TnT y-link installed with HP44 front

I started with a HP44 front using the RE bracket kit and the Full-Traction long arm kit. When I cut down the front axle and mounted the bracketry over a year ago, the angle and seperation distances of the LCA brackets wasn't critical since the LCA's use massive heim joints. Because of the size of the differential housing, the LCA bracket on the driver's side was approximately 3/4" further out than stock when butted up against the housing. Both sides total were 1.5" further out than stock. Why does this matter??? Enter TnT's y-link...

The TnT kit is designed for the HP30. The kit uses bushings at the axle end of the LCA's which are welded at a specific angle to facilitate clearing the frame when flexed and to fit into the stock bracketry. Because of this specific angle, the bushings need to be in a static position at rest to eliminate premature wear. Since my bracketry was 1.5" total further out than stock, nothing lined up properly. In addition, the UCA bracket on the driver's side was less than 1/4" away from the pinion.

To solve the LCA bracketry problems, I had to cut them off and reweld them in a position to accept the angle of the bushings. That was alot of work. In the end, however, it solved the problem and looks like the arms will clear the frame when flexed. I will make sure tomorrow at work by flexing my rig with our forklift.



The upper control on the pass. side mounted right up without any problems.



To solve the problem on the driver's side, I had to do two things: First, I had to cut off the UCA bracket welded on by TnT. Props to TnT for not welding the inside of the bracket, otherwise I may have not been able to reuse it. Carefull grinding paid off, and I was able to move the bracket approximately 3" further forward to get it away from the pinion and driveshaft.






Second, I had to cut a wedge out of the UCA right where the tubing is welded to the bracket, and bend the tube down on an angle to clear the differential and RE bracket truss. The clearances are close, but I think it will be okay. Once again, I'll find out for sure tomorrow.







I'm pleased with the results so far. With the True Hi9 rear, HP44 front, and the TnT set-up - I've got an almost completely flat under carriage. In addition, I have my turning radius back! Since this is my DD, this will be really nice pulling into tight parking places. There is some fine tuning to do still, like painting everything (after it's flexed tomorrow to make sure I don't have to re-weld anything) and figuring out why my transfercase is touching the skidplate in the back. I may have to raise the tranny mount a little bit so that the t-case will clear. The Full-Traction stuff is gone (and will be for sale within the week ), but the holes where it was mounted are there and will need to be patched. I'll be adding some frame supports to re-mount my rock sliders to at that time also.

E

Nice looking man...your gonna love the TnT kit....

have you flexed it yet? any binding with the yoke and that driver side upper control arm mount?

If the upper arms are different lengths and are attached at different points, won't they be fighting each other when you flex?

no radius arms the uppers dont matter, when theyre attached back to the lowers, it makes no difference, all of the axle movement is controlled by the lowers, the uppers just prevent wrap.

I wish my jeep was like yours. Sweet indeed----------Kyle

cLAYH said:

If the upper arms are different lengths and are attached at different points, won't they be fighting each other when you flex?

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basicly any of the standard 4 axle mounting point link suspensions fight each other when ya flex. there are exceptions

Looks great, Eric!!!

thats true, but, the fact that the arms are differnt lengths, wont make them fight each other any more.....

but i run a UFC style 3 link for a reason

tealcherokee said:

no radius arms the uppers dont matter, when theyre attached back to the lowers, it makes no difference, all of the axle movement is controlled by the lowers, the uppers just prevent wrap.

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actually you are wrong........for a fixed radius arm like a ford you are correct but when you add joints to the connection at the arms you have created a different reaction. both should be the same distance away or additional bind will occur

xjnation said:

actually you are wrong........for a fixed radius arm like a ford you are correct but when you add joints to the connection at the arms you have created a different reaction. both should be the same distance away or additional bind will occur

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You'll have to direct me to a place that will explain this, or explain this further yourself. I deal with geometry every day, and I've racked my brain as to how this binding occurs in this set-up if most of the movement is created at the frame end of the control arms. The way I see it, the uppers play a minimal role in the movement of the axle and are there simply to keep the axle from rotating.

If the different length arms becomes a problem, I'll either cut and re-weld the pass side to match the drivers, run just the pass side upper, or make removeable pins so that the driver's side can be removed when I hit the trail.

