Another Wristed Radius Arm Idea

[68 Broncoholic]

I was over at http://pirate4x4.com/ and noticed this radius arm a guy made.
I'm sure some of you have already seen it.
It works simular to the wristed arm but has an upper arm for axle wrap.
What do you guys think? Seems like a great idea.
The red circle shows shere it pivots.

 

[TJK74]

Looks functional though a scary with that big square tube drop bracket.
I take it this is a rear 3 link?

 

[crawln68]

Looks just like a Heep arm.

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

Looks like a XJ Jeep long arm kit. I can't see how it works like a wristed arm. Not unless the pass side is wristed. I think they would work more like extended arms. The Jeep guys say they work really well compared to the stock XJ suspension. I have given thought about building a set for my rig instead of using the C bushings. It could make pinion angle and castor adjustments easier. But you will still need a track rod.

 

[TJK74]

It work like a wristed cause all the cross bind is freed up by just running a single rod end on one side vs. both

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

I see...

 

[gddyap]

It's not a wristed arm. Axle housing rotation is still controlled. It would not pivot at the circled joint. It's virtually identical to the XJ arms that Bucket posted.

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

His set up is like the orange arms without the top bar on the pass side? Axle wrap is controlled by just the one arm, similar to a wristed set up. I've seen a bunch of people around here using the 3 link like a parallel 4 link without 1 upper.

 

[BroncKrawler]

I made a pair of long arms for my '91 Explorer when I did an SAS. It flexed well but I will never use heim joints ever again. They wore out too quick (lots of deep water driving) and they sent too much vibration through the body.

 

[gddyap]

The linkage shown in the picture does not perform like a wristed arm. But if the linkage on the other side of the axle is just a single link then that one would act like a wristed arm.

 

[68 Broncoholic]

It does look very simular. I'll have to ask the guy if he's trying to copy the XJ setup as I've never seen it until now. Suposedly the guy has tested his suspension and said yes it does pivot at this point and I believe both sides are the same. When I first saw it I thought hmmm, it might rotate cause he mounted the inside tube almost flat and has heims at all points. I didn't understand the axle wrap part if both arms are pivoting on both sides. You could be right that it doesn't work as well as a wristed arm. I'll see if I can get more photos or his thoughts on it.

 

[1 old 67]

I made a pair of long arms for my '91 Explorer when I did an SAS. It flexed well but I will never use heim joints ever again. They wore out too quick (lots of deep water driving) and they sent too much vibration through the body.

i am new to this and have a few Q
1 in the arms you made what would you use if not a heim joint ?
2 and why would they send any more vibration through the body the the stock set up ?

would just like too know your thoughts

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

I remember seeing a set of arms similar to that design that used a hydraulic cylinder on the top link of the pass side. It was plumbed to a valve in the cab. It was not connected to any type of pump. So you could shut the valve and lock the cylinder in place. Open the valve and allow it to flex on that side like a wristed arm.

 

[bronko69er]

Heim joints transfer more vibration because they are a metal on metal interface.
Stock setup uses a rubber or urethane bushing. The bushing dampens the vibration and doesn't transfer as much to the frame.

 

[Slowpony]

You can use a Johnny Joint or any number of rebuildable joints available these days. To reduce vibration and noise, you'll want one that has some type of urethane bushing.

Off-road design uses this type of front arms on their stuff, minus the second link on the passenger side. The additional link would provide more caster control and would share the load with the other link, but I doubt a trail rig needs it. You could always just pull the passenger upper link at the trailhead and it would act just like a wristed arm.

'Pony

 

[ugly74]

to my eye it doesn't seem any better than a stock EB front 3 link. besides easier adjustments. If I ever run coils in back, I'll mirror a front EB 3 link. same as when (if) I do a SAS swap on my S-10, I'll use an EB 3 link.

 

[1 old 67]

Heim joints transfer more vibration because they are a metal on metal interface.
Stock setup uses a rubber or urethane bushing. The bushing dampens the vibration and doesn't transfer as much to the frame.

so this vibration comes from ?bumps and stoping it just dose not look like it would be that much??:?

i know this may seam like a silly Q but if you dont ask then you dont know right.

 

[bronko69er]

so this vibration comes from ?bumps and stoping it just dose not look like it would be that much??:?

i know this may seam like a silly Q but if you dont ask then you dont know right.

Rough roads, bumps anything that cycles the suspension at all will transmit varied amounts of shock & vibration through the components. Metal to metal contact will transmit the shock/vibration on to the next component. Rubber or urethane ushings absorb/dampen this shock/vobration.

 

[BroncKrawler]

Its already been listed, but yes, I'd use Johnny Joints, or a simple bolt welded inside the tubing and use some bushings instead of running heims. I paid around $150 or more for 6 heims, and then I went to Blue Torch Fab and used their chromo thread inserts. The heims lasted me about 3 months before I had to replace almost all of them because of deep water crossing and mud getting inside the heim. I'd rather run Wild Horses / All 4 Fun's extended radius arms than Duff's because they don't use heims. Maybe I was just unlucky with them, I'm not sure.