"Gonna do it right...maybe!!??" Fuller's new XJ build!!!

Jody Treadway said:
You need to pay better attention, BTL.
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cold-ass-honkey.gif
 
Loganwayne said:
Your doing 4 links with track bars front and rear?


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3link front, 3 or 4rear don't really know on rear yet..kinda waiting till I get there and figure out as I go..with help of course but I'll wait till I get ready for rear
 
Mac5005 said:
Are you going to run the numbers through the link calculator before building the links or just put them on?

Another thread in 3,2,1....
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I guess??? Never heard of it but I'll try it
 
@marty79 I'm on your side man but if you don't use a link calculator and get shit right it's not gonna perform the way it "could"! Even if not good at math your mechanically driven so start reading up man! Ask me how I know...
 
C.Berry said:
@marty79 I'm on your side man but if you don't use a link calculator and get shit right it's not gonna perform the way it "could"! Even if not good at math your mechanically driven so start reading up man! Ask me how I know...
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Alright I'll look into bud, thanks.
 
So guys, what length lower front links is good. I can use existing leaf mounts I made (puts lower links at 31") or I can make new ones on trans cross member and links would be 41". Should I shoot for the 41 range, thanks
 
marty79 said:
I can make new ones on trans cross member and links would be 41".
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This right here. One thought to have in mind when considering link length is how much wheel travel you plan to have. If you're aiming to have a decent amount of flex, a longer link will benefit you more.

Disclaimer: I have never owned or driven anything linked...but that being said, I do a lot of reading. I'd also consider how much room you have for your upper link, then start fiddling with some calculations to see how the pinion angle will change cycling through suspension travel.
 
Scooter402 said:
This right here. One thought to have in mind when considering link length is how much wheel travel you plan to have. If you're aiming to have a decent amount of flex, a longer link will benefit you more.
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Awesome thanks. I want long travel for as best it can be with this setup...well back to cutting more tabs then...
 
Scooter402 said:
This right here. One thought to have in mind when considering link length is how much wheel travel you plan to have. If you're aiming to have a decent amount of flex, a longer link will benefit you more.

Disclaimer: I have never owned or driven anything linked...but that being said, I do a lot of reading. I'd also consider how much room you have for your upper link, then start fiddling with some calculations to see how the pinion angle will change cycling through suspension travel.
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I lied...my truck has a 5 link rear (factory suspension, obviously)...but I don't really count that. I figured I'd just correct myself before someone else does lol.

marty79 said:
Awesome thanks. I want long travel for as best it can be with this setup...well back to cutting more tabs then...
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No problem. The 4 link calculator is a great tool, and I've read somewhere about a 3 link calculator available out there on the interwebs. IIRC, they're used mostly for rear suspension setup, but when used for a front application the anti-squat figures are now anti-dive, etc. I wouldn't get too terribly hung up in the numbers, but it can definitely help you get in a good ballpark rather than just guessing. Basically, you'd have to take some preliminary measurements of what you have and what you plan to run - i.e. tire size, static frame height, link length, and then start plugging in link locations based on the parameters outlined in the calculator. You'll probably never end up with "perfect" numbers since you're working around a factory chassis...but you can at least fudge with the numbers enough to get yourself into a happy place. I think the only guys out there that can get truly "perfect" figures are those building tube buggies, or those that are willing to chop up their floors and basically rebuild everything.
 
eh! look up some long arm stuff from some reputable manufactures.......look up some link conversions from other for the rear......maybe even look at some installed picks.....

I see no absolute reason to reinvent the wheel. Some of those box kits work extraordinarily well. We are not talking a foreign rare platform here. Only several hundred probably been built in some very similar configurations. Geeze o' Pete folk its not a Tim Cameron Buggy.
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These should be damn near big enough to measure off. Ditch the calculator and stuff you'll most likely not wanna study long enough to matter.
 
I’ll give you a few tips on a 3 link front based off a trans crossmember, drilled out those three bolt holes on both sides tapped 9/16 or 5/8 Bolts I can’t remember. Personally for 1 tons I’d plate the frame, and do a lot more solid mounting than that. You’d need more axle side separation but what size joints did you order?


Edit, using stock XJ leaves out back and just relocating the shackle to get a better angle helps a good bit. I set one up with about a 6” center to center shackle. It had plenty of droop. But depending on how high you lift it, linking it out back the coil buckets tend end up around the bumpstop area.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I see no absolute reason to reinvent the wheel. Some of those box kits work extraordinarily well. We are not talking a foreign rare platform here. Only several hundred probably been built in some very similar configurations. Geeze o' Pete folk its not a Tim Cameron Buggy.
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Agreed and probably my route..but I will check out that calculator just to learn and see if I can apply it.
iwaxmyjimmy said:
Edit, using stock XJ leaves out back and just relocating the shackle to get a better angle helps a good bit. I set one up with about a 6” center to center shackle. It had plenty of droop. But depending on how high you lift it, linking it out back the coil buckets tend end up around the bumpstop area.
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Hard to get my wheelbase I want with leafs, plus I bought the lift coils front and rear so wanna use em.
 
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For an idea on packaging a 3 link in a XJ here you go. It wasn’t ideal but it rode good and flexed really well. Buckeye performance welded the cross member and I basically made the links to length after I set the axle in place under the Jeep.
 
I’ll share, but I fear this will be lost like triangulation.

There is no perfect setup, only ideal #s to shoot for, but you will always have to compromise to fit your chassis constraints.

Rear Antisquat less than 60-80%, less than 10% increase at full droop.

Front Antisquat/antidive less than 50%.

Less than 6 degrees pinion change.

Driveshaft style also affects this. If double cardan you want to keep pinion point at tcase output. If single joint shaft, then you want pinion to stay parallel to tcase output.

Front roll center height higher than rear.

Roll moments as short as possible. This means getting the roll centers as close to the Center of gravity height as possible.

Shoot for your top bell housing bolt for COG height.

Minimal pinion angle change and caster change in front.

Links as flat as possible.

40 degrees of triangulation in the links when viewed from above if no panhard.

If panhard, locate in front to reduce bump steer. Parallel and equal length to drag link.

Lower links equal in length to tire size. Vertical separation of links at axle 1/4 of tire size. Upper links 65-75% of lower link length.

I can answer why to any of these, but it gets very wordy.

Get the best you can. For where/how I see you wheeling, the most important thing is to limit rear AS increase in droop.

Getting the AS wrong will lead to wheel hop. Can be in front or rear.

It will ride better with flatter links.

Make upper chassis side mounts adjustable with as many holes as possible. Typically with 1” spacing difference vertically on holes so you can try different setups to see what you like the best.
 
Mac5005 said:
to limit rear AS increase in droop.
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What's this?
As for the rest, thank you and yeah save the rest of info for now lol. I'm overwhelmed with what had been said.
Remember y'all, I have real bad reading/comprehension add so I can only take in little bits of focus at a time. So for now I just want to focus on the front and go from there.
Links will be here 3-5days so next week we'll deal with some numbers and such.

I do want to thank everyone for your help in this build! Please be patient and nor offended if things don't pan out the "right" given way, I will try to apply the given advise in this awesome build.
 
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