Finaltheorem47
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Virginia
Hi guys, I've done a lot of searching but am having trouble finding an answer to my question. I have a '92 XJ with a 4.5" lift and 33" tires. I want to have it handle better on the street and reduce the NVH. My control arms are angled at like 45* which translates a lot of NVH into my body, even with rubber bushings. I do offroad, but truth be told, 95% of the miles put on it are from street driving (being that its my DD).
I am thinking about building a long arm setup and was considering a radius arm with track bar or 4 link setup with a track bar (like stock). I am more concerned with increasing its street handling and comfort rather than offroad, as for where I tend to offroad, I find the stock suspension somewhat adequate. I figure long arms would improve my offroad handling no matter what, for the terrain I tend to offroad on.
The radius arms are simple to construct, but as the suspension oscillates, it's caster will change, where a properly setup 4 link wouldn't. Observing what most car manf. tend to use, I would note that 4 link is common and radius arms are very rare. This tends to make me want to think that 4 links are superior for on road. It is important to note that the upper links I have noticed tend to be 10-30% shorter on 4 link OE suspensions. Whether this is done to increase the caster while oscillating upward for more control (same with A-arms on other suspensions, the upper is always smaller/shorter than the lower) or if it is done because of space requirements. With A-arms, it wouldn't change the camber when it oscillates but rather the caster.
I am troubled by how I would be able to tuck a 4 link suspension up close to the body however, as the upper links would need to stay equally spaced apart as they are from the axle end. The alternative is to use short upper control arms and long lower control arms. That would however also affect the caster as the suspension oscillates and using a short upper I can imagine would be counter productive somewhat as my goals are to reduce NVH and increase handling.
I am curious if I can get away with the caster changes in radius arms if they are long enough... I plan to tie them into my crossmember for the transmission.
Thanks!
-Joe
I am thinking about building a long arm setup and was considering a radius arm with track bar or 4 link setup with a track bar (like stock). I am more concerned with increasing its street handling and comfort rather than offroad, as for where I tend to offroad, I find the stock suspension somewhat adequate. I figure long arms would improve my offroad handling no matter what, for the terrain I tend to offroad on.
The radius arms are simple to construct, but as the suspension oscillates, it's caster will change, where a properly setup 4 link wouldn't. Observing what most car manf. tend to use, I would note that 4 link is common and radius arms are very rare. This tends to make me want to think that 4 links are superior for on road. It is important to note that the upper links I have noticed tend to be 10-30% shorter on 4 link OE suspensions. Whether this is done to increase the caster while oscillating upward for more control (same with A-arms on other suspensions, the upper is always smaller/shorter than the lower) or if it is done because of space requirements. With A-arms, it wouldn't change the camber when it oscillates but rather the caster.
I am troubled by how I would be able to tuck a 4 link suspension up close to the body however, as the upper links would need to stay equally spaced apart as they are from the axle end. The alternative is to use short upper control arms and long lower control arms. That would however also affect the caster as the suspension oscillates and using a short upper I can imagine would be counter productive somewhat as my goals are to reduce NVH and increase handling.
I am curious if I can get away with the caster changes in radius arms if they are long enough... I plan to tie them into my crossmember for the transmission.
Thanks!
-Joe
Last edited:
(note: no cows were harmed in the process of testing the bumper out, although I cannot say the same for several snow banks))
