Time to start planning my front 4 link. suggestions welcome

Down&Dirty said:
With mechanical steering and a dual triangulated 4 link you would have crazy flex steer.
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And bump steer, which would be undesireable if you drive it on the road. The amount of which would be dependent on the geometry of the set up.
 
but really Erik do you need this just for the beach,hehe,I was thinking of running a four link with coils in the rear and four linking the front with air shocks,but some one with a green rockwelled tj is trying to talk me out of it,I' m in the same boat as you you talk to ten different people and get ten different answers,its one of those deals where get the idea in your head and do it ,if it works the way you want it, great,if not tear it down and start over,but i'm also in your shoes and probly like everybody else NO MONEY,so try and do it right the first time,i'll see you at the shop one day
 
by the way this is Keith
 
i need this if even for just my driveway, haha... or the mall. i want to build this once and be done with it so that when my needs grow the white turd isalready equipped with the needed stuff to handle what i throw at it without breaking. leaf springs suck, or at least on my yj they do. on their best day they still ride like ass compared to a coil spring. i'm only linking the front first b/c i need to replace one of my springs and build a new driveshaft anyway, otherwise i'd do the rear first since it would be easier to learn on.

either way, i've been thinking about it all day and i THINK the route i've chosen to go is a dual triangulated 4 link up front with full hydro steering. 2.25" tubing for my lowers, 2" tubing for my uppers. and some sort of mix of 1.25" flex joint / johnny joints and poly bushings or something..... no heims as i want to get this brick riding as smooth and quiet as possible. i'd like to tap the links for the ends to eliminate one possible failure point but if it's THAT much of a pain in the ass then i'll just use weld-in inserts.

ok so now i ask... if you've 4 linked the front of a yj, let's see some pics....

-Erik <---- can't wait to get started on this... in a month or two...
 
You don't need 2" tubing for your uppers, that is way overkill, and will just make it harder to fit the links around stuff.

You don't need 2.25 for the lowers unless you think you links are gonna be over 5 feet long. It will also be real hard to weld on the joints. 2" .250 or .375 will be fine.

I would also steer clear of any heims as they wear out and must be replaced. I use large RE flex joints on everything (Bigwoody, pherry, jeep on rocks and 44's, my buggy, etc) and have never broken one, or the 9/16 bolts. When they loosen up, they can be retightened several times, and can be rebuilt.
 
There is also no need to make the lowers adjustable, just make sure you get it straight the first time, and weld the joinds to the links. Make one end of the uppers adjustable, and use a threaded insert. They are plenty strong if welded right. Welding them in is very easy. I have tapped large diameter tubing before, it is a pita if you don't have a lathe to get the tap started straight.

If you drive it on the road alot, I would steer clear of the hydraulic steering, and go with a 3 link, or a tj longarm type set up.
 
sha_ba_do_bang said:
i look at full hyrdro as the same risk as not having a emergency brake.
The bigger concern i think is that if the motor quits you don't have any steering, thats what i would be concerned about
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I call bullshit on that one,I checked my buddies full hydro with rockwells and 39" boggers and you can still turn the wheel,its hard as hell but it can still be steered,also checked the forklift at work and it to can be turn with the engine off
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I still have some decisions to make but after lots of talking with Danny @ Cape Fear 4x4 he has pointed me in the right direction (not that you guys didn't. i appreciaite all the information you provided. I have a mmuch better understanding of how link setups work now) and hopefully we will start this early august. Reading everyone's suggestions helped me understand the pro's and con's of each setup quite a bit but actually seeing it all on actual vehicles up close and personal my understanding is MUCH better. I'd highly recommend anyone in the area interested in linking their jeep, truck, caddy, whatever to head his way....

-Erik <---- still trying to decide if coilovers can be justified/afforded

I'll be sure to post up lots of pictures once we get the ball rolling and hopefully by the end of august or beginning of september I will be posting pictures of how great everything came out.
 
The bigger concern i think is that if the motor quits you don't have any steering, thats what i would be concerned about
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Wow maybe i should revise that, i was trying to compare losing your front brakes and not having any brakes at all to the hyrdo steering. Everyone knows you still have rear brakes but they don't do much.

If i had a nickle for everyone that came in and said i lost my steering or brakes when my engine quit!

sure you can still turn the wheel but its a pain to do, and would be very very scary in an emergency situation
 
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