Wow high steer for the FJ80. Does anyone have these installed?
Wristed Control Arm Pics
- Thread starter jmaddocks
- Start date
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I sit up at night dreaming about all of the ways. Best thing I can come up with is to modify the rear bush of the front control arms to accept a beafy heim joint (www.marylandmetrics.com)-I have had a couple phone calls to AOR and to All Pro/Alcan for the possibility to design and/or machine one of their orbit-eye bushes to fit to the stock 80 control arm for the front bushes.
Or fabbing arms with this sort of design. My only hesitation about the wristing has been the bracket strength under such a load when off road (not on ramp). However, the orbit-eye (or Johnny joint) may relieve some of this. hmmm.
The control arms themselves are pretty srong as mentioned previously, but I've replaced one already due to a bow in the "y" direction . Maybe some lateral support from the axle to the bracket would ensure strength (or otherwise that warm fuzzy feeling of safety).
-Pierto
Or fabbing arms with this sort of design. My only hesitation about the wristing has been the bracket strength under such a load when off road (not on ramp). However, the orbit-eye (or Johnny joint) may relieve some of this. hmmm.
The control arms themselves are pretty srong as mentioned previously, but I've replaced one already due to a bow in the "y" direction . Maybe some lateral support from the axle to the bracket would ensure strength (or otherwise that warm fuzzy feeling of safety).
-Pierto
Wrench,
The above shots are of a Bronco front radius arm. We modified my freinds 73 in the same way. It did amazing things for his articulation.
Reason being the tail end of a 3 point coil sprung bonco front axle is the end of those arms are in
bushings allowing limited torsional movement in the up and down axis, Our rear attachemnt point does not have the same bind.
Shawn and all I know you all are going to be trying to pull out one bolt at a time and test wich one gives you the most flex but I will input the trickiest part of the Bronco mod is to make the through holes line up so the bend is a a 90 degree angle. I would think long and hard about reinforcing those side brackets on the axle housing before I played too hard. Check your drop and make sure it is not possible for your arms to exit the brackets and bind on the walls on the return stroke.You might want to even use a v shape at your opening to allow it to fall back into its base position .
Just some random thoughts feel free to ignore!!!
Dave
The above shots are of a Bronco front radius arm. We modified my freinds 73 in the same way. It did amazing things for his articulation.
Reason being the tail end of a 3 point coil sprung bonco front axle is the end of those arms are in
bushings allowing limited torsional movement in the up and down axis, Our rear attachemnt point does not have the same bind.
Shawn and all I know you all are going to be trying to pull out one bolt at a time and test wich one gives you the most flex but I will input the trickiest part of the Bronco mod is to make the through holes line up so the bend is a a 90 degree angle. I would think long and hard about reinforcing those side brackets on the axle housing before I played too hard. Check your drop and make sure it is not possible for your arms to exit the brackets and bind on the walls on the return stroke.You might want to even use a v shape at your opening to allow it to fall back into its base position .
Just some random thoughts feel free to ignore!!!
Dave
Cruiser Jimmy
Moderator
Shocks Lengths
jmaddocks,
Wow, this is great info. I actually saw another guy "MYTTOY" with his FJ80RUNNER do this same thing at one of our events in Kentucky on Aug 13th.
I work for a shock producer and have some measurements for you.
Disclaimer: the measurements are not from the shock drawings but none the less will give you (or someone else) good and safe data to start with.
Front Shocks:
For the extended length: the measurement is taken from the top of the stud bolts button if you look at it with the stud bolt pointed to the sky, the maximum length the shock will see is 571 mm at 0 neutons. At 571 mm you have internal metal contact.
For the compressed length: same measurement method, the minimum length is 355 mm. Unless you take the jounce bumper off the vehicle you should not buttom out the stock shock.
Rear Shocks:
For the extended length: Stud bolt (same location for the front shock) to the center of the lower eye ring. The length is 572 mm at 0 neutons. The compressed length is 362 mm.
Now if someone is taken measurement while the shocks are on the vehicle then adjust for measurement locations and note the deltas.
Hope my info help you.
jmaddocks,
Wow, this is great info. I actually saw another guy "MYTTOY" with his FJ80RUNNER do this same thing at one of our events in Kentucky on Aug 13th.
I work for a shock producer and have some measurements for you.
Disclaimer: the measurements are not from the shock drawings but none the less will give you (or someone else) good and safe data to start with.
Front Shocks:
For the extended length: the measurement is taken from the top of the stud bolts button if you look at it with the stud bolt pointed to the sky, the maximum length the shock will see is 571 mm at 0 neutons. At 571 mm you have internal metal contact.
For the compressed length: same measurement method, the minimum length is 355 mm. Unless you take the jounce bumper off the vehicle you should not buttom out the stock shock.
