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3link front build

After wasting my front springs on my last wheeling trip it is time to do some upgrades. I am dumping the front leafs and doing a 3 link front.

The lower links will be some thick tube of some sort once I finally buy it. On the axle will be a poly bushing from ruff stuff. On the frame side I am using a jonny joint with a 1.25" threaded shank.

The upper link is 1.75x .120 tube with the same johnny joints on both ends.

The track bar will be 1.5x .250 tube that I have laying around. It will have 3/4" hiems on each end.

I am reusing my old shocks.

The coil springs will be from a jeep tj. I have some rubicon express 4.5" springs right now. I think they will be to short but we will see when I get some weight on it.
 

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Isn't that Black Lavender?:p:
 



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WTF!!!:wtf:
 






Any updates Matt?
 






(OMG) on line again. Hey Matt sound like a fun project. Are you looking at caster change because if not the Rubicon Express design works well and fits.
 






Maybe integrate an upper coil retainer into it as well...you don't want to be "that guy" with 4" of air between the coil and upper mount when you're flexing:p:
Whats wrong with that? My sisters TJ does that well!

102_3820.jpg


Matt- Some suggestions: Heims suck for a trackbar. If I were you I would go with something else. The heims on my trackbar need replaced at least every season because they get sloppy and start making a "thunk" noise. My brothers XJ had Hiems on the track bar and they got so sloppy that he got death wobble. I would go with a superflex type of joint on one end and a poly on the other. That way they will last and be quiet. Check out the Bronco I built in the SAS section with this setup. Also, we built a crossmember with link mounts integrated if you need some inspiration.
P1011046.jpg
 






Any updates Matt?

Yeah it is firmly holding all my jackstands in place so they don't disappear. I have been home very little the last two months and have hardly touched it. I have most things figured out on how I plan on doing them. I hope to have it back together by the October truckhaven run.

If it isn't ready we will be bringing Tracy's jeep instead. We now have 3 4wds at the house. IS it bad that we get the best mpg out of an 84 cj7. We also have an old army jeep trailer that Tracy's dad gave us as well. That is two trailers as well.

Good thing we bought a place with 6/10th of an acre we are starting to fill it up.
 






Progress :D

Coil bucket and shock mounts.

001.jpg


This is where it sits with weight on the springs. About 3" lower then it was when I had leafs. I need some different coils.

002.jpg



Looks like I might have to trim some of the front of the fender. On the bright side my approch angle should be pretty sweet.

003.jpg


Some how I have to get this piece of 1.5' x .250 chro moly tube to look like piece of conduit so I can finish my trac bar. It needs the bend do it will clear the engine crossmember at full stuff.

004.jpg
 












rusty off road has some 9" springs I might order. Or I might just pick up some spacers. I haven't decided yet.
 






A guy that DB1 and I wheeled with out at corral canyon a few months ago with lives about a half a mile from me and had a harbor freight poop pipe bender. So I took my piece of 1.5 x .250 chromoly tubing down there to see how it would bend it. After some pumping on the bottle jack with a cheater bar it worked.

001-1.jpg
 






Hey!! I've been searching forever on how to bend 0.25-wall tube, thanks for the HF solution!!
 






It will not bend a very tight radius. I have a feeling that if I tried to bend it much more then what I did it would have started to crush the tube.
 






It will not bend a very tight radius.
Oh ok thanks -- no biggie for me I think, I just need maybe 15 degrees max (pretty much like what you have pictured).
 






I have done that with a few DOM sizes. Works great! It actually bends the thick stuff much better with out crumpling it. My bender has a warped base from it! It makes me a little nervous every time I do it!!
 






While doing some welding on the axle today I had it flipped upside down and noticed that it had a bit of a buck tooth on it. All of teh rock scars I had were on this section. So about 5 minutes with a grinder I picked up 3/16-1/4 inch of ground clearance.

Before

001-3.jpg


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After

003-1.jpg


004-1.jpg




Hopefully tommorow I can get the truck on its wheels and see if I need to get different springs.
 






I need to do that too, I nailed a rock last trip out and it was on that little nub. No damage but it felt like I hit the rock square on the diff.

I'm anxious to see how your build turns out:thumbsup:
 






I need different springs. The ones I have are way to short. So the search is on for different springs Right now the front is 3-4" lower then the rear. Also the brace I built for the track bar just touches the track bar on compression. So I have to move it up a bit or put another bend in the track bar. Might have to do both.

Left to do:

get differnt front springs
get the track bar to clear the track bar mount brace.
install the front brake calipers and bleed the brakes.
Install all the nuts and torque everything down.
Weld a brace between the upper and lower frame mounts
Finish building the the transmission cross member
Get limit straps on the front end so shocks aren't the limit straps.
Pray that when I charge the battery it will hold a charge and start up.

I hope to have it ready to test out at truckhaven right after thanksgiving.
 






Get limit straps on the front end so shocks aren't the limit straps.

So what are you try'n to say there....:wtf:

:p:


I know they make 10" TJ coils
 



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er....

How much can you drop the rear down? Lower can be better!
 






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