Front End Three Link

[rcmbronc]

Anyone have any pics and/or details of a front end three link system. Putting in my new 609 this winter and looking at options.

 

[Tricky Dick]

No pics because I haven't done an EB but I will eventually. I have done other rigs though. What has worked well for me is lowers 32-36" long mounted near the frame and upper 24-30" wherever it fits. There's a calculator to figure out the best setup but you'll always have to compromise on something.

 

[rcmbronc]

Was you upper on passenger or drivers side?

 

[Tricky Dick]

I've done driver twice. Trussed to have something to weld to.

I'm setting my engine in the EB offset more to the passenger side so I expect to have a little more room for the upper on the driver side again.

 

[Yeller]

I’ve done a few, unfortunately no pics on an EB. @Tricky Dick is correct about the link lengths. They can be shorter depending on wheel travel desires. The upper can be a lot shorter ratio too, which can be helpful for packaging, like adding caster at full compression to keep the pinion out of the oil pan. I like to create more anti dive by moving the frame ends closer together vertically, I find it helps in climbing, you can literally feel the front load and pull forward.

Be prepared to do some creative surgery on the motor mount and exhaust, it’s gunna be tight. It makes. No difference if it is on the right or left. Don’t be afraid to weld on the cast center, it welds fine. It is weldable ductile iron not gray cast iron, just get it clean and turn up the heat with a little more voltage for a runnier puddle than normal and when you start welding weld it all.

 

[rcmbronc]

Mine is a fabricated 9 inch housing so no problem there.,

Here is what I am dealing with. Right now I have a D44 with Cage arms. The rear cage brackets are very well integrated into my chassis. If I use the back Cage mount my lower links will be about 43" long. Not sure what that does to my link numbers. Also not sure if I do this do I need to have bent lowers as I am very close to standard WMS. But i can have the link pretty parallel I think.

The other option is to used the Cage arms and fab or buy a weld on mount. I do not want radius arm bushings. I can also make my own radius arms using bent tubing and fab a top bar. Just want to do what works the best. The truck does some wheeling, not major rock crawling. It also is driven around town by me and my family so I need it to have good manners.

 

[Yeller]

The long lower link really isn’t an issue, and bending them isn’t impossible. I’d probably build a box mount similar to the cage arm but for a single control arm. Even with that length the upper can be as short as 18” and still behave nicely with up to 12-13” of wheel travel.

 

[nvrstuk]

Good stuff.

Is there a ratio available somewhere upper to lower lengths?

 

[BUCKWILD]

I am starting this with a 4" narowed 08 superduty 60 and am looking at 43" lower links and 30" upper on the passenger side, looking forward to this thread

 

[Tricky Dick]

Good stuff.

Is there a ratio available somewhere upper to lower lengths?

I probably found it on pirate back in the day but no clue where to find it now. Around 75% is what I've followed.

 

[nvrstuk]

Similar #s to the "unubtainable" ideal 4 link #'s (well, some of them anyway on a short, narrow EB).

I've always wanted to 3 link my Bronco. Steve's got some good experiences with the differences for real world crawling and I want to try it.

 

[Yeller]

I probably found it on pirate back in the day but no clue where to find it now. Around 75% is what I've followed.

This is correct, however in real world experience, as long as the upper link is horizontal at ride height, it really doesn’t matter. Even some OEM set ups have the uppers 60% shorter than the lower. It’s about packaging and having the upper link near horizontal to pointing up slightly toward the axle at ride height. from there, link lengths and the necessity of the ratio from upper to lower quickly diminishes and it then becomes about packaging. Even my own truck the upper is 50% shorter than the lower on the front for packaging, I needed it to add caster at full bump so the drive shaft would clear the starter. Geometry needs to be within a certain window but packing rules and there are usually ways to cheat it to meet a packaging issue.

 

[rocknhorse76]

Similar #s to the "unubtainable" ideal 4 link #'s (well, some of them anyway on a short, narrow EB).

I've always wanted to 3 link my Bronco. Steve's got some good experiences with the differences for real world crawling and I want to try it.

Brian, let’s get the rear of mine 4-linked and then we can start designing 3-link front setups for both our rigs

 

[nvrstuk]

Tim- I've already measured... lol

I have motor mount clearance issues which are easier to re-design than notching frames again!

 

[Tricky Dick]

This is correct, however in real world experience, as long as the upper link is horizontal at ride height, it really doesn’t matter. Even some OEM set ups have the uppers 60% shorter than the lower. It’s about packaging and having the upper link near horizontal to pointing up slightly toward the axle at ride height. from there, link lengths and the necessity of the ratio from upper to lower quickly diminishes and it then becomes about packaging. Even my own truck the upper is 50% shorter than the lower on the front for packaging, I needed it to add caster at full bump so the drive shaft would clear the starter. Geometry needs to be within a certain window but packing rules and there are usually ways to cheat it to meet a packaging issue.

The only front 4 link I did was about 60% and was a flex monster plus it handled pretty well. There's a lot of wiggle room.

 

[rocknhorse76]

Tim- I've already measured... lol

I have motor mount clearance issues which are easier to re-design than notching frames again!

I’ll have the same issues you do.

 

[Yeller]

On an EB motor mount is always in the way.

 

[nvrstuk]

On an EB motor mount is always in the way.

Yeah, on mine with so much up travel it creates a major re-design, like non-existent motor mount! lol

 

[Colo77Bronco]

I am a month out from having a custom 3 link front and rear 4 link built by a guy that does Ultra 4 race suspensions for a living. Superduty full width axles and extending the wheelbase as much as possible without modifying the body too much beyond Gorilla Warflares and probably bringing the coilover and bypass shock towers into the wheel wells. Going to see how low we can keep it and run 38s. Will have front and rear sway bars too as the only way I could justify this with the wife is it will be my daily driver too. Coyote/10r80/Atlas. I think I can build a very capable rig that handles much better than stock and is bulletproof but driveable as a daily. Will be insulated, dynamat, AC, power everything, etc. We will see! I will take a ton of pictures of what my guy fabs up. I know that a ton of the articulation he is building will be in droop rather than up travel to keep COG low.

 

[nvrstuk]

Are you going to post up some progress pics as he builds it?
I am very interested as I did the "same" thing. My DD, extended the WB, ORI'S, etc, etc.
Keeping it low was important. Frame ends sit at 2 1/2" susp lift if I was running true 37"s but I'm running 40"s with 6" up travel.

I really would like to see how a pro builder sets yours up! Sounds great-you'll love it.