One link/Grader ball suspension questions.

mud4me

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Location
mountains
Im looking for opinions on one link suspensions. whether you use an actual grader ball or a large heim whatever. I think i am pretty much gonna try it on my new rig in the rear but i am also thinking about doing the front too. Im looking for people that have actual experience either running this suspension type or actually seeing it in action. Any pics would be great, videos of it in action would be even better. Rig plans include rockwells,47's, etc...etc....
 
Contact madssjeep on here he is running a grader ball a couple of years ago & still going strong I believe
 
how would the axle wrap? the link is directly connected to the axle, the only way it could wrap is if the single (usually wishbone shape) link bent?
 
probably not the greatest suspension design, but if there is onr thing that it would do, is get rid of axle wrap completely, just like with any coil sprung linked rig...... but that is not to say that it wouldnt possibly introduce other unpleasant suspension actions

I dont have first hand experience, but from what i understand as long and as flat as posible is best, that is why you see so many one-linked rigs with a dropped down sub frame which eats so much ground clearance, in order to get flat links.
 
jrraw23 said:
idk, thats why I'm curious to see cause my junk won't stop wrapping and single links would be pretty easy to do . . . .
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this set up wont work with leaf springs.

Ricky, Build the anti-wrap bar in the link
 
You're saying axle wrap, but you're meaning antisquat. Which it has tons of. Not the best link suspension design out there by far, but it's been done plenty and it's been proved that it at least works.

Search pirate for plenty on this subject.
 
braxton357 said:
You're saying axle wrap, but you're meaning antisquat. Which it has tons of. Not the best link suspension design out there by far, but it's been done plenty and it's been proved that it at least works..
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Unfortunately, he was thinking axle wrap.

The design can certainly be better than leafs with a ladder-style anti-wrap bar, that's for sure.
 
Thanks for all the quick responses. I have done alot of research on this on many places. Pirate and several other boards included. I was just looking for personal experiences running a onelink or seeing one on action. I will be getting in touch with those mentioned to be running onelinks.


awspence & braxton357........What experience do you have with a onelink that brings you to your conclusions?
 
stone from BDB is running 1 link front and rear (or atleast was for a while) as well as madssjeep...

stone is running rocks with 49s... and scott is running tons with 37s iirc

it works if you run a limiting strap or get the geometry exactly right... the link needs to be long (~half of wb) and as flat as possible with the frame end preferably lower then the axle end... the problem with the setup is the terrible antisquat it gives which will cause alot of rock-humping... if you run a limiting strap it will generally be pulled tight... the design is simple and articulates well, but isnt a well designed system...
 
let me do some measuring on mine. I'll post up some good info on the one link design this afternoon after work.

I don't have any of the rock humping problems even on very steep climbs. My problems are mainly with coil springs. more to come...
 
there is no axle wrap because the one link is mounted solid to the axle similar to a leaf spring where a standard control arm would be mounted on a bushing or hiem
 
mud4me said:
awspence & braxton357........What experience do you have with a onelink that brings you to your conclusions?
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none personally(as on any of my rigs) but i have spent some time watching them work, and spent some time up close on the vehicles to check out the setup.
 
first off I am not a writer and I grew up in Gastonia so grammar errors are allow and expected, also if it does not make sense ask me and I'll try to explain better, hopfully, if not come to the house and look for yourself:beer:
ok a little spec sheet.
78 CJ stretched to 110" wheel base. body also stretched.
37" Discovery SST tires
Spring over in the front with 2.5" BDS wrangler springs on a D-60
Rear is a 14bolt shave a bit
Now for the one link stuff
I did a lot of thinking about the one link set up before I started my build, mainly concerned about anti-squat and joint strength. I'll try and explain both
First Joint strength.
I noticed most one links were done with a massive heim joint or a ball in socket, then some lame-o trailer hitch set-ups
I choose a massive ball in socket style.
It is from an equipment company that is no longer supplying these, sorry guys **:huggy: ). It is a massive ball with a 1.25" treaded end(it might be 1.5" can't remember) in any case its beefy.
the socket is equally beefy. i don't know the weight rating but compared to a 10'000 lbs 2 5/16" trailer ball it dwarfs it.
Ok enough about the mount.
My arms are 51" long and are made of 2x2x.25" square tubing gusseted with .25" flat stock in all corners and vertically on the sides of the tubes. I am not an mechanical engineer so I just built it to what I though would not break or bend, so far so good.
The arms mount on the factory axle spring perches in factory location. The ball is directly under the u-joint on the d-300.
My though here was that they could move at the same degree.
This works well as my drive shaft only uses about 1" of travel
with zero vibrations even at 80 on the highway( yes very safe, drives like my F350 maybe better).
I have driven many trails and have had no issues with hopping.
The reason I have not had any antisquat issues is because I run very little lift maybe 4-5" and my arms are very long and flat.
If you want to run a lot of lift and big tire this is not the system for you.
Anti-squat would become an issue if I were to go to some major lift. I guess one way to counter act this would be move more weight to the rear to bring the CG back.
Now for my problems with my setup. I hate the trackbar.
When the left tire drops down the whole axle moves to the passenger side which causes my coil springs to bend sideways.
I guess if I would spend some time and money for some coilovers or air shocks this would not be an issue.
I would like to get ride of the track bar for a wishbone locater.
It would be center mounted to a truss via a big Heim and the arms would be the same length of the main arms( only way to avoid binding).
Limit straps are a necessity. there is nothing to stop the axle if you don't have them. travel is only limited by shocks and straps.
After its all said and done a proper 4-link would be the best solution but its fun to be different:alien:
Here is a link for some pics.
http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11341
 
Thanks for all the info madssjeep. Thats exactly what i was looking. I do plan on running coilovers of some type so that should eliminate the springs bowing out. I plan on going with a much bigger tire, but i am going to keep the lift minimal. I have 2.5 springs soa all around now (CJ-7) and run 37 boggers. Ill have to go up a couple inches for the rockwells but the rest will just be cut, narrowed, whatever it takes to get the 47's to work.
paradisePWoffrd, do you have any more info on the rig you posted? A build thread, pics or maybe some contact information for the owner. Thats very similar to the size rig i am looking at building.
 
mud4me said:
Thanks for all the info madssjeep. Thats exactly what i was looking. I do plan on running coilovers of some type so that should eliminate the springs bowing out. I plan on going with a much bigger tire, but i am going to keep the lift minimal. I have 2.5 springs soa all around now (CJ-7) and run 37 boggers. Ill have to go up a couple inches for the rockwells but the rest will just be cut, narrowed, whatever it takes to get the 47's to work.
paradisePWoffrd, do you have any more info on the rig you posted? A build thread, pics or maybe some contact information for the owner. Thats very similar to the size rig i am looking at building.
Click to expand...

better plan on cutting the frame and raising the front and rear frame sections to clear the rockwells, or your gonna be very tall
 
no i dont have anymore pics or info on it really.... hes on the board here as stone4x4, so maybe hell chime in or you could shoot him a PM... his rig works well, but as with alot of 1 links, the limiting strap is pulled tight most the time under heavy throttle....


as guffey said, unless your getting rid of the stock frame or running no uptravel, its gonna be pretty tall....
 
My SamYota is stretched and running one link in the rear. The axle is about even with the back of the frame. Not enough weight in the rear (with battery, fuel cell, etc...). You can pretty much get hung up in 2 wheel drive on my driveway ledge (welded in the rear). Maybe 1-2" uptravel on the rear shocks, but, ideally, I would like to remove the coils and shocks and run coilovers that link to the cage. I'll see if I can take some pics.
 
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