planning a 3 link, will be doing this pretty soon...

I notice that on most kits the lower control arms bolt on the frame just in front of the tcase crossmember, directly on the rails...

I do not like this for a few reasons...

1) clearance
2) strength

so here is my question I plan to use the stock driver side upper axle mount for my upper link, and the stock axle side lower mount (maybe upgrading at a later date)

can I angle my lower control arms inward? so that they will be inside the frame rails and I could tuck them up inside there? or would this inward angle create some odd issue with the suspension?

I am planning to make the chassis side have 7/8 hiems and the axle side have poly bushings, I figures when I notch the poly bushing side of the tubing I could angle the notch

notes: this truck will be sitting around 4.5-5" of lift, this truck will be a Daily Driver

 

anyone?

 

Clayton and BDS both do this. their lowers are built into the x-member. But they run a radias arm setup.

if you raise the lower mount up.. you have to raise the upper mount. Rule of thumb.. 4 inch at frame.. 8 inch at axle for seperation.


Hope that helps

 

BDS isnt radius arm.

 

I thought it was a 4 link

 

Exactly. Radius arm is basically two lower control arms with the upper control arms coming off of them. A 4 link is 4 distinictive control arms that do not connect.

 

one thing you have to look at when trying to build a true 4 link or 3 link is that all of your arms have to be nearly the same length.

they they are not then you run into an extreme amount of pinion rotation during the suspension cycle and you will break u-joints, DS's or yokes every speed bump basically.

 

My mistake

 

it's no big man... with all the choices out there it is impossible to get it all right

 

not necessarily true. my uppers are shorter than my lowers by a couple inches and i dont have any issues. they are mounted at a different angle too.

 

There is a percentage of error. which is why the stock upper and lower arms are different lengths.

it is how the whole system works together.

you want to see how the pinion angle changes during the suspension cycle.

 

I run the RK 3 link setup, and I bolted, and welded my setup in. Are my lower mounts showing some wear... oh hell yeah.. am I concerned about the strength of it.. Hell NO.


Straight out of the box this system flat out works. I can speak for the BDs setup, BUt I have seen several Radias arm setups run. They work, with some what I hould call strange handling.

If you are going to build one... I would probrbaly do a 3 link just because packaging is easier.

 

that is what I was thinking as well