• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Dan Wheeler's Rear 4-Link Thread

302BRONC

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
85
I had the same issue. I moved mine inboard to get the clearance I needed. I figured that was the difference between the axle width of 1/2 and 1 ton axles.

I think it is more a function of tire height and droop than anything. Mine is on full width tons.
 

JSmall

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 18, 2004
Messages
3,223
I think it is more a function of tire height and droop than anything. Mine is on full width tons.

Makes sense. I've seen them outboard of the wheel well on a few Bronco's and I've always been curious how that was possible.
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
yeah, they'll be inboard of the wheel wells. Not much but hopefully just enough. I was looking at some pictures of my Bronco with leaf springs at full stuff and I think it would be pretty tight if I didn't put them inside. My guess is that I could get away with it especially if I size the shocks long enough so they hit the bumps before getting too far up into the wheel well but I don't want to risk it.
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Been slow going lately - more skiing than welding the last few weeks :)

Last night I cut the hole in the truss for the ARB air line but I aimed it wrong and had to cut a second hole. Helluva mess - 1-2 hours of Dremeling. Tacked in the upper mounts but got them wrong too, not enough angle. Not sure why I didn't just butt then backs of the brackets up... momentary lapse of reason I guess.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1321.jpg
    IMG_1321.jpg
    83.8 KB · Views: 113
  • IMG_1322.jpg
    IMG_1322.jpg
    86.9 KB · Views: 118

Apogee

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 26, 2005
Messages
6,033
...Not sure why I didn't just butt then backs of the brackets up... momentary lapse of reason I guess.

Better access with the MIG gun that way for a stronger weldout...looking good.
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Link Encounters of the 4th Kind!

Got the uppers cut, tacked and installed. Cycled the suspension and so far so good. Rear steer at extreme flex is going to put the tire razor close to the fender so I may need to shorten the lowers 1/2" or so.

I'm callin' it a night - time for a celebratory beer :)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1331.jpg
    IMG_1331.jpg
    102.7 KB · Views: 115
  • IMG_1330.jpg
    IMG_1330.jpg
    109.4 KB · Views: 102
  • IMG_1329.jpg
    IMG_1329.jpg
    109.1 KB · Views: 107
  • IMG_1326.jpg
    IMG_1326.jpg
    102.1 KB · Views: 113
  • IMG_1325.jpg
    IMG_1325.jpg
    116 KB · Views: 120
  • IMG_1324.jpg
    IMG_1324.jpg
    124.2 KB · Views: 120

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,604
Looking GOOD Dan!! You'll be ready for Liberty!!! Unlike me...
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
all links and mounts are burned in. I switched to flux-core for the frame mounts and call me crazy but I think I prefer that over gas. I don't use gas often so I may just be inexperienced but gas feels like trying to weld with Elmer's glue. Flux core is point-and-shoot, even upside-down, under the frame. If I did that with gas, it would have been balling up, dripping on me, etc. I've tried push, pull, different pressures with gas, feed speed, power setting, etc... just doesn't ever seem as consistent as flux core.

but anyway :)

next up are shock hoops I think. I ordered a new rear floor pan from Tom's today. $140 for the piece, $130 for shipping. Ouch. Now I gotta figure out if I want to cut a $300 part in half and weld it in to what I've got or try to replace it whole. Looks like a lot of work to remove it whole. :|

once the floor is in, I can put the hoops in then measure for the ORIs.

Then:
- Re-do exhaust
- Re-do fuel tank and pump
- Finish grinding off old brackets frame/axle
- Re-install carrier/ARB
- Re-do brake and fuel lines
- Re-assemble axle
- Seatbelts, stereo amp, rear seat, and and and and :)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1341.jpg
    IMG_1341.jpg
    122.4 KB · Views: 103
  • IMG_1340.jpg
    IMG_1340.jpg
    120.5 KB · Views: 95
  • IMG_1339.jpg
    IMG_1339.jpg
    67.7 KB · Views: 86
  • IMG_1338.jpg
    IMG_1338.jpg
    99.4 KB · Views: 88
  • IMG_1337.jpg
    IMG_1337.jpg
    103.3 KB · Views: 78
  • IMG_1336.jpg
    IMG_1336.jpg
    101.5 KB · Views: 84
  • IMG_1335.jpg
    IMG_1335.jpg
    107.6 KB · Views: 86
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
oh, for welding the threaded inserts on the links, I put antisieze on all of them then welded one length of the hexagonal insert at a time then move on to the next link and let the last cool. Just cycled through all 4-links like that welding about 1" each time. By the time I would get to the next one, it would be warm to the touch but not hot. No warped threads, no jammed joints. There's so much debate about joint in or joint out but I know that works.
 