EDIT: Hold on, I think the lightbulb just went off. As the the suspension cycles, let's say that the driver's side goes up and the passenger side goes down. The driver's side upper control arm mount will want to rotate back toward the rear of the vehicle, while the pass. side UCA mount will want to rotate forward toward the front of the vehicle. So the binding that occurs is is actually a force of the UCA's wanting to twist the entire axle housing. As I picture this in my mind, I can't see how the difference in mounting positions of the UCA's in my set-up is going to create more bind if the mounting points on the frame end and axle side are the same. The bind is there regardless. I guess that will have to be explained to me.

So if somebody were to replace their stock HP30 with a HP44 and a Tnt long set up like your doing, could they do anything different to start with? or would we have to do exactly what you did and cut and reweld the arms to make it fit?

I was gonna do exactly like you show here with a HP Dana 44, RE bracket kit and a Tnt long arm kit under my MJ. Any short cuts or other hints?

thanks for posting this, its helping me alot

That is sweet! Im doing mine at the moment with a mate of mine but I have a super 30 front

not finished yet have to fit sye and drive shafts. Are you doing anything to lengthen park brake cable?

onetallmj said:

So if somebody were to replace their stock HP30 with a HP44 and a Tnt long set up like your doing, could they do anything different to start with? or would we have to do exactly what you did and cut and reweld the arms to make it fit?

I was gonna do exactly like you show here with a HP Dana 44, RE bracket kit and a Tnt long arm kit under my MJ. Any short cuts or other hints?

thanks for posting this, its helping me alot

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If I were starting from scratch, I'd arrange the RE bracket a little different that what they ask you to do. In a nut shell keep the stock control arm spacing, both vertically and horizontally; however, I'd raise the whole mounting system on the diff. This does 2 things, keeps the stock relationship between the UCA and LCA mount so the Y-Link arm will work unmodified and 2) gets the LCA mount up out of the weeds and puts the control arm higher in the chassis for more ground clearance. Brian, aka xjnation, did this to put our kit on a HPD60 housing.

Nemo, nice job!


Bob

Rock Yacht said:

If I were starting from scratch, I'd arrange the RE bracket a little different that what they ask you to do. In a nut shell keep the stock control arm spacing, both vertically and horizontally; however, I'd raise the whole mounting system on the diff. This does 2 things, keeps the stock relationship between the UCA and LCA mount so the Y-Link arm will work unmodified and 2) gets the LCA mount up out of the weeds and puts the control arm higher in the chassis for more ground clearance. Brian, aka xjnation, did this to put our kit on a HPD60 housing.

Nemo, nice job!


Bob

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I moved the mounting points on the upper arms taller about 2" and the loer mounts in about 1/2"

xjnation said:

I moved the mounting points on the upper arms taller about 2" and the loer mounts in about 1/2"

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Very nice. That is definitely the way to go if I were to do it again from scratch. This would have been much easier for me had the bracketry not been already set in place from the previous kit. In addition, I'm always under an extreme time schedule being that this is my DD.

So, any particular reason my t-case is touching the skidplate in the rear?



I'll be crawling under there today and adding some washers under the tranny mount to raise it up a hair. If that doesn't work, I'll think about plan B.

Capt. Nemo said:

Very nice. That is definitely the way to go if I were to do it again from scratch. This would have been much easier for me had the bracketry not been already set in place from the previous kit. In addition, I'm always under an extreme time schedule being that this is my DD.

So, any particular reason my t-case is touching the skidplate in the rear?

I'll be crawling under there today and adding some washers under the tranny mount to raise it up a hair. If that doesn't work, I'll think about plan B.

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is ti a 242? or a 231 cant read the tag? I intallled an atlas wiith the TNT kit. I used 3/4" square tube and welded it together as a spacer

Capt. Nemo said:

So, any particular reason my t-case is touching the skidplate in the rear?

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just shim the tranny mount.

Eric!


Awesome, hey what are you using for joints, are those RE? What about tubing?

Gui

geberhard said:

Eric!

Awesome, hey what are you using for joints, are those RE? What about tubing?

Gui

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It's a TnT Customs kit.

Lower Control Arms are 1.75" x .250 1020 DOM tubing, 2" bushing at axle end and Rubicon Express Large Flex Joint at chassis end. Upper Arms are 1.5" x .250 DOM, 2" bushing at LCA end.