Clayton longarms vs. Clayton 3 link

[Jeep450r]

Nobody has mentioned radius arms unloading!! dead bunnies!!

lots and lots of dead bunnies! Im surprised nobody else has mentioned it.

 

[AwesomeXJ]

lots and lots of dead bunnies! Im surprised nobody else has mentioned it.

what are you talking about? what unloading?

 

[robsjeepxj]

It was like a dead bunny wasteland, it hurts to even think about it, dead bunnies everywhere. :tears: How could anyone even think of running a radius arm system again after....well you know... the unloading incident. Poor poor bunnies.

 

[Darky]

are there some aftermarket mounts that are stronger that i can get?

Rock Krawler sells a pretty beefy upper mount with their 4 link kit. I think they sell it separately.

 

[ericfx1984]

thanks for clearing up that confusion, dont know what we'd do without ya.

you would be at exactly the same place you are now, always making some smart ass remark that is way off topic... get a life kid

 

[Darky]

Sounds kinda like you...

 

[nochance9]

what are you talking about? what unloading?

The binding in a radius arm set up can "unload" and make your suspension jump to the side or something like that. Me and two other guys I wheel with have been running ours for years and I still have yet to see it for myself. I've had mine personally for 6 years and the others something like 5.

It's rare to have happen, if it exists at all. And people always bring it up when talking about long arms because they think that it can unload at any time killing school children, or in this case bunnys. Hence all the dead bunny jokes.

 

[nochance9]

And there are lots of people who sell that bracket. Is say that more companies sell it than those who don't.

 

[94xjstud]

The way I always understood "unloading" was climb that on steep hill climb or other obstacles where there is more weight on the rear, the suspension "unloads", as in pushes the front up severly causing the front to lose traction, feel weightless or actually cause the Jeep to roll. Thats why some recommend a suck down winch.

I have no presonal experience with radius arms, just from what I've read and a video I saw (I can't seem to find it).

I am not against a radius arm set, this is just an explanation.

 

[Gaius]

Most radius arms work well enough, because leafs and factory rear long arm kits do a good job of not squutting.

They do tend to unload, and you won't notice until you drive a rig that doesn't. I watched a friend in his XJ with Ford-style radius arms and 42s start to climb a ledge, and his front tires stayed on the ground and the front of his Jeep lifted away from it. Very odd thing to see.

 

[DeftwillP]

thanks for clearing up that confusion, dont know what we'd do without ya.

you would be at exactly the same place you are now, always making some smart ass remark that is way off topic... get a life kid

He's probably referring to the fact that you signed up in January and have incessantly started threads and asked repeated questions on topics covered that would be answered if only the search function was used. Sometimes multiple threads were started on the same subject. But alas, now, you have suddenly transformed into the guru on this subject and are telling others "matter of factly" how things are when matter of facts, you're not exactly dead on.


Back to your regularly scheduled topic....

 

[robsjeepxj]

The way I always understood "unloading" was climb that on steep hill climb or other obstacles where there is more weight on the rear, the suspension "unloads", as in pushes the front up severly causing the front to lose traction, feel weightless or actually cause the Jeep to roll. Thats why some recommend a suck down winch.

This is a pretty good explanation. I have seen it firsthand though and it was quite disturbing to watch. The jeep was climbing a large rock when all of the sudden when it reached a steep enough angle the front suspension just pushed the front of the jeep back almost on it's roof. Not trying to be dramatic but it scared the crap out of me and I wasn't even in the jeep. I can't imagine how that must have felt from inside. That was actually a Clayton Y-link too now that I think about it on a 97 XJ. Limit straps would probably solved that.

 

[AwesomeXJ]

Ya i'm gonna have limiting straps

 

[nochance9]

Ya i'm gonna have limiting straps

That would probably solve the problem then. Or at least stop it from lifting too too much.

 

[Starboard M]

I killed some kittens tonight. No bunnies though. Wait, WTF are we talking about?


My radius arms unloading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfC4gIBaC-M

 

[outkast7222]

I killed some kittens tonight. No bunnies though. Wait, WTF are we talking about?


My radius arms unloading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfC4gIBaC-M

From that angle it looks like it would be so easy! I can just imagine what that little rock looks like coming from the bottom. Did you end up making it up or did you have to winch?

Edit: Neve rmind just saw the second part to that climb. Amazing how little help the winch actually had to give.

 

[AwesomeXJ]

WOW...... I see what you mean about possibly pushing someone over. I just did a bunch of reading about the unloading of radius arms. I also read alot about the 3link set up not binding or unloading. If I can get the same flex out of a 3link and not have to worry about binding or unloading that may be the ticket.

So who has a 3link that can give me a better point of view?

 

[Darky]

My 3 link has lots of flex. I need limit straps though.

 

[ktm racer 419]

. Limit straps would probably solved that.

maybe if you run a short center strap. if you run straps on the outside then you will lose considerable articulation if you run them short enough to control this "unloading"

some people can throw link calculators and numbers at you to explain this "unloading" but basically if you put the throttle down when the front end is light enough it will want to push the axle away from the jeep. the more extreme the suspension angles the worse this unloading gets.

I have run a radius arm before for a long time between 3 and 4.5" of lift and never really had any issues with it. and it got the job done.

then i decided to join the midarm club with the new jeep and built a 3 link and have been at 4.5" with this setup.

in any situation where the front end gets light the suspension will unload to a certain degree regardless of what you have for control arms. The truth is 98% of people wont be able to notice a considerable difference when offroad with either setup

 

[redrider2911]

Go with a 3 link. You won't regret it. If your worried about daily driving it shouldn't be an issue. I have been daily driving my rigs on my setups for six years now. Ben deisel and mcjesse, 2 guys from our chapter, are also running the 3 link on a daily driver.