The "Donkey" build/rebuild

[Bracket racer]

its 3:13 in the morning...good night...

 

[Bracket racer]

Ok, I built a 4x16ft deck so the wife could walk from the back deck to the hot tub and then sheet rocked a hole in the bathroom wall and just finished painting it. So now that she's happy for the last two days work...I saw a set of 35's on facebook for $350 with 1/4 tread or more so I went and picked them up today. ($250, talked him down)

Then I went in the garage and started pulling stuff apart and trying to visualize what I want.

Straight pipe back from a pivot point and make a trailing arm type suspension with a track bar.
I remembered I have 3 link brackets still on an old 9" in the shed...maybe cut these off and use them?
Maybe go 3 link?

Not sure, I want simplicity. I'm thinking of the old 67-72 chev truck rear suspension with two trailing arms and a track bar.

I'll google some images and see what catches my eye. I know a 3 or 4 link would be neat but (this is the worst reason) I'm in a rush because I have a buddy that wants to go wheeling this coming weekend. So, what can I design/build/install in two days??

We'll see how far I get tomorrow and how things "feel".

 

[Bracket racer]

Started this morning and after a day I'm not completely fed up, so there's that! lol.
The planning stage....

I welded a piece of pipe across the end of the heavy wall tubing and pressed new one ton chev bushing in.

Cut some brackets from heavy angle iron

After the holes were drilled, plasma cut them out. (apparently having fancy machines don't make your work appear any better...lol!

welded it up and slid it on the tube to mock it up

both slid on for test fit

cut a 2" square tube to fit the axle on an angle

 

[Bracket racer]

better picture of it mocked up

hopefully tomorrow get the other square tubing done and then work on the spring pads. Haven't figured out shocks yet...still thinking.

Then, bring it all home, mock it up on the truck and tack it, then probably take it all back to the welding shop to finish welding.
Got home tonight and the wife said "are you all done"??? I was like...designing, planning, fabricating, assembling and installing a custom rear suspension in two days is moving pretty quick, in ONE DAY??? C'MON!!!



women.....

 

[Bracket racer]

oh, forgot to mention, I was going to run the tubes straight (parallel to the frame) but realised triangulation is required and thats how chev did it. (not that I want to copy Garbage Made Cheap trucks...but it a simple design)

 

[ericbphoto]

better picture of it mocked up

View attachment 40708

hopefully tomorrow get the other square tubing done and then work on the spring pads. Haven't figured out shocks yet...still thinking.

Then, bring it all home, mock it up on the truck and tack it, then probably take it all back to the welding shop to finish welding.
Got home tonight and the wife said "are you all done"??? I was like...designing, planning, fabricating, assembling and installing a custom rear suspension in two days is moving pretty quick, in ONE DAY??? C'MON!!!



women.....

Five minutes after she goes into the bathroom to do hair and makeup, ask "Are you finished?"

 

[Bgunner]

What are your plans to keep the axle strait under the rear?

3 link / 4 link
Or track bar?

 

[Bracket racer]

Going to run a track bar. I've got it built and it's sitting in the garage beside the donkey. Got a pressing "non automotive " issue I have to deal with. Monday I'll start welding it in. I have lots of pictures but don't have time to post just yet.
Gotta go, more to follow.

 

[Bracket racer]

Here is the front bar, I added square tubing to the ends so there would be more contact area

As you can see the tubing is very heavy (used for drilling wells)

Now I'm not saying I over build stuff....but with it assembled, I wasn't breaking my back to hand load it on the truck. (especially when there is a 25ton crane handy, hehehe)

I got the front bar (pivot point) welded in the truck and laid everything else out. I have the arms u-bolted to the rearend and went from full drop to full lift. I had to rethink where to put it though as where I was originally going to weld it (inside the frame) would of only gave me 3/4" to move the t-case which means I wouldn't of been able to remove the t-case or tranny. So, I welded it under the frame but with the pivot point and the driveshaft u-joint lined up. It must of worked because in the full suspension travel the spline on the driveshaft only moves 3/4"!! Flange to flange the distance is 45 1/4" at full compression to 46" at full extension. (actually way more lift than I'll ever use)

No pictures of that yet but it's coming.
Oh, and the "crossmember" I built is designed to be unbolted to drop the rear so it can be loaded on the toy hauler. More pictures to follow.

 

[Bracket racer]

Forgot to mention too, if you look at the original diff vent before I welded on the spring perch's and then after they are welded on you'll see I had to plug the original and then drill and tap a new hole. Since I was doing that, I put a fitting in and hooked up a 24" piece of 3/8" fuel line and put a new vent in the end of it. Pain in the butt and an extra hour I wasn't planning on.

Got up this morning and had to go to work...4" of snow???? WTF??? Started the car and the batt light came on and the p/s isn't working. Sounds like a belt broke? Sure enough, serpentine belt on the 2011 focus snapped. Whatever, I'll take the truck. Wait...WHY did the belt break? Popped the hood again and found the A/C compressor is seized!!! AAARRRGGG!!!
Got to work, went to put the truck in park and the shifter won't go above neutral?? WHAT IS GOING ON??? The truck only has 98,000km's on it?? Ran it in the shop and put it up on the hoist, the shift arm is packed SOLID with ice? Knocked the snow/ice out of it and working perfect again. Very weird!

Anyway, back to work.

 

[Bracket racer]

One step forward, two steps back.....
The springs (no idea what they're out of) are pretty soft and with the arms above the axle, the arms bottom out on the frame. About an inch or two of travel.
So, while I'm keeping the "unbolt the springs to drop it" feature, I'm modifying the mount to drop it in the frame lower, picking up the ass. Also, I think I might move the arms from above the axle to below, again for clearance. I'd like to have 6-8" travel if possible.
Next issue is that I moved the rear ended forward another 2" for spring clearance, I think the driveshaft is 1" too short now....can't win for losing!

Priority today is getting the car fixed, then the donkey so we'll see how that goes......

 

[bobbywalter]

I am horrifically disappointed no one attempted to stop you from using trailer springs.

 

[Bracket racer]

Actually I did, that was plan 259, 26" trailer springs. But....they have bronze bushings and wouldn't articulate at all.

Or do you mean that nobody told me not to even try them? Either way this thing is "next level hackers" to quote someone else! Lol!

 

[bobbywalter]

hacker.....yeah...thats me. the thought process to use short springs...that is not hacker.


its why you ended up in the tree.

 

[Bracket racer]

Replaced the a/c compressor on the focus, dropping it off to get recharged and then home to work on the donkey some more. It's sitting on it's own springs (I added 6" tubing to the spring assembly and now the frame is 31" off the ground in the back and has about 7" of travel) The driveshaft fit and seems to not bottom out when I drop the frame on the axle so that was a relief. I welded on the track bar (panhard rod) mounts and am building the actual bar when I get home. Now it's just move the battery, reroute (fabricate) the exhaust, replace the crushed brake lines and fab mounts and install shocks. Almost done!!