3-link build

Last few months ive been working on fabbing a 3-link and making a completely flat belly. I also wanted the crossmember to have a removable center. Here's how it started



2x6x1/4" box. I recessed where the trans mount goes. I then added link mount. The lowers are from Barnes and I made the upper.



I ended up having to trim the top side of the drivers lower mount for the driveshaft. I have about 5 inches of separation at the frame and 9 at the axle

The axle side upper bracket is 2.5x2.5x1/4 wall.



I also plated the inner frame rails with some angle iron I had



After mocking it into place I had to cut the floor to make the upper fit





As you can see the exhaust is a tight fit and was kind of an after thought. Luckily I had enough room to make it work

I also clocked the transfer case, which I swapped out my 242 for a 231 due to size. I never saw the two side by side so I had no idea how much bigger the 242 really was.



I used the IRO clocking jig which was very easy. I clocked it a lot so I also had to cut the floor for that.





The black frame is something I made to relocate my seat forward about an inch. The tcase was hitting the seat frame initially.

Got everything all welded up. I got the 3-link kit from Ruffstuff. The upper is 1.75"x.120 wall and lowers 2"x.25 wall. For now I'm using the factory LCA brackets at the axl. They have mini skids on them but u plan on putting new ones on that done hang below the tube.







Now since this was my first suspension build, there was some oversight. Main one being that my lowers barely hit the frame where the old LCA mounts were. Not major so I'm going to cut a little out and weld in some plate.

I also moved the axle forward so my coils were bowed anymore. This extra length required a new front driveshaft but also now makes my trackbar and diff make contact when compressed. So I will be moving the frame bracket forward a few inches.

Also with raising everything up, the t-case linkage was another issue. I had already ordered the boostwerks kit. Turns out that the amount I raised everything in relation to the tcase shifter effected the angle enough so that I do not have enough throw to engage all modes. Ordered the novak cable shifter.

That's all I can think of right now. I'll update it when I fix my little issues. Hope this helps anyone thinking of making a 3-link

I'm in the process. Was it worth buying the crossmember lower mounts, or no big deal to just make them?

Also, would there have been a better way to mount the lower arms at the crossmember so they wouldnt hit the frame?

it was nice since they are angled. I was just lazy. im sure youd be able to easily make them.

youd either have to bend the arms or mount them more inboard at the crossmember in order to clear the frame

I like the work and all, but that cross member is gross. Why not make the whole thing removable instead of just the center? I think that's useless and could prove to be a PITA if you have to drop the tranny. I woulda made the sides of it bolt to the inside of the rails.

because if i wanted to do anything to the transmission, i wouldnt have to remove the suspension as well. thats the reason the center is removeable. But i understand what youre saying. If it does prove to be a real PITA, ill just change it.

No, I understand that part, I can remove my whole bellypan setup without pulling suspension too. But why so narrow? I woulda pushed it further out in each end, right up against the mount, and hang the brackets a little lower to clear the frame.

I had to keep the lowers as inboard as they are to clear the frame as best I could, which I still wasn't successful at. And with the D30 I can't move the axle brackets inboard because of the lack of room on the short side.

I didn't try, but it seems like I would've had to either hang the arms farther forward and below the frame or put bends in them. I may have been a little too focused on having a completely flat belly

I like it. Looks plenty beefy (except for the stock LCA mounts) but you know that.

Is your upper longer than your lowers?

Yeah the upper is about 4 inches longer. I forget the exact lengths.

Welcome to the flush cross member club. Its where all the cool kids are now days.

Single Y link radius arm on DS and a clocked NP241.

I like the way you build that with the removable center section. It looks very strong, especially the mounts. I had the same contact between track bar and dif so I too shifted the track bar mount forward too.

The biggest problem I have is that when axle goes to full droop on both side (12" down travel) the track bar pulls the axle to the driver side and the drive shaft just barely kisses the inboard mounting ear for the long arm. Cleared OK with the stock shaft, but the Tom Woods shaft is just big enough to make contact so 16" travel shocks will need a limit strap. No contact when flexed out, just when both tires go to full droop.

Did you manage to get the cat and muffler up above the bottom of the frame rails?

John

John

erased double post

I wasn't able to get the exhaust up that high like you did. It isn't much below but that's the only thing not flat.

any pictures of your new trackbar mount?

foxwar71 said:

I like the work and all, but that cross member is gross. Why not make the whole thing removable instead of just the center? I think that's useless and could prove to be a PITA if you have to drop the tranny. I woulda made the sides of it bolt to the inside of the rails.

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I also thought it could have been a little wider, but seeing it in person makes it a bit better. there is plenty of room with the center section out to drop the transmission all the way down.


if he finds it to be too annoying, he could fairly easily make that center section wider and cut the sides a bit. but how often do you have to drop your trans?


my vote for the LCAs would be to get another set of mounts and weld them on the bottom of the crossmember and slightly more inboard. they wouldn't hit the frame and the drivers side would clear the driveshaft better.

1990JEEPXJ said:

I wasn't able to get the exhaust up that high like you did. It isn't much below but that's the only thing not flat.

any pictures of your new trackbar mount?

Click to expand...

Soon. Since I dont have a 220V welder I am having a local shop finish out some of the work, the track bar mount modifications being one of them. Non critical stuff I welded using multiple passes with 110V Miller and lots of grinding. For critical stuff like TB and suspension links I tack it up and have a local shop do the final welding. I have an RE HD TB mount thats bolted in (stock) and is now welded in. Rather than move the mount I am taking the existing mount, shifting the track bar to the front side (single shear) then adding a plate coming down off the frame rail to put into double shear then box the whole thing in. Just got it all laid out tonight and hope to finish it on Monday when I have a day off. That moved the TB about 2" forward and did not require cutting out and rewelding the TB mount. I also notched my truss for TB mount clearance, it drops down into the truss so I can push the axle as far forward as possible.

John