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interesting way to go coils

blazinzuk

blazinzuk

Buzzbox voodoo
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So I have a couple of buddies who changed their rigs to coils springs using Ford towers and lower coil buckets. They used square tube for locating links, here is the part where I really want to say "What were you thinking" all the links (done up in a radius arm fashion) are welded onto the axle. One single heim joint in the back it what attaches said arm to the frame. Don't get me wrong the fab and the welds and stuff are fine, its just the fact the radius arms are welded to the axle.

What do you guys think? Other than the fact that there is no adjusability in them is anything else wrong with this?

chestons stuff.jpg
 
You can't have 4 links with that kind of setup and you won't have as much available movement from the ends.

Will it work? Yep. Is a more conventional setup better? Yep.
 
This is going to be a bit harsh.

That is going to bind like a Mother #$*@er and have about 6"of flex. If you can force it to have more it will probably rotate the tubes in the axle housing.

That is not a smart way to do thigs at all.
 
The poly/rubber bushings in the factory "style" radius arm do give a little movement and help with flex and ride. And the factory "style" suck for flex in comparison to better link designs. in the end, its stupid IMHO.
 
miniwally said:
This is going to be a bit harsh.

That is going to bind like a Mother #$*@er and have about 6"of flex. If you can force it to have more it will probably rotate the tubes in the axle housing.

That is not a smart way to do thigs at all.
Click to expand...
See thats what I thought too, oh well we will see how well it flexes when he gets it under the truck.

There is heim joint at the end you can't see.
 
As mentioned, this system will not articulate. It will move straight up 'n down tho. He has created a giant, rigid swaybar.

Marv
 
marv_springer said:
As mentioned, this system will not articulate. It will move straight up 'n down tho. He has created a giant, rigid swaybar.

Marv
Click to expand...

with plug welds that are begging to bust at the dif.

Going out the first time with him will be real interesting, pack a few extra meals with you cause your gonna be on the trail repairing for a while.
 
Okay I am assuming you guys are right, thats pretty much what I thought too. Heres the question how to fix it?

Can you just cut the tubes past the axle a bit a put in bushings. Look at the picture red line is cut line red circles are possible bushing location

BTW be as harsh as you want I told him to do it differently

modddd.JPG
 
How is the best way to recover..... :thinking:

I think he has 2 choices.
1) leave one side like it is - welded to the axle. Seems popular to leave the one on the diff side hard mounted. Then make a "sleeve" that will allow free rotation of the axle tube on the other side....

2) A better choice would be to start over and 4 link or 3 link it....

Marv
 
Looks like a nightmare for the steering geometry too. The axle will follow an arc altering castor all the time.
And yes, no flex apart from metal twisting.
 
I hadn't noticed that it does look like a front end.

Is this a front?

If so tell them to save the heim joints a junk the rest of that POS link system and do a bit of research before doing stupid things like this.

Radius arm suspensions don't work that well. They can be made to work but still not well.
 
southernspeed said:
Looks like a nightmare for the steering geometry too. The axle will follow an arc altering castor all the time.
And yes, no flex apart from metal twisting.
Click to expand...

But the pinion angle will stay SWEET no matter what......!!!!

:haha:
 
miniwally said:
with plug welds that are begging to bust at the dif.

Going out the first time with him will be real interesting, pack a few extra meals with you cause your gonna be on the trail repairing for a while.
Click to expand...
Just make sure you're ahead of him on the trail, then no worries.....
;)
 
miniwally said:
snip....

Radius arm suspensions don't work that well. They can be made to work but still not well.
Click to expand...
Have to disagree. They aren't the best solution, but for what is involved in building one (correctly I might add!) they work pretty damned good.
It's not just EB's & F-100's that have them OE, Land Rovers and FJ80's also use them.
They only really suffer in the Castor change dept. and that is a high speed concern, not a low speed concern.
 
ntsqd said:
Have to disagree. They aren't the best solution, but for what is involved in building one (correctly I might add!) they work pretty damned good.
It's not just EB's & F-100's that have them OE, Land Rovers and FJ80's also use them.
They only really suffer in the Castor change dept. and that is a high speed concern, not a low speed concern.
Click to expand...

along with tire wear...
 
79k20350 said:
along with tire wear...
Click to expand...

I've never seen or heard of a radius arm solid axle causing tire wear issues in comparison to any other solid axle setup...

now Twin Traction Beam WITH Radius Arms, yeah THAT causes some funky wear sometimes.
 
Agreed. Don't see how the suspension setup for a solid axle would affect the tire wear. Unless it had some crazy caster issues, but then that would be a problem of the axle, not the suspension.

I like radius arms. I think they are often overlooked, and when designed properly they can function pretty well.
 
sled_dog said:
I've never seen or heard of a radius arm solid axle causing tire wear issues in comparison to any other solid axle setup...

now Twin Traction Beam WITH Radius Arms, yeah THAT causes some funky wear sometimes.
Click to expand...

Doh!!!:doah::doah::doah: Yeah I was thinkin TTB, been a long day:rolleyes:
 
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