dclack

Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
401
I ordered a new rear floor pan from Tom's today. $140 for the piece, $130 for shipping. Ouch. Now I gotta figure out if I want to cut a $300 part in half and weld it in to what I've got or try to replace it whole. Looks like a lot of work to remove it whole. :|

Dang Dan! You should have said something! My brother-in-law was just down at TBP last weekend and I was in Tacoma/Seattle on Monday and Tuesday!
 

OX1

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
3,458
oh, for welding the threaded inserts on the links, I put antisieze on all of them then welded one length of the hexagonal insert at a time then move on to the next link and let the last cool. Just cycled through all 4-links like that welding about 1" each time. By the time I would get to the next one, it would be warm to the touch but not hot. No warped threads, no jammed joints. There's so much debate about joint in or joint out but I know that works.

I just bought a tap and die, no worries anymore.
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
The new rear floor showed up today so i snuck out to the garage for an hour to get a handle on how the old one comes out. Looks like it won't be as bad as I thought - just a whole bunch of spot welds at the front and a few on the sides where it meets up with the wheel wells. It's taking all my will power to not re-do the rusted out and mangled front floor pans while I'm in there. It needs to be done and when I do, I'll be drilling out my own spot welds.

Also found out how NOT to separate the floor from the wheel wells with a sawzall. I'll come at it from below on the remaining side so the blade doesn't have to bend which is what sent it off track cutting into my wheel well.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1351.jpg
    IMG_1351.jpg
    113.9 KB · Views: 66
  • IMG_1353.jpg
    IMG_1353.jpg
    115 KB · Views: 64
  • IMG_1352.jpg
    IMG_1352.jpg
    58.9 KB · Views: 66
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Got the floor out tonight. I would have liked to been in the room when they decided how many spot welds to use...

Engineer 1 "5-10 should be more than enough"
Engineer 2 "OK, 31 it is"

It didn't take long to realize it was pointless to try to keep things intact. If I were doing it again, I would have drawn a line and cut with a jigsaw. I'm going to have to use a new strip of steel to join old and new anyway.

And the mandatory "I'm really into my bronco" Facebook pic 😉
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1441.jpg
    IMG_1441.jpg
    89.7 KB · Views: 103
  • IMG_1453.jpg
    IMG_1453.jpg
    115.9 KB · Views: 115
  • IMG_1389.jpg
    IMG_1389.jpg
    84.2 KB · Views: 87

OX1

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
3,458
I have to ask.

How pissed are you to that you could have done all that 4 link work
with floor out of the way?? :p
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
I have to ask.

How pissed are you to that you could have done all that 4 link work
with floor out of the way?? :p

Hahahaha exactly - when I pulled the floor away and saw the tops of those inner mounts, I said oh... I'm dumb. ;)
 
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Good progress on the rear floor. It's gonna be nice to have a floor again so I can stop swearing about tools that keep falling to through to the ground.

Once thats welded in I can make progress on the shock hoops and start moving on the fun stuff.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1457.jpg
    IMG_1457.jpg
    97.5 KB · Views: 64
  • IMG_1458.jpg
    IMG_1458.jpg
    89.6 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_1459.jpg
    IMG_1459.jpg
    65.5 KB · Views: 58
OP
OP
DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Very slow going getting the hoops cut just right to fit perfectly through the floor. Not sure I would do this the same way again but not sure how else to get the height for long travel shocks. Almost ready to tack in passenger side. Floor is all welded in... feels pretty soft behind the front seats, not sure if that's normal - may add a brace like the one under the rear seat.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1651.jpg
    IMG_1651.jpg
    110.3 KB · Views: 74
  • IMG_1652.jpg
    IMG_1652.jpg
    75.8 KB · Views: 67
  • IMG_1653.jpg
    IMG_1653.jpg
    102.2 KB · Views: 63
Top