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Dan Wheeler's Rear 4-Link Thread

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Started in on 4-linking the rear this weekend. Ballistic Fab is having a 25% off tax refund sale so figured, what the heck :D

DOM, joints, inserts and brackets are ordered but on backorder. Still need to order the ORI struts for the rear to match the fronts. Artec Sterling truss arrived today and got things trimmed to fit. Didn't need too much grinding.

Not too much going on at this point, just dismantling things and removing old bracketry. Took the axle out and the fuel cell too which I think I'm going to re-do. Here's the high level plan:

- Double triangulated 4-link
- ORI STX struts probably 18" or 20"
- UN-embed the fuel cell (that turned out to be a bad idea) and maybe downsize to 15 gallons
- Will need to re-do the exhaust/muffler
- Shock hoops with a cross-brace behind the back seat
- I'll need to set the struts into the wheel wells and box it in

Going to figure out most of this as I go, not doing anything unusual.

I just signed up as a contributor so let's see if this photo upload thing works.
 

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OX1

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
3,458
Anyone ever run the typical EB 4 link through the calculator?
Just curious what the numbers are on it.
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Yup on the calculator...thing is there's so many opinions on what works best... I'm still in the building stage but my numbers are where I want them with some "local" help.
 
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DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Got all the old brackets removed off frame and axle. Started welding up the truss... about 30 minutes in I realized my gas was off. I thought I had just gotten really rusty at welding and I'm so used to welding with flux core on my 110v MIG and I was using a brand new 220v machine... didn't even occur to me that the ugly welds were because the gas was off. Duh. Now I gotta grind a bunch of stuff out and re-do.

I've got all the brackets and parts needed to set up the links. Now who's 4-link design can I steal?!?!?! :D ;)
 

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dclack

Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
401
Nice! I looked at the pics first, second pic I thought 'Is he using flux core for this?', then I read what you wrote. Haha! Mig without gas pretty much looks like flux core.
 

302BRONC

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
85
Awesome to see more work on this thing. your other threads were a great resource when building my bronco - thank you for documenting your work. last year was the first year with the 4 link with 14" ORI's in mine. works better than i could have hoped. i'd be happy to help with any questions!

IMG_20160430_154212141.jpg


IMG_20160427_234639133.jpg


IMG_20160410_181053909.jpg


1001161734b.jpg


hijack over. proceed!
 
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DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Awesome to see more work on this thing. your other threads were a great resource when building my bronco - thank you for documenting your work. last year was the first year with the 4 link with 14" ORI's in mine. works better than i could have hoped. i'd be happy to help with any questions!

hijack over. proceed!

Thanks for the pics! That looks great - exactly what I had in mind. Nice work, I will definitely have questions about your setup, thanks. What towers are those? What was the reason for going up and over with the cross-brace instead of straight across?
 

302BRONC

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
85
Thanks for the pics! That looks great - exactly what I had in mind. Nice work, I will definitely have questions about your setup, thanks. What towers are those? What was the reason for going up and over with the cross-brace instead of straight across?


Ruffstuff towers: http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/STOWER12.html
They are spaced outboard of the frame 2" and boxed in so I could conserve as much floor space as possible.

Cross brace was mostly aesthetic but i'm also planning a low pro cooler rack over top the tool box that will pin to that bar. That bar is also a handy spot for the rear seat harness mount. The bar was also leveled after this pic:
IMG_20160410_180456602.jpg
 

JSmall

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 18, 2004
Messages
3,223
Looks like a great start, Dan. Excited to see what you come up with.

I had to have a backseat so mine is basically the same as 302BRONC...he's just farther along ;D Towers outboarded 2" so I could fit the seat. I'm working on the fenders right now.









 
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DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
Wow, looks awesome, Jaromy - are you on NWCB? I think I remember seeing those pics of the towers. What towers are those? They look different than 302bronc's. They sure fit your seat perfectly.

I notice both of you guys put your joints above the diff sideways. What's the reason for that?

Jaromy, do you have any pics of how you did your frame mounts for the lowers? Looks like you've got them mounted inboard a bit, did either of you use any angle iron to widen the frame attachment area or just let them sit over the edge?

Did you guys cut into the brace under the corrugated floor? Looks like it's right in the way of where we need to cut for the towers.

Thanks, guys!
 

302BRONC

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
85
Jeromy's towers are slick! What length Ori are you using and how much chrome is showing at ride height? Mine are 14"/5"

The upper links on the axle are sideways mostly because of packaging. The bolt comes within 1/2" of the bottom of my tub at full bump. The towers are just behind the floor support leaned back a few degrees.

The lower link frame side were plated in back to the frame for more reinforcement.
IMG_20160427_234241101.jpg
 

JSmall

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 18, 2004
Messages
3,223
Wow, looks awesome, Jaromy - are you on NWCB? I think I remember seeing those pics of the towers. What towers are those? They look different than 302bronc's. They sure fit your seat perfectly.

I notice both of you guys put your joints above the diff sideways. What's the reason for that?

Jaromy, do you have any pics of how you did your frame mounts for the lowers? Looks like you've got them mounted inboard a bit, did either of you use any angle iron to widen the frame attachment area or just let them sit over the edge?

Did you guys cut into the brace under the corrugated floor? Looks like it's right in the way of where we need to cut for the towers.

Thanks, guys!

I am...same user name. I got the towers from Synergy because the Artec mounts were on backorder at the time. They work perfect with the seat.

I can snap a few pics of my frame mounts. They are modified Artec mounts.
 
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DanWheeler

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
made some good progress today burning in the truss, setting the axle position and tacked on a bracket. Should start going quickly now.

Sterling 10.25 is nodular iron so I used MIG with stainless wire and lots of pre and post heat. I had a few cracks early on, even a really loud pop when one of the welds let go but after things got warmed up, the high-nickel content in the stainless wire seemed to do the trick. Much better than when I did the front Dana 60.

rear cross-member will need to go. Looks like my uppers and lowers will be 30" and 40" respectively. What did you guys end up with for lengths?
 

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302BRONC

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
85
Looking great! The artec truss looks slick. Yeah- rear crossmember needs to move back about 3", I fabbed one that went up and over to take advantage of space between frame and the tub. Also running stock tank pushed back and up.

Lowers 36" to match my fronts. Uppers are right around 32". Little shorter than I expected, but it has nearly no rear steer an it uses all of the 14" ORI.
 
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DanWheeler

DanWheeler

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Lowers 36" to match my fronts. Uppers are right around 32". Little shorter than I expected, but it has nearly no rear steer an it uses all of the 14" ORI.

is that 32" eye-to-eye on the uppers? Or total length? My body mounts are right in the way of where I want to put the brackets. Looks like you had the same problem but your uppers don't look 36" long from the pictures unless you moved your rear axle WAY back.
 
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