914runner

Do you have an estimated price yet? You can PM me if you dont want to talk about that here?

Thanks

rockota

Interesting that you mounted the heim vertically - are you not worried about side loading? How bad is the rear steer? Other than that, very cool and kudos for thinking outside the box.

Marc P

Very nice 2nd gen!!! Where in So cal are you??

Throw some ball joint spacers up front and it'll be all set.

Scottz

Not really, This is the same way I have done on desert race trucks which have even more stress placed on them with the longer links and so on, and the Hiems would last 2 or three races before they got replaced. And to a hiem will last longer if the pivoting is striaght up and down, this is why I notice a new trend in verticily mounted hiems on a front suspsion like the newer sand cars and race trucks are doing. So I expect them to last a few years or more on my rig, if not the life time of it.
As far as rear, steer I haven't felt anything like that and if anything it corners alot better from what I had before.

Scottz

Yeah front suspension is next. I'm thinking of doing my own long travel kit and post my development and progress on here. I already started making the parts.

Blizzard

Sweet truck Thanks for the explanations.

Any flex pics?

David

BruceTS

Very nice Idea, but there's one major problem, the stock upper link mounting points weren't designed to handle the extra side loading that the panhard absorbed. You need to reinforce them or they will eventually crack. The next issue is heims weren't meant to handle the side loading.

Just giving you head's up since I went through almost the exact thing last year with an upper link design that would have bolted in the stock points. After I realized the mounts would have to be upgraded. I decided to switch gears and bulid a proper link system instead.

When I get a chance I'll post some photo's on exactly how weak the mounts are.

Praufet

Bruce you going to relocate the stock tank or use another tank?

BruceTS

The tank location attract too many rocks, so it will be relocated soon. I've lost count on how many times I've taken it out to pound out the dents and re-bend the fuel pump bracket.

I'm gonna fabricate a new tank out of 1/8" and will be where my spare tire used to be.

FirstToy

Here are some comments from a trusted expert as I sent him the pics of this setup:

"Good idea, hard to make work right. It makes me wonder if the upper links on the frame cross member are strong enough to take the side load stress that the links would be taking on. As a rule the upper link should not have a angle bigger than 45 degree were the link is at the rear end, looking downward at the triangular upper link. The set up is probably strong enough though... The joint on the top of the pumpkin needs to be vertical not horizontal like the one pictured (the bolt that passes though vertical instead of horizontal)."

99_Runner

Great idea. I will follow closely to find out if you might make this for the 3rd gen runners to.

FilthyRich

I can't wait to see this I like where you are going

Praufet

I don't get how you be able to get a bolt in there if it was vertical? Also why heims over uniballs or johnny joints? How bad is the vibration from having all solid mounts?

FirstToy

Here is a 1st Gen w/ similar setup- (notice the heim is vert)


http://www.pirate4x4.com/productreviews/cr_motorsports/

Scottz

Okay here's an update on my 3 link setup. On july 4th weekend we went to Johnson Valley and ran around on the Race Course (A) and put about 250 miles in dirt, then to finish off we went up the backside of big bear mountain to do some more 4Xing and added another 80 miles off road. The 3 link set-up never had any issues.
This past weekend I went on the Mojave Road Trail with some freinds and added another 235 miles off road.
Everything is working great and off road this 3 link feels alot better and diffinetly freed up the rearend. I also went over the whole frame and not even the slightest crack.
To answer some of your ?s on side loading this set-up is very strong and side loading is not causing any problems with hiems or anything else for that matter. Like I posted earlier this set is the same on most desert race trucks and they punish the hiems alot more then I do and they still don't have any problems with Vert mounted hiems and I will add some photos of these set-ups.
Thanks again for all the feedback. and heres some flex photos.

Scottz

Vert Uniball and hiem photo

Scottz

I havn't notice any more noise or vibrations. I even thought I might hear the whine of the ring and pinon but not the case. More photos.

Praufet

Very cool. I still want to relocate the gas tank to give her a flatter belly, but I might do this for the suspension.

BruceTS

hehe I know that rig very well, it's been redesigned since those photo's


Scottz, I'm not saying your design won't work, but eventually the mounts will fail, they just weren't designed to handle that much side loading. The main reason why I chose to go double triangulated 4-link is the safety factor, even if one of the links breaks, the axle will stay in place, on a 3-link, the axle will twist. I've had an upper link lose a bolt and was able to drive it home that way.

A link design I made last year worked, but I scrapped the idea after deciding the mounts were too weak and reinforcing them, wasn't worth the effort

Scottz

I have reinforced the stock mounts they just don't show in the photo's. I think the stock mounts are pretty strong on my 94' but I wanted to beef them up anyway so I added some side support gussets and wraped the frame area with some 3/16" chromoly and it was fairly easy.
I have now removed all the link mounts on the dif and the pan hard cross member. There is so much room under my 4Runner now it's like being under a truck with no spare, and my mind I see more room for gas tank, and the thing I can't wait to do is mount some coil over shocks under there.
This week I'm off to do some more 4Xing in Ouray,Colorado with some of my Land Cruiser buddy's and this time I won't leave my camera at home.