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.

 

[RockRanger]

Considering the rear only has about 4-5 " of lift over stock if I drop the rear any more it it would only have about 14" of clearance under the skid plate.

 

[section525]

Matt, do you have some better pics of the driver's side coil mount on the axle? My buddy is lookin at using the waggy axle on his xj. Thanks

 

[RockRanger]

Thats all I got and that is from colin. If you want more I can try to get some next week when I am back home.

 

[RockRanger]

Took the truck out to Johnson Valley over new years and did some wheeling. We ran parts of the bullfrog trail as well as clawhammer. The suspension worked great. Here are a few flex pictures of the truck. It is still not fully articulated.

 

[DB_1]

Your truck handled the trails quite well out there
I definitely need some lower T-case gearing since the stock case makes for a less than graceful ride over the rocks.

 

[RockRanger]

Once I get my 37" tires on the truck and get a rear traction bar built I think that will help it out more. The springs on the front are a bit soft they could use to be a bit stiffer. However compared to the old leaf setup it rides much smoother in the whoops and flexes jsut as well without the axle wrap. It is also much more stable on the sidehills. The few times I had it laying way over on its side when we were out, it felt completly under control.

The only issue I have right now is at about 60-65 on the pavement I start to get a death wobble. I am not sure if it is the suspension setup or if it is the torn up never balanced tires that are on it. If I still have it after I swap tires I will investigate it some more.


Now is the time for you to do the doubler you need to retube the rear shaft anyway. In my old ranger I had the rear shaft tubed with 3/16" wall tubing. I had scratches all over it and it stayed perfectly balanced.

I might even give sledgehammer or jackhammer trail a try if I can get anyone to run it with me

 

[Stic-o]

Death wobble is part of the game... You learn to deal with it. I think my truck has it some but you just learn to drive acordingly. Check for slop in the steering, mine was really bad, but I had a good inch or two in the steering wheel of play at once

 

[94 Crawler]

Isn't death wobble a caster issue? I was talking to a heep guy and i think he said less caster corrects it or was it more?

 

[RockRanger]

It could be. I think I have to much caster in it right now. One of these days I will re adjust it. Death wobble can be caused by a bunch of differnt things. Can be one thing or a little bit of all of them.

 

[Kirby N.]

I would look very close at your new track bar setup. Even a loose bolt will cause death wobble. Heck, I have seen a worn heim do it. I agree, though, from my experience with Jeeps. It can be a bunch of different things or a combination. Jeeps have ill designed steering links imho, though. You don't have the inherintly crappy designed steering that heeps have so you are already 1 step ahead. If you can't pinpoint it, a good steering stabilizer usually does the trick...

 

[tdavis]

If you can't pinpoint it, a good steering stabilizer usually does the trick...

Or even better, do hydro-assist.

Better than a steering stabilizer!

Matt, good job on the truck! Looks good! I always loved the zuk's flex combined with the low crawl ratio..

 

[Burns]

I really need to do a linked set up on mine sometime. Good Job.


I would look into the track bar. When mine went all crazy wobble like that it ended up being a bad track bar bushing and it was a new one. Never know with stuff anymore.

 

[DB_1]

I'd love to do the dual case set-up but don't have the funds to get a 1350 right now. I will definitely have the D-shaft rebuilt with thicker wall material.

My truck is smooth as glass at all speeds on the highway although it does wander a bit. It's just gonna be a process of elimination to find the source of your death wobble.

 

[FROADER]

Mine only has death wobble when I get going about 75 with 4 people each with a weekends worth of luggage in it. Other than that, it's just sweet vibes from the unbalanced bias beefs.

My 3 favorite trucks on this site are all rangers... maybe I should find one and swap my shiz to it.

 

[DB_1]

My 3 favorite trucks on this site are all rangers... maybe I should find one and swap my shiz to it.

I think if you do what you have planned with the photochopped pics you posted it would look pretty cool

Matt, are you starting to think 37" are going to be inadequate now
I'd like to go bigger but I'd have to go to a wider axle so the tires don't rub on the coils on full stuff.

 

[colindo94]

what coils did you end up putting in there. Sorry if it was mentioned before.

 

[Stic-o]

Good advise up here, now that some people said something I rember my death wobble was really bad at one point, and it turned out to be a lose bolt on the trac bar.

Just go to 37's you'll always want bigger, but we're starting to push the limits of D44's/8.8's now. I really suprised we have not started seeing more breakage sence we've all been going over the 35" mark.

 

[RockRanger]

Matt, are you starting to think 37" are going to be inadequate now

To go bigger Would need major work up front to get the tires to clear the body. 37"s are going to be pushing it as it is.

what coils did you end up putting in there. Sorry if it was mentioned before.

8" skyjacker TJ front springs. Perfect height but a bit on the soft side. They will work for now.

Just go to 37's you'll always want bigger, but we're starting to push the limits of D44's/8.8's now. I really suprised we have not started seeing more breakage sence we've all been going over the 35" mark.

I have already broke shafts on both sides now. If I decide to go bigger I would probably do a 609 axle. If I go that far I doubt there will be much sheet metal left on the truck at that point.

I think we will see more breakage when we start wheeling more places then truckhaven and a few big bear trails.

 

[Kirby N.]

I think 37s are big enough. But I used to think 35s were enough... I think your ranger looks good with its tire size right now. 35s are big enough to do the hard trails in colorado, but they are easier with 37s so I like that. I only have 37s because I got a smoking deal on them. I wanted 35" BFG a/ts! If I have to buy another set I will be hard pressed to buy 37s again. I wish BFG made the A/ts in a 37 with a 15" rim.

Do you have Chromo shafts and superjoints? I got some and I have not had axle troubles since. I have a friend who could get you a great deal on a set:biggthump...

 

[RockRanger]

just stock shafts and stock spare shafts as well. No money right now for alloy shafts.