locking the hubs helped tighten up the steering a bit which really improved the truck's handing. But I don't want to make it seem like this is all a bad thing because it's not. But I will say, this thing with a front sway bar (like an Antirock style) would be kickass. Problem is I haven't seen how to make it work without custom arms that clear the pitman arm/steering box. I just don't have the tools to machine a custom piece like that.
Offroad performance - well I don't think much needs to be said here. The suspension is amazing offroad. It really does boost your confidence as you're able to go over obstacles with much more control than before. It's really cool to see pics afterwards of how the suspension articulates while the body stayed relatively level. It's much smoother over rocks - almost feels like you're not driving over anything sometimes. Combined with 2.5" Radflo emulsion shocks out back, the truck really soaks up the bumps. I won't be jumping sand dunes anytime soon but driving at moderate speeds though rocky forest roads is a breeze. The air bumps can seem like an expensive add-on but they really are worth it. As the truck is pretty tall now I've only hit the bumps 3-4 times and they feel great. No more bone-jarring impact from the standard bump stops. Hard to describe, but you'll know when you hit them. It's a soft, cushy impact and you can almost hear the bump stop compressing. Definitely recommend going with air bumps if you can swing it. When Brian comes out with a kit for the rear and when (if) we get a transfer case doubler, this truck will become an really good platform for a fullsize trail rig.
So I'll close this off by saying I highly recommend this kit. It's very well thought out and put together right. Not to mention it's backed by a level of customer service and tech support you just won't find anywhere. It's a daunting project but it was a great experience to tackle a custom suspension project for the first time and I'm hoping it won't be the last - talking to you Brian, where's that rear kit?
Now some pictures/video from the last couple months. Here's some Gopro footage of the suspension in action
And in this one you really get to see the suspension flex
Sometimes it wasn't all about rock crawling
Tapage
Club 4X4 Panamá
non exactly suspension related but caught my eye you decide to go under the steering knuckle arms instead of top
- Thread starter
- #336
You don't really have a choice unless you were to notch the frame. You'd loose a lot of uptravel by putting the tierod on top of the steering arms.
NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
I'd say that you have helped raise the bar on the definition of "built 80" Well executed!!
I'll be interested to see future refinements. Thanks for sharing
I'll be interested to see future refinements. Thanks for sharing
Tapage
Club 4X4 Panamá
Dirty Koala
SILVER Star
This afternoon I had a good lengthy chat with Brian about his kit and my application. Super helpful fella! I am fairly certain that once I wrap up my Cummins + NV4500 swap, I too am going to get on the 3 link bandwagon.
