It will probably be a week or two before I’m ready to commit to cutting the tube, but I’ll reach out to you before ordering smaller heims.
3-link track bar question, and many more!
- Thread starter strange1
- Start date
hurt4x4
Well-Known Member
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- Sep 12, 2012
- Location
- Greensboro
Heims on both ends. At full bump I could roll it by hand enough to just barely contact the diff but never had any issues out of it.
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
Looks good best I can tell. I would weld the axle tubes to the diff, and I would consider adding gussets to the frame side track bar mount. I have seen several track bar brackets fail. It may never be a problem, but it could also ruin your weekend. Spreading some of that force out on the frame sorta like I marked up is cheap insurance. You can church it up and make it look fancy, just want that force to have more surface area.
91samurai
Well-Known Member
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- Apr 20, 2016
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- Midland, Nc
X2 ripped mine off today. Not a fun trail repair
WARRIORWELDING
Owner opperator Of WarriorWelding LLC.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
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- Chillin, Hwy 64 Mocksville NC
Same for the upper link mount. Can't see it well but a little of the same does not hurt.
Unless you go over board and build a mini anvil and weld till you have a taco.
what process would I use to do that? I’ve also been thinking about sleeving the tubes as well.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
Did you end up having to change the track bar configuration?
Right now I’ve got a single bend over the diff, and it is just barely clearing everything. It’s a few inches shorter than the drag-link and a few degrees from the same angle, but it is fitting in the space.
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
I wouldn't sleeve the tubes, I'd do a mini truss from @BUCKEYE PERFORMANCE INC. or TMR Customs. If you have room or course. Sleeving will just move the weak point to the housing. A truss is the best option.
As for welding the tubes, pre-heat with a torch. Also need to let it cool a certain way. I would look that up and do some research.
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
Also, do you plan to run hydro-assist?
Not at the moment. Thought process similar to your moving the weak point to something else....
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
Weak point in regards to hydro? That’s not the case at all. Not sure what size tires you’re running but you’ll stress the box so much it will wear out faster with a tire of any size like 37+. It will also stress the frame real bad in that area. Looks like a scout style box, the bolts will come loose often so keep an eye on them.
With hydro assist, the ram does most of the work and pushed the steering arm with that force put right on the axle instead of leverage on the frame.
I was picturing a tire up against a rock and the hydro-assist just pushing the ball joints apart.
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
That can certainly happen, but you’d have to force it. You still get significant feedback thru the steering wheel, it’s not like a log splitter. You’ll know when you’re bound up and don’t need to force it.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
Gut the diff of everything but the pinion. Torque the bearing caps to spec. Heat the 3rd and the tube on both sides of the weld to about 400F. Set the mig to 'kill' and weld the diff to the tube. Need to be quick here, as it will start cooling as soon as you remove the heat. Need to be set up to weld 1/4 to 1/3 of the way, reposition, and continue welding relatively quickly.
Post-heat as needed to keep both sides of the weld at the same temperature. The tube will probably cool faster, so will need heat, where the diff housing has more mass and cools more slowly. If you hear a loud 'tink' during the cooling cycle, grind out the crack and start over.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
A 'mini' truss isn't really a truss, though. It's mostly a place to mount an upper link bracket.
77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
But a good one still ties both tubes together and prevents spinning/breaking/bending tubes.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
They don't do anything to prevent bending. You'd be better off coping a piece of tube to go from the knuckle to the top of the diff and adding a couple of diagonals along the way to tie it all together.