what will make my 80 flex more?

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I have tried the hitch pin thing before with castor plates they were Ironman

I had the pin out wheeln one time last year and was going through a boulder field and caught one of the castor plates just right on a rock and bent the crap out the plate and the axle bracket where the pin was removed

Still to this day cant see how I caught the rock just right to do it, probably 1 in a million to hit it just right

Took me 2 hours to fix it back at camp with a BFH, and getting the bolt hole lined up again was a bitch.

Could have been alot worse if I tore the axle bracket.

I do not run the hitch pin any more
 
Wow. That looks great akarilo. The body is almost level.

If the driv. side is pulled does it flex better on one side than the other?

I think I will be trying this next season. I have landtank plates. I can't see how different brand plates could hinder on this mod.
I think I would just remove the bolt before a run then toss it back in before hitting the street.

akarilo said:
OK, here you go. Stock arms, driver side front bolt pulled (aka hitch pin), disconnect sway bar, and last but not least; get long enough shocks so that you can actually benefit from no sway and hitch pin. Some folks like to freak about pulling the pin, stress on the bracket etc. I welded reinforcements to the bracket and wheel the **** out of the truck; it hasn't torn off yet. Don't forget to extend the brake lines, or at least drop the mounting brackets as far as you can

Click to expand...
 
Heres why I dont like the hitch pin mod -
1) Braking dive is biased, as mentioned already
2) With any appreciable lift, the anti-dive is questionable (most trivial concern of mine)
3) The control arms hit the tie rod when you droop the side with the pin pulled.
4) Links give you adjustable geometry. You can dial stuff in.
5) Ground clearance can be improved with links
6) You have to beef up the mounting tabs, and even then it's like a bad 3 link with 7 inches of separation.

Still, it's a good way to visualize how much more the axle can move and it's free to do in terms of time and cost. If you daily drive your 80 and just want to flex from time to time, rock out. I'd imagine more people who are buying 80s strictly as trail rigs will prefer an alternative front setup.
 
akarilo said:
I know not what you speak of. Opinions do vary though.
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It's not so noticeable at slow speeds. I wouldn't want to do an emergency stop on the freeway with the "hitch-pin mod" though. If your style of wheelin' is more rallycross then it's going to be annoying. If you're crawling around mostly, it's inframarginal.
 
Yeah, its certain conditions. If there is a steep decent and a hole on 1 side. When you apply the brakes, the whole truck will lurge to 1 side, release the brake a bit and it levels back out.
 
You got to be an idiot to do it on the highway. This is strictly off road use only.
 
Ok here's a stupid question, but I'm sure somebody has asked it before so :flipoff2:

Remove the front bolt on both arms, basically the hitch pin mod on both sides. Weld in some reinforcements for the factory tabs and add a 3rd link on top of the axle housing like what you'd see in a typical 3-link...

Poor man's 3-link? Is that even doable? Feasible? Worth the effort or should you just do a real 3-link at that point?
 
beno said:
An 80 will flex more if you buy a buggy or chop your 80 into a very small vehicle....

Yes this is an 80. It is Dr. Earnhardt's 80 and he has been wheeling it a very long time.
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Do you mean that WAS an 80? :D
 
artech said:
You might want to try running it just the way it is, I was frickin' amazed at the stuff mine would do just in factory configuration. Turned out I didn't need more flex, I needed more practice! Still learning too!
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X2. I ran mine stock for thirteen years.
 
Yeah it's pretty amazing what these do in stock form. Modified = Unstoppable!!
 
jcardona1 said:
Remove the front bolt on both arms, basically the hitch pin mod on both sides. Weld in some reinforcements for the factory tabs and add a 3rd link on top of the axle housing like what you'd see in a typical 3-link...
Click to expand...

jcardona1 said:
Poor man's 3-link?
Click to expand...

Dumb man's 3-link....

jcardona1 said:
Is that even doable? Feasible?
Click to expand...

First, the geometry is all wrong for 3 link and the upper link would locate somewhere in front of the axle housing by the same distance the rears are aft of, which doesn't make sense.

Second, the OE radius arms aren't engineered, nor do I believe the I beam design is nearly strong enough to handle the rotational forces that a built tubular link would, not to mention the OE bushings inability to rotate in this configuration enough to benefit.

How many 3 link designs have you seen that don't have heims?

jcardona1 said:
Worth the effort or should you just do a real 3-link at that point?
Click to expand...

While a 3 link appears to be the ultimate, there are too many other aspects that need to be considered, and none are inclusive of the verbiage "POOR"....

Coil overs, axle housing reinforcements, actual built links that can endure the forces that a 6k fat rig is capable of, and all done by a professional, not a shade tree mechanic, if on road will ever be seen again.

For instance. 4WD Underground has been working on an 80 3 Link for almost two years, and the guy friggin' nailed the previous Toyota's he sells the "kits" for. He knows his chit and, last I checked on PBB, was making progress, but if he can't kick out a simple poor boy version, odds are the normal guy with a 110 welder, a chop saw, and bills vista's calculator ain't gonna get it right, either.

I'm not blowing smoke up my own arse, not saying it's the best thing since sliced cheese, as I didn't design it and it sure ain't cheap, BUT...

The best link design I've seen for the 80 that does afford a little more flex while not impacting on road mannerism, is the Superflex arms, and mimicking the design behind holds the greatest promise for the normal, run of the mill 80 guy.

Essentially, attach one link attaches on the x axis, the other on the y, all with links that are heavier than six OEs, to be dang sure they'll hold up to the stresses articulating, along with the fact they're rock feelers for those of us that wheel Braille.

It's the "best" I've seen, but, by far not the best that a radium arm linkage could be.
 
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jcardona1 said:
Ok here's a stupid question, but I'm sure somebody has asked it before so :flipoff2:

Remove the front bolt on both arms, basically the hitch pin mod on both sides. Weld in some reinforcements for the factory tabs and add a 3rd link on top of the axle housing like what you'd see in a typical 3-link...

Poor man's 3-link? Is that even doable? Feasible? Worth the effort or should you just do a real 3-link at that point?
Click to expand...

Would work. You don't need heims in spite of what Delancy says. Also, unlike what Delancy says, the stock radius arms are more than beefy enough. Lastly, unlike what Delancy says, the market for link packages for 80s is incredibly small.

Biggest problem is that the radius arms will hit the tie rod on droop. And you'd be 90% towards a total replacement anyway.

If you're serious about linking the front of your 80, PM me.
 
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