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3-link v.s. 4-link

A

Albert Jr.

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Curacao
What do they do exactly ?

What are the pros ?
What are the cons ?

Which overall is better ?
What about a combo of both ?

Should I do front and rear ?
 
What is your lift height? Also what axles?
The longer arms reduce the angle and provide a better ride. Really I can only see 1 con of the three link and that is the single upper link. But if you build it right then no problems. Neither is really better from what I understand. But I may be wrong and feel free to correct me.
 
Copied from another reply I made a while back. This pertains to front 3 and 4 link setups utilizing a trackbar.

3 and 4 links both work awesome, when done right. A 3 link is easier to package (one less link, duh) but the fact that there are regularly available 4 link kits out there kinda shows us it hardly should be considered an "issue".

With that said, the main choice for me between the two boils down to joint selection. A parallel 4 link with trackbar will bind (not enough for any issues to arise or hurt flex) and you need rubber bushings in the suspension as a point of deflection to compensate for this binding. Rubber bushings allow you to isolate road and tire noise better from entering the cab versus hard heim or cartridge joints. A 3 link you CAN use rubber bushings, but I never recommend it. Having just the single upper bushing controlling axle wrap usually wears it out in no time. I prefer the feel of a solid front end using all hard joints myself anyway.

Now the issue you shouldn't overlook with a 3 link is strength, you would be silly to run it with the cheesy stock control arm mounts (or wheeling hard with those mounts to begin with). If you break a mount, bolt or arm, you just ruined your day, and possibly other components in your front end. I would not trust the stock control arm mounts, or stock size 10mm upper control arm bolt to solely keep your axle in place.
 
Luke95 said:
What is your lift height? Also what axles?
The longer arms reduce the angle and provide a better ride. Really I can only see 1 con of the three link and that is the single upper link. But if you build it right then no problems. Neither is really better from what I understand. But I may be wrong and feel free to correct me.
Click to expand...

Right now I have a 2'' add-a-leaf with 30'' bfg offroad tires.
My axles are stock chryco. 8.25 rear and dana 30 front.

Offcourse with time I'll eventually go bigger.
Plans now are to save up for a 4.5'' lift and bigger tires (hopefully 35'' or 37'')
but I'll be happy with 33's

Engine swapping is also in the plans which is really why I joined NAXJA but that's
for the future.
 
Last edited:
you have little use for long arms as it is... now if your looking to make the leap, thats a different story.

luke95 mentioned reduced angles. on your OEM short arms, more lift height puts the control arms at a steep operating angle. at factory ride height, the arms are in a static position, basically parallel with the ground, so the whole axle moves rear ward as you lift the jeep. so when you hit a bump/uneven surface when your lifted, the suspension actually has to travel forward to travel up. this impact transmits directly into the cab. as said, long arms reduce this operating angle. but they also make the wheel travel in a much greater arch. this means that the wheel isnt being pulled back (as much) with droop.

you have many long arm options:
radius arm
3 link
4 link

we traditionally run what is known as a parallel 4 link with panhard (trackbar) in the front of our cherokees. its difficult to package what is known is a triangulated 4 link, but the are common in rear applications.

control arm drop brackets are a cheap alternative to long arms for lift heights over 4"
 
Olympus Off Road said:
Copied from another reply I made a while back. This pertains to front 3 and 4 link setups utilizing a trackbar.

3 and 4 links both work awesome, when done right. A 3 link is easier to package (one less link, duh) but the fact that there are regularly available 4 link kits out there kinda shows us it hardly should be considered an "issue".

With that said, the main choice for me between the two boils down to joint selection. A parallel 4 link with trackbar will bind (not enough for any issues to arise or hurt flex) and you need rubber bushings in the suspension as a point of deflection to compensate for this binding. Rubber bushings allow you to isolate road and tire noise better from entering the cab versus hard heim or cartridge joints. A 3 link you CAN use rubber bushings, but I never recommend it. Having just the single upper bushing controlling axle wrap usually wears it out in no time. I prefer the feel of a solid front end using all hard joints myself anyway.

