Well, I worked out some numbers... not really perfect or anything as the measurements weren't perfect. Oh, yeah, and the angles are right this time.



Well, a 2-link or w/e would work, but I'm worried about how it will drive on the road.

 

I'm interested now, Why are you doing this to a ranger if you are not planning on really using it? Why a 4 link instead of a 3? Why a Link instead of a leaf? What do you plan on doing with this ranger when all is said and done?

 

Well, it's kinda hard to explain since you're 3000 miles away. The terrain we encounter here is a whole lot different.

I will eventually have do the SAS but I want to do a really versatile suspension, since I'm in the AF and will be traveling alot.

I really just want the suspension to work almost anywhere, and I figured that if I made it to handle pretty much anyhting on the east coast, I could throw coilovers in there for max travel and it will suffice on the west coast.

Does that help any?

 

i still dont understand how a 4 link is gonna do that much of benefit for your application. you can get more than enough travel from a leaf suspesion with a few hundred dollars in it and save yourself 700 dollars. you do realize that to get more travel than a good leaf suspension out of coilovers and 4 link you are gonna spend well over a thousand dollars right?

just doesnt get justified to me with your front suspension....

 

Well, like i said, I'm going to do the front later. The rear is easier to do, so i'm going to do it first.

 

but do you understand that it will be MUCH more beneficial to put the money into the front right away? unless you won the lottery that extra 700 plus dollars will come in REAL handy for getting the front done. im not trying to bust your ***** hear, im just trying to steer you in a better direction.

the 4 link rear wont be good for much more over a good leaf setup except bling factor...

not to mention you will probably lose your bed mounting the coilovers...

 

Well, I'm not looking for the easy/cheap way out.... I want to do it right the first time.

But I'm not saving up 5k just to do the entire thing at once. I'll prep the truck, then I'll start buying the parts I need.

 

Channing, Putting leafs with drop shackles and a low clearance Shock towers with 18" coilovers isn't cheap or easy. The Giant 64" leaf Kit is unreal. Yes I know It's on a prerunner but still... And a 4 link

 

thats crazy.....

 

Well, if I wanted to save money I could go to a junkyard and buy another set of springs, shackles, and hangers from a ranger, and go over to my friends' house and buy one of his "spare" D44s from his XJs, and throw it on there with a couple extra steering components in a weekend...

But what I WANT is totally different... I want to 4-link the rear first, no matter whether or not it will do anything for me, and then one day when I have another vehicle to drive, do the rear.

Or maybe I should just forget about the whole god damn thing and ask one of the mods to close this thread, because everytime I have an idea for something really cool to do to my truck, someone HAS to come and tear down my idea with "you'll be spending too much money...blah, blah, blah..." I don't care how much money I have to save up/spend to get my truck the way I want it.

Now, I'm not saying just totally ignore this thread, now, becuase I do need a little help being that I don't have any experience in this area. And some of you can help me becuase you either have experience doing suspension work, or you've researched it and know alot more than I do.

[/rant]

Now, thanks Gil and Jey and Cass for helping me, but don't try to turn me away.

 

um yeah. well im not gonna be the same guy i was and say your dumb. go for it. if its what you REALLY want, then ill try to help you at it, but you know my original opinion.


keep postin sketches now...

 

I'm with gil. I Just don't wanna see you start into this and spend the kinda money your gonna spend, when you coulda got just as much with 1/2 as much $.
But if a 4-links what ya want, lets see what you need. 9er. For sure don't 4 link with an 8.8 get a ford 9". your going to need probably 2 sets of shocks for ample performance. You are going to need a few different things, Trailing arms, uniball setups, trusses on your axel, limit straps, MASSIVE bumpstops with cans. That's just a start. Biggest thing about doing a Link up in the rear, is the geometry of your axle. It needs to be perfect from full droop to full bump. a little off and your gonna eat up your truck.

 

well what kind of wheeling you want it for? mainly...

 

i think he just wants to not feel speed bumps anymore cause its a waste of money to link a street pounder

 

Well, let's see, hill climbing, jumping, mud, sand.... the works, really. That's the kind of terrain we have here.

I was thinking I needed a 9" rearend. I wasn't thinking about doing a desert racing type setup, but more of the rock crawling type setup with just a single coilover, but I might add a shock on each side to the rear along with the coilovers.

I think I am still going to go with the 1.25" rod ends, cause that's what is used in the long arm kits. BUT, I could also use the RE superflex joints... they would both require the same amount of fabrication work, but which one will last longer?

Trussing the axle will be pretty simple.

There are people that run limit straps to keep the bouncing at bay, or something like that... correct me if i'm wrong. But, I think I would run a single limit strap in the middle of the diff.

Isn't there only a couple sizes of bumps?? 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, right? Oh, the bump--CAN. Yeah, the bump cans will have to be there...lol.

If I can find a decent CAD program for a small price I will have much nicer sketches.

Thanks guys

 

9 inch isnt jsut desert. im gonna use a 9 inch when i sas.

and WTF is "the rock crawling type setup with just a single coilover". you mean one coilvoer on each side?!?

 

Ok, No, Limit straps are a MUST with a linked rear. Or else your gonna tear your shocks apart like a peice of paper. They help save your shocks, they don't just keep the boucing at bay, your shocks will take care of the bouncing. 1 in the middle? What are you gonna weld / bolt it to? Exactly theres nothing back there man, You need 2, 1 on each side. Trust me it's more benficial in the long run.

 

Well I think what Cass is thinking is the pre-runner type with the single triangulated with the huge parallels with a coilover and shock mounted on the parallel for more up and down travel.

What I'm talking about is the double triangulated with a single huge coilover mounted on either side of the axle.... like some rock crawlers have.

 

Well, once the 9" is trussed up, I'll have plenty to weld/bolt it to. I guess one on each side will enhance the longevity of the suspension's life.

 

ive never seen ANY rock crawler with only one coilover. only time ive ever seen that type of single ocilover setup is on an atv...

 

No, one on each side of the axle, 2 coilovers in the rear...

 

ok thats what i thought you meant.

do you tow at all?

 

No, never pulled anyhting, almost had to pull a ATV on a trailer once... But I'm waiting to go to basic, so that may change soon.

But I will wait til the truck is paid off when I start doing all this. I'll probably buy a two rig/daily driver when I pay the ranger off.