Looking for advice/opinions about my homemade radius arms

[newstylecustoms]

I have built a set of extended radius arms and tranny crossmember, I am looking for opinions on what I am missing. They are still under construction so I can easily make changes. My Ex was 2wd and I have made the rest of the changes but in the final stage of fabrication I thought I would seek advice. Let me know what things should be changed. I cycles through 14" of travel with no binding. I am using stock XJ springs so it will only lift it an inch or two at the most. I am just trying to make it flex with plenty of droop travel. These are cell phone camera pics so they are not very good.

 

[Four0Sport]

ahh.. another electric current red 2dr. looks good so far.

 

[newstylecustoms]

ahh.. another electric current red 2dr. looks good so far.

Is there any other color?

 

[Four0Sport]

not any good lookin ones.. but does yours have matching maroon interior?

 

[410Fortune]

those suckers need some plating to tie the two tubes together

 

[newstylecustoms]

those suckers need some plating to tie the two tubes together

I thought about that but it seemed like overkill to me. They are quite heavy already.

Mine has gray interior.

 

[410Fortune]

heavy?
you need strength not weight

the two tubes need to be plated together, at least in a few spots, otherwise they are weak weak IMO
Camburg used to build 2wd radius arms that Look ALOT like what you have done here
All they did was bend and break......now Camburg plates them, so does everyone else

 

[newstylecustoms]

Point well taken, I will look into it. Any pointers on shock placement?

 

[DeRocha]

The SkyJacker Radius arms are heavily plated.

 

[410Fortune]

dang mine used to be that clean and not scratched! LOL

 

[4x4junkie]

What is the wall thickness of that piece of square tube you used?

And agreed, plating them up between the tubes does help a lot with strength.

 

[newstylecustoms]

What is the wall thickness of that piece of square tube you used?

And agreed, plating them up between the tubes does help a lot with strength.

The square tube is 2x3 3/16" wall. The upper round tube passes through the rectangle tube for strength. I know someone with access to a laser cutting machine, maybe he could make me some plates that look good too.

 

[410Fortune]

a couple of plates, a couple of dimple dye's you're set!

Shocks should go on teh radius arm IMO, BUT you can mount them in front of the beam, in back of the beam, or on the radius arm

 

[newstylecustoms]

a couple of plates, a couple of dimple dye's you're set!

Shocks should go on teh radius arm IMO, BUT you can mount them in front of the beam, in back of the beam, or on the radius arm

I am going to try to mount them on the radius arm but I may not have enough clearance for the brake caliper.

 

[410Fortune]

really? brake caliper?
My radius arms are like 6" from the brake calipers, from your pics it looks similar??
Maybe just a bit further back on the radius arm? (like the skyjackers pictured)

 

[newstylecustoms]

really? brake caliper?
My radius arms are like 6" from the brake calipers, from your pics it looks similar??
Maybe just a bit further back on the radius arm? (like the skyjackers pictured)

I haven't checked clearance with the caliper on yet but at full lock it will be close. I hope it isn't a problem so I can run a much shorter shock than I would need in the front to get the same travel.

 

[4x4junkie]

The square tube is 2x3 3/16" wall. The upper round tube passes through the rectangle tube for strength. I know someone with access to a laser cutting machine, maybe he could make me some plates that look good too.

I would add a plate to the outside of the arm as well so the whole axle end piece is solidified better with the tubing, this way the sq. tube won't flex when the torque moment from the diff is put on it (make it like where the shock is mounted on the Skyjacker arm).

Looks like you should be good to go otherwise, good job


Here's a pic showing the shock clearance on mine (I can almost put my hand in between the shock and the caliper with it at full lock).

 

[newstylecustoms]

You are right I checked the clearance today with the caliper on and it shouldn't be a problem. I can't move the shock mount up like I had planned on the passenger side because I want to leave the A/C box alone. I will lose some travel because of that.