School Me on building a 3 link

[WAD357]

apparently everyone else wants to be like everyone else haha thats the problem....

im just kidding dude. make your own. do something different. only reason noone else does what we do is because they cant, or are afraid

True its gunna cost me about what a brand new RC longarm is to build my 3 link but the 3 link should perform a little better hopefully

[JoeNitro]

to be 100% honest.

my jeep performed no better with a long arm than it did on my stock tinfoil arms. mainly because im only at 3" lift and on 35s so my up travel is very limited and i dont have crazy shock mods to allow for droop worth the benifit of long arms. i spent 600 on long arm kit armand and i coulda prolly made in a weekend and now im selling it haha dont bother build your own youll be much happier and you know what you got.

im not only doing the leafs because its e z but because i have nothing to loose and noone else would do it because of what others would say. and they think leafs are gay or a step back from long arms which in some cases it true but in my case its not gonna matter. youll see

[WAD357]

to be 100% honest.

my jeep performed no better with a long arm than it did on my stock tinfoil arms. mainly because im only at 3" lift and on 35s so my up travel is very limited and i dont have crazy shock mods to allow for droop worth the benifit of long arms. i spent 600 on long arm kit armand and i coulda prolly made in a weekend and now im selling it haha dont bother build your own youll be much happier and you know what you got.

im not only doing the leafs because its e z but because i have nothing to loose and noone else would do it because of what others would say. and they think leafs are gay or a step back from long arms which in some cases it true but in my case its not gonna matter. youll see

Alrighty man the way i look at it is mikes leafed yota wheel hops like a son of a bitch and wouldnt go places my XJ did due to this...

[CumminsJeep]

apparently everyone else wants to be like everyone else haha thats the problem....

im just kidding dude. make your own. do something different. only reason noone else does what we do is because they cant, or are afraid

i dont wanna sound like a dick, but there is a reason people use 3 and 4 link suspensions and not leaf springs. and a lot of people would say that people go to leafs because they are afraid to do a 3 link...or cant. just sayin.


I say go 3 link wade.

[HeavyMetal]

cant say i totally agree but that doesent matter

why build a custom 3 link when you can buy a long arm kit like everyone else?

why are you still stuck on this, is what i wanna know.

give it a break dude, theyre just opinions.

[ninetysix-ex-jay]

[QUOTE=JoeNitro;221048
only reason noone else does what we do is because they cant, or are afraid [/QUOTE]

Sir, please fist yourself.

[JoeNitro]

i dont wanna sound like a dick, but there is a reason people use 3 and 4 link suspensions and not leaf springs. and a lot of people would say that people go to leafs because they are afraid to do a 3 link...or cant. just sayin.


I say go 3 link wade.

so your saying im taking the e z way out because i can build a 3 link?

why are you still stuck on this, is what i wanna know.

give it a break dude, theyre just opinions.

im not. i was simply using that breaking his balls about his 3 link the same you broke mine about leafs.

Sir, please fist yourself.

you.... havent even been home 48 hours i havent even seen you or said hi or welcome back and this is what i get.....

[customcreationsllc]

I wasn't even going to answer this question. This has been beaten to death a million times.

If you want to find out more about 3-links this is probably the wrong place to ask.
Try using the search function in Pirate4x4 or Racedezert you can read for days about links, or try google. any information we give you will just be parroted from those sites anyways.

Most tech books you get are just going to be for race cars which gives you the basics but not for long travel and articulation.

High speed racing desert and street driving are different from rock crawling suspensions.

Leafs are easy that is why I went with them first. You have 4 mounts, spring rate is pretty much taken car of if you buy springs for similar weight vehicle.
The only real leaf spring mounting concern is the front to back angle which determines your brake dive/anti squat.

Leaf springs suck for hard core situations since your mounting your axle on a spring your axle moves in every direction it is force. also twist under load. yes there are band-aids to help with some axle movement under springs like track bars.

Also leaf springs are very good for stability first they have a constant roll center so predictable. Second the leaf has a normal arch (home position), for the axle to flex further down it has to extend the spring. So on hill climbs you get less push off the axle only want to go to the the home position.
Coils home position is fully extended so on a hill climb (no weight on the front axle) the suspension want to go to home position which is full droop so you get more push off.


There is pros and cons for both.
Long arm is just a 4 link in which the upper and lower links converge at the same point on the frame.
Remember some of the 4-link program calculations are based off the Center of Gravity. So if you don't know your CG you cannot accurately calculate your antisquat and stuff.

Also what do you want your ride characteristics to be like? everyone likes a different ride so you need to consider that.


Best advice I can give is to use the 4-link program to determine the best place for adjustment what way do you need to move your mount to get more or less A.S.

There is a lot to consider in link suspensions will it work, just about anything will work; will it be optimized, never.

The actual fabricating the suspension it he easy part.

Hope this helps
~Justin

[WAD357]

Thanks justin I've been doing alot of reading on pirate and seem to understand the basics so as soon as I can drop the cash on some 2" 2.50 DOM and some heims im gunna get to work

[customcreationsllc]

try racedezert.com I think they have better information than pirate.

Pirate has more rock crawling articulation bias info.
Racedezert has more high speed long travel suspension info.

The guy the created the 4link program Traiged hangs out on racedezert.com

Good luck.
~Justin

[JoeNitro]

good stuff there Justin thanks.....

[HitItWithSomeSpeed]

7-link is where its at.

[JoeNitro]

yea 4 link rear 3 link front haha 7

[HitItWithSomeSpeed]

oh... I was just talking the front

[customcreationsllc]

If you are just counting links,
then run birdcages 4 links front back loads
Plus watts link 2 links sideways loads
and a track bark (ladder bar) 1 torsion loads
there's your 7 links
Some even separate the track bar to make the accel and deccel react in different points on the chassis. 8 links.

Happy now?

Have fun trying to fit it and having it do more than a couple inches of travel.