3 link or 4 link? ANybody have any link material?

Tacoma747

Tacoma747

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem
I don't have much experience setting up link suspensions, and am not sure of the best calculators to use either. Not sure what good the calc's would do anyways, because the weight of the axles would not be included (but I guess it would really need to be sprung weight only right?)

Either way, seems a 3-link would be easier to set-up, and I would also save some $$$ as the trac-bar would not need the more expensive RE joints.

I am planning to use Racerunner Air Shocks, www.eshocks.com has them for $212.50 each, free shipping.

Anybody local have some link material, and/or want to help with setting up the suspension? Not really do it for me, just give some experienced insight on setting it up.

Thanks
 
I run a 3 link and love it, but if I were to do it again I'd probably look into building a dual triangulated 4 link. No track bar. On mine, all 4 frame end joints are yj bushings, 3 axle end are RE joints.
 
I'll find out how my 3-link does here before long, but on the road it drives great. I have Johnny Joints at every link end. Seems to work well.

I can get ahold of some link material for dirt cheap if you're interested. Just let me know.
 
Just make sure that top link, the ends, and the brackets on both ends are really, really strong. It'll get expensive really fast if that link fails.
 
X2. We went with Sky Manufacturing leaf spring hangers as the frame mounts for the 2 main links. Those things are beefy. Not sure what most others use, but thats what we decided to use.
 
I found a good price on the RE joints, but was thinking about running heims at the upper mounts. This would save me some money because I can get the $cheap$ used from a local guy that races. They would be the 3/4" heims, and they replace them pretty often so they are still in good shape. Good idea or not?

What size tube is good for links? I was thinking 2" 1/4" wall DOM.
 
I run Johnny Joints at all my ends, and use 2"x.250 DOM. Sounds like you should be in good shape. If you can get those RE joints those should work well. Just check on how much the little rebuild kits/parts for them are. I believe they are fairly inexpensive, and if they are, you'd be in great shape.
 
I have been researching the 3 and 4 link on a toyota alot, although i havnt done one. It looks like most people are doing a 3 link if your trying to keep a low COG. Something about interferance with the oil pan or something like that. On the older trucks they are running the top link on the passenger side and on the tacoma on the driver side. But like you said there is a lot of stress on just one link so i would probably go 4 link.
Now for link material most everyone is using 2"x .250 wall DOM taht i saw while researching. Again this is not from experiance just what i have found while researching to do it on my truck.
 
toyota231 said:
I have been researching the 3 and 4 link on a toyota alot, although i havnt done one. It looks like most people are doing a 3 link if your trying to keep a low COG. Something about interferance with the oil pan or something like that. On the older trucks they are running the top link on the passenger side and on the tacoma on the driver side. But like you said there is a lot of stress on just one link so i would probably go 4 link.
Now for link material most everyone is using 2"x .250 wall DOM taht i saw while researching. Again this is not from experiance just what i have found while researching to do it on my truck.
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I was under the impression that he was linking the rear...he never actually said, but the d70 comment points towards that. In that case the oil pan doesn't matter...
 
I am linking the front first, then the rear later on. I can do either a 4 or 3 on the back easily since I don't have the factory gas tank anymore.

As for the front, the oilpan is in the way, it may be possible to do a 4-link, and even a 3-link will be tight (for the panhard bar), but might leave a little more room open.
 
In that case, steering would matter a lot. I was talking about a wishbone 3 link, but this wouldn't work if you still have a drag link...nor would a triangulated 4 link--or at least very well. By 3 link are you talking radius arms, wishbone, or 3 separate links plus panhard?
 
I have been looking a lot at the strength issue you brought up. Just looking through magazines, pirate4x4, and some others, and there a lot of people running a 3 link with larger axles and tires (rockwells and 44's) than what you will be running and most seem to be happy. Im still not sure about the forces put on one single top link but it seems to work well for most people.
 
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