I am also very intrested in this. Do you have pics of when it was radius arms?
How is that steering setup? is the swinger on a bushing or a heim?
How is that steering setup? is the swinger on a bushing or a heim?
CK5
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4 link or radius arms
- Thread starter Babaganoosh
- Start date
Reading more about radius arms the caster changes as the suspension moves. Is that because the upper arm is welded to the lower?
No it shouldn't be welded, typically there are two bushings at the axle that handle the twist, the problem with radius arms is they naturally want to twist the axle.. which creates more resistance to body roll etc so they are more stable than a same 4 link witch can have tons of body roll. the main issue with rad arms is the castor change as you mentioned and the tons of Anti squat.. think 300% so when you start climbing they unload and create something called radius arm jacking where at a certain point the arm under load picks itself up kinda like axle wrap.
a simple three link can fix all this.
radius arms are simple to package and most people for desert stuff its good enough but there are a lot of trade offs
a simple three link can fix all this.
radius arms are simple to package and most people for desert stuff its good enough but there are a lot of trade offs
The radius arm setup the upper would be welded to the bottom with 2 bushings on each side for a total of 4 bushings and 2 heims at the frame end.
Thats correct i misunderstood your comment.
No worries, I just don't understand why the caster changes when the upper and lower are welded together with bushings and heims.
take a pencil and pinch it with your index finger and thumb using both hands, now try and twist.. you cant. for this same reason the arms are fixed and when them move down there isnt any way for it to pivot so they have a defined arc they follow.
just imagine it as one link per side forget there is two bushings so when the suspension droops the pinion points up and when its compressed it points down, unlike a 4 link where the pinion angle changes very little.
Pinion angle is directly related to caster because the axle is a fixed beam..
just imagine it as one link per side forget there is two bushings so when the suspension droops the pinion points up and when its compressed it points down, unlike a 4 link where the pinion angle changes very little.
Pinion angle is directly related to caster because the axle is a fixed beam..
Ok that makes sense, crazy how it does that. I would have thought the caster would stay perfectly throughout the travel from bump to droop.
Now the big question, what makes it do this and why doesn't a 3 or 4 link do it as much? Is it because of the upper and lower welded together and not parallel links?
Now the big question, what makes it do this and why doesn't a 3 or 4 link do it as much? Is it because of the upper and lower welded together and not parallel links?
I'm too tired to esplain. So here goes, with sarcasm at the end.
3 or 4 l7nk set up correctly will changer the pinion angle very little. From bump to full droop is .5 degrees of rotation.
If a radius arm is used setting the arm level at ride hight. Your camber and caster are at factory settings if it was built right. The the suspension is compressed, the pinion will rotate down. And vise-versa for droop. Therefore, caster and camber changes also. The shorter the arm, the worse it is.
Ever seen a TTB off of the ground? The cross arms work like your radius arms, and notice the tire angle to the truck.
Or if you are on a teeter-totter, you go up, you lean forward. You go down, you lean back.
3 or 4 l7nk set up correctly will changer the pinion angle very little. From bump to full droop is .5 degrees of rotation.
If a radius arm is used setting the arm level at ride hight. Your camber and caster are at factory settings if it was built right. The the suspension is compressed, the pinion will rotate down. And vise-versa for droop. Therefore, caster and camber changes also. The shorter the arm, the worse it is.
Ever seen a TTB off of the ground? The cross arms work like your radius arms, and notice the tire angle to the truck.
Or if you are on a teeter-totter, you go up, you lean forward. You go down, you lean back.
Ok, that does make sense more.
I never was good with angles and math.
I never was good with angles and math.
pismorat
1/2 ton status
I've been eying the ORD front 4-link kit. Anyone have experience with this and pro's or cons? Seems like an all inclusive kit that could be done in a few days.
I know everything they build is first rate. And tech support is too.
Ok, that does make sense more.
I never was good with angles and math.
And your linking your truck
And your linking your truck
I wasn't going to go there.
As of yet I haven't pulled the trigger.
It has been a huge learning curve, slowly but surely I'm understanding it more. I probably have around 4 hours of reading into it and need more!
It has been a huge learning curve, slowly but surely I'm understanding it more. I probably have around 4 hours of reading into it and need more!
If you are going to link it radius arms are the least complicated. You can always change it to a 3 link or paralell 4 link later. If i was linkin my truck id read a ton more than 4 hours...
I was thinking that to, but I don't like the changes radius arms do while cycling. I think a parallel 4 link would be much better, but how is it any different then a radius arm setup?
As far as needing more hours, I could read and read for days about this. So much to learn and understand.
I'm hoping for some garage time this weekend but it's not looking promising.
As far as needing more hours, I could read and read for days about this. So much to learn and understand.
I'm hoping for some garage time this weekend but it's not looking promising.
2 tie in points at the back of the links means the front end doesn't rotate.
The radius arm has one point up top. The parallel 4 has 2
(on each side of course)
(on each side of course)
I do know that just see the concept, it follows the same lines as the lower which technically a radius arm does as well just has another tie in point that it can pivot from.
I'm going to read on this subject right now.
Just read it over I get it now. The links are "parallel" and follow the same directions which causes no pushing and pulling a radius arm setup does. So in that case you won't get any twisting and the angles stay happy at all times.
Seems a 3 link will do the same as a 4 link and cost less.
I'm going to read on this subject right now.
Just read it over I get it now. The links are "parallel" and follow the same directions which causes no pushing and pulling a radius arm setup does. So in that case you won't get any twisting and the angles stay happy at all times.
Seems a 3 link will do the same as a 4 link and cost less.
