Rear Links - And so it begins - finally!

[BadDog]

I considered them (Ranger lift springs) but was concerned the rate would be too low for my heavy POS. I can get the V8 ZJ springs in up to +4 pretty cheap, so hopefully that will do...

And it would not be correct to say that I "regret buying the BTF bridge", it did save me some work. But when I changed designs and stopped trying to keep my top axle link mounts low, it actually caused me more work and worry by having to build those "towers". With all that leverage, they are going to put a crap load of stress right at the point where they tie into the bridge. And I'm worried about the bracket plates distorting, or even the bridge shifting a bit. It really can't go down due to the pinion mount and the fact that the underside of the bridge (right under the towers) actually touches the diff housing. But it could move left or right a bit.

<shrug> Good or bad, I'm at the point where I'm going to do some testing before I make any more major changes. Just for piece of mind, I may plate the back of the bridge to the diff housing, and I may plate the front of the towers (with drain gap) just to make sure the vertical bracket plates don't distort (wave due to braking torque). But as tired as I am of fooling with it, and as long as I've been down trying to muster the energy and budget to do this, I'm would not give very good odds on either job getting done before it hits the trails again...

 

[BadDog]

Oh, has anyone identified the source of that upper spring bracket yet? The one shown in the "jig" pic and the "done" pic? Not even any guesses? I know you guys have seen it many times on your trucks...

 

[blk87K5]

Well until sniffles gets out of bed...

Mine looks a lot like this but with a 14 bolt and more beef...

 

[blk87K5]

Here are some build up pics of my rear four link. I dont have any of it finished, but you can get the idea of what is going on. I should be able to get some finished pics tonight.

 

[blk87K5]

A few more...

These shots are only of mock-up without the bolt holes in the plate for the links. The links are just laying on the top of the housing.

 

[blk87K5]

Two more to kind of give a better idea of what it looks like. The sides are also cut at an angle leading down to the axle tubes. I welded the plates on with an Airco 250 shopmaster cranked all the way up, .035" wire, and 75/25 gas mixture. I did not pre heat, and it took me about an hour to fully weld the back plate and all four the the front plates on, along with the hoop for my rear winch to preload the suspension. By the time I was finished welding, the whole axle housing was red hot. I did however, throw a welding blanket on it so it could cool a little slower. Everything is made out of 3/8" hot rolled steel plate. The shims I used to make up the distance between the sides of the plate and the heims are 3/4" black wall poopy pipe from Home Depot in the plumbing section. I also rounded off the front plates to make it look a little more appealing and lose a few pounds courtesy of the gas axe. For those that think welding to cast will cause it to eventually stress crack and break, I welded it to the .50" wall axle tube too. There is also a brace/winch mounting plate welded on top of the middle triangle where the drivers side link is resting on the first pic of this post. With the plate welded in the middle and the links bolted in, every plate is tied together by either a bolt/shim/heim/shim/nut, or a welded plate. Both sides of each plate are welded to the housing also, along with being welded to the back plate.

 

[az-k5]

The upper coil bucket is a front bump stop mount.

 

[BadDog]

Great, thanks for the pics. Nice use of shear planes.

And I don't worry so much about welding to cast steel. I avoid it when I can, but I've never had any problems. I wish I had your welder though. My MM175 has been sorely taxed on several parts of this project, but that's the first time it's hit it's limit in over 3 years of building truck parts, car parts, trailer parts, yard gates, tools, shelves, tables, and all manner of stuff...

Also gotta get me some regulators. That and the tanks is all I'm missing to having a "gas axe" again. My neighbor had one and it was part of the "share plan" where we each had big ticket items the other didn't have. His was mostly wood working, mine mostly steel, but together there wasn't much we couldn't build, and between his planer and table saw, and my chop saw and grinder, we didn't have any problem with noise, but I bet our neighbors hate(d) us... He moved about 6 months ago and the only thing I've really missed was the torch, though I could have used that table saw, planer, and router once or twice...

Edit: Oh, and talking of tying it all together. I took some roll bar scraps (the same ones used to "jig" the plates for welding in the pics) and made spacers to occupy the unused adjustment holes. Between the rigidity added by bolting those in, and that from the link ends themselves, it should be pretty rigid even with 0.250 wall plate. I hope... Just following the principals of C.E.E.

 

[BadDog]

The upper coil bucket is a front bump stop mount.

aaaagggghhhhnnn. Wrong answer. This thing is bigger than that. About 5.5" off the vertical, and about 6" tall. Here is another hint, it's rotated 90* clockwise from stock orientation in the pics. Next?

 

[Fubeca]

It looks a bit like a bumper bracket to me

 

[BadDog]

It does look a bit like an outrigger, but they are much longer. Still no cigar...

Another hint, it has not been cut or altered in any way other than adding to it.

 

[Fubeca]

Ah ha, now its looking a lot like the back of a stock rear shackle hanger.

 

[BadDog]

Very close, but not quite. Here, you can have a bubblegum cigar...

 

[sled_dog]

what the heck is it? Looks like the backside of the stock shackle mount to me as well

 

[mosesburb]

Rear spring, forward mount, reinforcement from the spring bolt to the frame??

He moved about 6 months ago and the only thing I've really missed was the torch, though I could have used that table saw, planer, and router once or twice...

I almost have the torch (I'll race you to completion of that tool....), but I have the others if the need arises.

 

[BadDog]

Dang fubeca, my mistake, your right. For some reason I was thinking you were talking about the back of the shackle hanger itself, as if I had cut it up or something, though that's not what you typed. Sorry dude, here is that cigar I promised...

 

[Fubeca]

Ha! I thought that's what it was. I almost went out with my flashlight wallowing in the mud under the truck last night to make sure .I'll chew that cigar with pride.

 

[Fubeca]

Russ,

Is the bumpstop the only thing that will ultimately limit the upward travel of the axle?

Are you worried about the stability of the threaded rod or bracket where it mounts to the frame?

 

[BadDog]

Yes, for now it is the only thing limiting up trave. I don't jump it, so I'm not too worried. And there is a cross member behind there so it shouldn't be too bad. But flex in that area is going to be one of the things I'll be watching on the shake down run(s). The threaded rod is 1" B7 all thread, so I don't think it's going to be a problem at that length. I think you could only hurt it with a LOT of leverage working against it, so the weak point will be the frame and bracket if anything (IMO). We'll see what reality has to say on the matter...

 

[Fubeca]

We'll see what reality has to say on the matter...

Ah the fun of backyard fab .