Rear Shocks:
For the extended length: Stud bolt (same location for the front shock) to the center of the lower eye ring. The length is 572 mm at 0 neutons. The compressed length is 362 mm.
Now if someone is taken measurement while the shocks are on the vehicle then adjust for measurement locations and note the deltas.
Hope my info help you.
- Thread starter
- #25
BTW, the axle doesn't appear to limit the upward range of motion of the wristed arm. Instead, it's the top of the forward bushing hole on the control arm hitting the mounting bracket. Makes sense when you look at it. That's what's happening in the pictures above (didn't seem to hurt much).
I agree with what Dave said -- you certainly wouldn't want the leading edge of the control arm coming out of the bracket and then getting hung up coming back in.
I was originally going to get some of Christo's control arms, but I think now I'll get his caster plates and beef one of them up by sandwiching it between two plates welded to the axle. The sandwiching would make the bracket much stiffer laterally, and the whole thing should be much stronger in tension (not too worried about compression, where the control arm is jammed into the bracket). I've also been thinking about welding little ramps below the front mounting bolts inside the bracket on the wristed side to make a smooth "track" for the arm to slide up and down on. I'm sure somebody will figure out the best way to do this.
Jason
I agree with what Dave said -- you certainly wouldn't want the leading edge of the control arm coming out of the bracket and then getting hung up coming back in.
I was originally going to get some of Christo's control arms, but I think now I'll get his caster plates and beef one of them up by sandwiching it between two plates welded to the axle. The sandwiching would make the bracket much stiffer laterally, and the whole thing should be much stronger in tension (not too worried about compression, where the control arm is jammed into the bracket). I've also been thinking about welding little ramps below the front mounting bolts inside the bracket on the wristed side to make a smooth "track" for the arm to slide up and down on. I'm sure somebody will figure out the best way to do this.
Jason
jklubens said:jmaddocks,
Wow, this is great info. I actually saw another guy "MYTTOY" with his FJ80RUNNER do this same thing at one of our events in Kentucky on Aug 13th.
Thats right I have been playing with this for awhile now on my FJ80RUNNER its essentially a 4RUNNER adapted to a complete FJ80 chassis using the 4RUNNER engine, tranny and dual transfers.
I am running 38x16.5 claws and stock shocks and springs right now and I am using every bit of the shocks movement.
Of course i am not looking at the weight loading that you all are due to the lighter 4RUNNER body. Also the height of the bodies vary quite abit as well so I am not seeing any body lean issues with both swaybars off and the DS front bolt removed.
The movement in the unbolted link mount is not that large to get a really great advantage in flex. In fact I am going to look into building spacers to drop the coils down 2-3 inches and fit longer shocks and it will be good. May need to drop the panards at both ends some but that would be it. If anyone is interested i could easily put the bolt back in for some comparison messurements to compare travel however there was a guy that retrofitted a 80 axle to his AMIGO and displayed a great difference with one bolt removed from his custom arms he made that mounted on top of the axle. i will try and find the link as it relates to the travel to be had with our rigs as well.
Here is a link to show the difference between the 80 axle with and then without the front DS bolt and it shows the difference in movement allowed . Keep in mind he has customer radius arms on top however the theory is the same bolted limits do to inability for the axle to rotate and unbolted allowing some of the needed rotation to allow more vertical movement whih equals flex...
http://www.houlster.com/amigo/SAS/sas_progress.htm#18_Jan_04_Update
There is a link also in the IH8MUD tech links for this mans site...
http://www.houlster.com/amigo/SAS/sas_progress.htm#18_Jan_04_Update
There is a link also in the IH8MUD tech links for this mans site...
Tools R Us said:
What's the vendors name/ web site for the brackets to flip the arms on top?
what about a three link?
What about using a three link? Use one stock arm and one "short" arm using only the rear mounting hole on the axle. I think "Rockkrawlers" Jeep suspensions use this set up? and those things flex all over the place...too much I think. rockkrawler.com
What about using a three link? Use one stock arm and one "short" arm using only the rear mounting hole on the axle. I think "Rockkrawlers" Jeep suspensions use this set up? and those things flex all over the place...too much I think. rockkrawler.com
markt said:
That is exactly what is on my 40. I'll let you know how it works if I ever get it on the rocks.
FB Fabworks said:What about OTT's FJ-80 high steer kit? www.ottindustries.com What if you did arms on top, a quick release bolt or pin and this steering?
i think these are made in pretty limited numbers if at all anymore. Last i heard was someone had waited six months and was asking for thier money back...
FB Fabworks said:What about OTT's FJ-80 high steer kit? www.ottindustries.com What if you did arms on top, a quick release bolt or pin and this steering?
Has anyone been able to talk with OTT. I have tried calling several times and all I get in the answering machine???
