Back Yard Special: Links on the Cheap

[LittleBigFoot]

I'm thinkin about some back yard links. I was lookin at my current leaf spring hangers thinkin, those would be great places to start for a link style suspension set up.

DOM is 22 bucks a foot around here, heims are wicked expensive, and tube inserts are killer in the end. I got to thinkin about back woods links for a trail rig.

What about using 2.5" OD square tube instead of DOM?
Cheap, can be re-enforced along the seam with plate, and comes with tons of different wall thicknesses. Wouldn't kink as easy as round tube, especially with some heafty plate welded to the bottom.

Instead of heims, how about this? Drilling some holes in the square tube, welding a piece of DOM in, and stuffing in a really soft bushing. Run a bolt through just like a leaf spring and even use the current hangers. Would just have to weld tabs to the axle. The bushings would be easily replaceable, and cheap!

The square tube would make it really easy to mount a coil seat on like the early Ford radius arms where the coil seat bolts in to the arm and the other part of the C. Or like the rear design on old chevys.

Shock tabs would be wicked easy. Coil buckets could be burned to the chassis with ease.

Should I have laid off the cheap burbon or could this possibly work for a trail rig?

 

[martin]

Take a look at the control arms on a jeep xj, and then ask yourself the same question.

 

[Roger]

www.suicidedoors.com has the urethane joints with DOM for about as cheap as you'll find anywhere. THere are 4 link calculators all over the web.

I'm not the only one to have considered a 4 link in the rear of a Ranger, Since my truck sits about 6" over stock, I looked at weights and what springs might be used in the rear. Decided some Jeep Cherokee STOCK front coils would be about right (maybe a little stiff) in the rear. Rather than coil buckets on the side of the frame, I was just going to do a perch right under the frame rails and keep the coil captive at both the top and bottom. I've since decided to do something different though... IF I get that far...

 

[LittleBigFoot]

It's been a while since I was under an XJ. Well, my old ZJ. I forgot the control arms were all flimsy plasticish C channel stuff. Some how that holds up.

I just might try this when my D70's are ready to go in.

 

[brnrubr4ever]

square is fine thats what I will be using. You can also use HREW tubing. Dont use black pipe. as far as heims. try Tractor joints. at you local tractor supply.

 

[Toreadorranger]

Your better off with bushings then tractor joints. Tractor joints get sloppy and noisy very fast when they start to get dirt in them.