radius arms in the rear ????

[sureshot40sw]

so I brought this idea up to JamesT a few days ago and he said that its been discussed and generally thought to be a bad idea but I cant remember why..... been looking all night and cant find anything on it, so here's a new thread.... hope its in th eright place... I get 'fused around here...


so has anybody tried to run radius arms in the rear... ? I understand what it would take to get em under there.... what are the cons associated with this idea....??? ... I'd use Cage or Duff arms for beef...

i found this pic earlier on Pirate and thats what made me decide to look.... ( I know its a 4-runner, but you get the idea... I hope.. )

 

[IZwack]

The idea is nothing out of the box .. there have been Explorers on the forum thave have done away w/ the leaf springs and converted to a triangulad 4-link .. the radius arm + panhard is based on the same principles.

 

[sureshot40sw]

I know about 4 links.... dont wanna relocate the gas tank, hense the thought of the radius arms...

got any links to threads or suggestions for search terms... ?

still searching.....

 

[IZwack]

This link is for a street Explorer using a triangulated 4-link:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182301

I really see no problems in running a radius arm + panhard so I'm not sure there's much to discuss in the topic. If the configuration can be ran in the front, then it can probably be ran in the back .. at least to a certain degree of modification. Perhaps the only difference is that the back is typically a single-cardan driveshaft where as the front is a double cardan so the pinion angle will be different. But then again, if jamest said there's sometihng you need to watch out for when running a radius arm in the rear, then its probably true cauz he's always on point.

 

[sureshot40sw]

if jamest said there's sometihng you need to watch out for when running a radius arm in the rear, then its probably true cauz he's always on point.

are you sure we're talking aboiut the SAME JamesT...????


J/K...... I cant remember what he said and its drivin me crazy.... I seem to remember me agreeing with it....

 

[IZwack]

are you sure we're talking aboiut the SAME JamesT...????

jamest -- the one with the racist dog! There's only one

 

[Mud Bug 94]

i saw this some where cant rember where tho...

 

[james t]

The only problem is massive anti-squat that you cant get rid of.

I checked into this years ago for T.J., when he was about to put rockwells under his early Bronco. I did a crap load of searching and found out about the anti-squat issues, and that was basically why not many people run rear radius arms.

T.J. and i talked it over, and he decided to try it anyway as back then neither of us had a clue how to calculate all the numbers on a 4-link. I figured it wouldnt be perfect but should work. So, he built a set similar to his front ones. After that first trip out, he verified what we had heard. You step on the gas, the rear end of the truck lifts up. This causes two problems-

1- Going steep uphill stuff- you step on the gas and the rear end lifts. This force overcomes the rear traction limits, and the rear either hops or spins or both. Now you're having a hard time going up stuff that everyone else is crawling with ease.

2- Going down steep stuff- if you get to a ledge or obstical were you need to give it a little gas, the rear lifts up. The thing is, since you are pointed downhill and there is alot more weight transfer on the front end the rear lift is magnified. Touch the gas and it either makes you crap your pants or puts you all the way over in an endo. T.J. said the downhill stuff scared him to death.


Ive only seen a few people who have stuck with the rear radius arm thing, and most of those guys are western/rock garden type wheeling.

 

[sureshot40sw]

thanks dood... I couldnt remember what it was and saw the 4-runner and thought I'd look....

 

[sn0border88]

im sure there is an EB on pirate with f/r radius arms, its in the ford section, think its blue and gray?

 

[james t]

Yea, that is Sceep's dad's Bronco. So far, he is the only person on earth that did rear radius arms (that ive found) that didnt regret it later on. Mine & sureshot's buddy TJ is thinking about re-doing his to 4 link, and if he's even thinking about it then it must be bad because (1)He will ***** about spending $2 and (2)He doesnt re-do ****, he just lives with it. :

Like i said, rock garden type stuff they really arent THAT bad, but the insane hillclimb/ downhill stuff they are scary. On flat ground, TJ's rig will raise the rear end up several inches just giving it gas to take off, and thats with a 300k mile 100hp Crown Vic 5 liter.