Now the issue you shouldn't overlook with a 3 link is strength, you would be silly to run it with the cheesy stock control arm mounts (or wheeling hard with those mounts to begin with). If you break a mount, bolt or arm, you just ruined your day, and possibly other components in your front end. I would not trust the stock control arm mounts, or stock size 10mm upper control arm bolt to solely keep your axle in place.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.
I'll make sure to replace those mounts before I start with the mod.

If I understand this correctly, the 3-link has a triangulated shape right ?
So if I give the 4-link that shape, will it stop the binding ?
 
VAhasnoWAVES said:
you have little use for long arms as it is... now if your looking to make the leap, thats a different story.

luke95 mentioned reduced angles. on your OEM short arms, more lift height puts the control arms at a steep operating angle. at factory ride height, the arms are in a static position, basically parallel with the ground, so the whole axle moves rear ward as you lift the jeep. so when you hit a bump/uneven surface when your lifted, the suspension actually has to travel forward to travel up. this impact transmits directly into the cab. as said, long arms reduce this operating angle. but they also make the wheel travel in a much greater arch. this means that the wheel isnt being pulled back (as much) with droop.

you have many long arm options:
radius arm
3 link
4 link

we traditionally run what is known as a parallel 4 link with panhard (trackbar) in the front of our cherokees. its difficult to package what is known is a triangulated 4 link, but the are common in rear applications.

control arm drop brackets are a cheap alternative to long arms for lift heights over 4"
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks alot.

Will I have to take off the whole body of the XJ to do these mods or will crawling under be fine ?
 
VAhasnoWAVES said:
what body?
Click to expand...

Lol.
Do some frame stiffeners when you do your lift and do what works for you.
Fulltraction makes a nice 4 link with a panhard
Rock crawler makes a nice 3 link with a panhard.
 
Albert Jr. said:
Thanks for the info.
I'll make sure to replace those mounts before I start with the mod.

If I understand this correctly, the 3-link has a triangulated shape right ?
So if I give the 4-link that shape, will it stop the binding ?
Click to expand...

Nothing is triangulated. There will always be binding if there are 4 links + a trackbar. No way around that, but like I explained its not an issue.

There are also triangulated 4 links without trackbars, but you don't want that for your xj so I won't get into it.
 
Re: Re: 3-link v.s. 4-link

Olympus Off Road said:
Nothing is triangulated. There will always be binding if there are 4 links + a trackbar. No way around that, but like I explained its not an issue.

There are also triangulated 4 links without trackbars, but you don't want that for your xj so I won't get into it.
Click to expand...

I read your previous comment, but maybe I missed something. I don't understand that perpetuation of "a 4 link will always bind". I have a friend with a long arm 4 link with panhard bar, heims all around. I have seen a picture of his rig with one tire almost 4 feet in the air - with the sway bar still attached. How is that binding?
 
SolarBell said:
I read your previous comment, but maybe I missed something. I don't understand that perpetuation of "a 4 link will always bind". I have a friend with a long arm 4 link with panhard bar, heims all around. I have seen a picture of his rig with one tire almost 4 feet in the air - with the sway bar still attached. How is that binding?
Click to expand...

I'm confused.
Sway bar attatched and a tire 4 feet off the ground? With the sway bar attached of course the suspension wouldn't travel enough for this binding to present itself. But like I said earlier, its nothing to worry about as long as there is a source of deflection, just one rubber bushing per side is plenty. Without a source of deflection link mounts will be bending back and forth until one breaks.
 
A 4-link is usually attached at the frame at 4 points. In the 3-link setup, on of the shorter upper links is attached to the longer lower arm, or two attachment points at the frame, meaning less bind.
 
Wow. Just wow. I run a LA 4 link and can get about 4' of travel out of the front end before the one of the rear tires lifts off of the ground.

"Bind"... I do not think so as long as the links use high misalignment spherical rod ends. If what was under discussion was links using the stock rubber type of joint, then yes it will bind dop to the joint, not the number of links.

And yes, it is my rig that SolarBell is referring to........

Plus, the rear antisawy bar had not yet been removed when the photos were taken.

A couple of shots taken right after the lift was in but before the rear sway was removed:

98Flex7.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

98Flex4_zpsd5f4b41d.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

Bind?
 
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