Rear Link setup

Anyone ever think of doin a 3link REAR setup? What would the advantages/disadvantages over a true 4 link? I Think i want to link mine. I could go out and buy the clayton or the RK kit, but i dont know how the geometry of those kits are right out of the box.

3 link w/ panhard or Wishbone 3 link?

Treks just unveiled a 4 link kit that may be worth checking out!

Billy

3 link wih panhard.
Treks as in former tnt customs?

JeepFreak21 said:

Treks just unveiled a 4 link kit that may be worth checking out!

Click to expand...

Link?

You'll put a lot of stress on your axle tubes with that setup. What rear axle are you using? Plan on heavily gusseting and welding the tubes to keep them from spinning. Why not add the upper link on the other side, triangulate it, and eliminate the track bar? It will be a better setup, the only disadvantage I can think of is it's a little tougher to route exhaust through.

RockMonkey said:

You'll put a lot of stress on your axle tubes with that setup. What rear axle are you using? Plan on heavily gusseting and welding the tubes to keep them from spinning. Why not add the upper link on the other side, triangulate it, and eliminate the track bar? It will be a better setup, the only disadvantage I can think of is it's a little tougher to route exhaust through.

Click to expand...

How would a 3 link and trackbar put any more stress on the axle then any other design?

isnt a 4 link w/ triangulated and ca-joined uppers still a 4link?

Bryson said:

Link?

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http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=966873





It was the big prize in the parts raffle.
Billy

jmop said:

How would a 3 link and trackbar put any more stress on the axle then any other design?

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Since you have an upper and lower link only on one side (the other side typically only has a lower, but it is possible to run only an upper, and omit the lower), the tube on that side is the only thing keeping the axle from spinning. Think about the force an axle endures. When power is applied to the axle, the tires rotate in relation to the axle housing. If there were no suspension to control the pinion angle the axle would just spin around, instead of moving forward. With a three link as he's talking about, the only thing that stops the axle from spinning is an upper and lower link, on one side of the axle. The plug welds connecting that side tube to the housing have to be strong enough to resist the twisting force applied, since there is nothing on the other side of the axle to help control this force. On my last buggy I had a front 3 link of this design, and a narrowed high-pinion 60. Since it was a front suspension, and a 60, I thought I could get away with it. I welded the tubes to the housing just for insurance but even that was not enough. It spun the tube after a couple years.

It's tough for me to put the concept into words, but did any of that make sense to you?

xcm said:

isnt a 4 link w/ triangulated and ca-joined uppers still a 4link?

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I'm not sure what you mean by "ca-joined uppers", but if you mean the uppers join together at a single joint on either the axle or frame side (forming a single "V" shaped arm), then no, that is no longer a 4 link. That's a 3 link.

RockMonkey said:

Since you have an upper and lower link only on one side (the other side typically only has a lower, but it is possible to run only an upper, and omit the lower), the tube on that side is the only thing keeping the axle from spinning. Think about the force an axle endures. When power is applied to the axle, the tires rotate in relation to the axle housing. If there were no suspension to control the pinion angle the axle would just spin around, instead of moving forward. With a three link as he's talking about, the only thing that stops the axle from spinning is an upper and lower link, on one side of the axle. The plug welds connecting that side tube to the housing have to be strong enough to resist the twisting force applied, since there is nothing on the other side of the axle to help control this force. On my last buggy I had a front 3 link of this design, and a narrowed high-pinion 60. Since it was a front suspension, and a 60, I thought I could get away with it. I welded the tubes to the housing just for insurance but even that was not enough. It spun the tube after a couple years.

It's tough for me to put the concept into words, but did any of that make sense to you?

Click to expand...

Was this a seperate upper link, or one radius arm? The same force applies to a 4 link as well. A raidus arm will create more stress than a 3link with a seperate arm.

I cant find that rear link set up from treks.

They seem to take some time to get things out to the public. I've been bugging them for years to get this out. Cant wait to see it.

2000bluexj said:

Was this a seperate upper link, or one radius arm? The same force applies to a 4 link as well. A raidus arm will create more stress than a 3link with a seperate arm.

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A radius arm on one side and a single link on the other (either upper or lower, doesn't matter) will create the same torsional stress as a 3 link w/panhard setup (an upper and lower on one side, and an upper or lower on the other side). The force is shared between both axle tubes with a 4 link, where it is all concentrated one side with a 3 link w/panhard. Now, if you're talking about a 3 link using a V-shaped upper (or lower), the stress will be shared between both axle tubes, just like a 4 link.