I inquired in the past about aluminum links and how strong they are,this past weekend was a real test. I am running 2.5" solid 6061 aluminum lower links with 1" heims. I was playing at Morris Mountain this Saturday and was attempting the middle of the good,bad, and the ugly. For those that aren't aware of the size of this obstacle it is solid rock with a short steady climb to a rock face thats about 5' tall. My wheel base is around 101" so I have to hit it kind of hard to carry my front wheels over enough so as not to bottom out. Well this time something went wrong and my truck went vertical I quickly let off the throttle and as soon as the front started to fall I quickly reapplied. My rear wheels where near the top so when they spun out, the front came crashing down with the full weight of the truck landing on my front lower links,the front tires where off the ground due to fact that the back side was dug out so my links absorb the full impact. The lower links although ,did bend they did not break and I was able to drive it out. What did break was my front driveshaft from hitting on the rock. The right link bent the least but did crack at the end where the link screws in ,the left link bent the most but it did not break. I was very pleased with the outcome because I believe if I was still running steel links they would have failed.
Aluminum links old news new story
- Thread starter kid rok
- Start date
Rich
Asshole at large
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2005
- Location
- Central PA
Nice to see some real world experiences.. Thanks for sharing!
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
Insert worms, open can.
With that said, Im glad to hear you liked em and made it out ok.
With that said, Im glad to hear you liked em and made it out ok.
braxton357
Robot
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2005
- Location
- Morganton
Honestly...how do you figure a steel link would have "failed"? I've got no beef in the argument either way, but sorry to say your al links failed. And in the same way a steel link would have. Please show me a dom link that has snapped in half...
I bet if you had used 7075 though, they wouldn't have bent.
I bet if you had used 7075 though, they wouldn't have bent.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2005
- Location
- N. N. Raleigh, NC
so how much did the original links cost? how much will it cost to replace them ?
How much would those rubber links have cost ? Seriously though, how much would some more better/bigger/stronger links have cost?
How much would those rubber links have cost ? Seriously though, how much would some more better/bigger/stronger links have cost?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
Im tellin ya, rubber links are the way of the future...