rear 4 link ?'s

[deerchooper]

what is the shortest 4 link set up runnin around today?

show me some pics if ya got them.

im running out of room in my ride. just trying to figure everything out before i dive in.

 

[rockabillyrat]

I dont like short links that much since the radius of the link travle is very small.

Why not run a 2 link with a panhard bar. You can run the links out side the frame rails and save alot of room on the inside if you plan to do a big z in the rear.

 

[fuzz]

IMO..You can use 4 link bars as short as 24 inches, most "kits" are around 30 inches but you can shorten them and rethread the tubes. Important thing is to try to keep the upper bars mounting point as close to the same point on the frame, that is if the lower bars are mounted 30" forward the upper bar mounting should be 30" forward, so that the pinion angle stays the same as the suspension travels up and down. The upper bar mounting isn't an absolute but is what I call a rule of thumb. What I'm sayin is if you have very little room and need to make the upper bars short they will work ok on a street ride. I like using triangulated upper bars so you don't need a panhard bar or track locator. Hope I didn't confuse this too much?..[P

 

[RPM]

what is the shortest 4 link set up runnin around today?

show me some pics if ya got them.

im running out of room in my ride. just trying to figure everything out before i dive in.

The links in our T bucket are only about 12" long. Just no room for anything any longer. This is a drag race 4 link.

 

[deerchooper]

i follow you fuzz.

i think the triangulated link would be better because of less brackets and such.

right now with me sitting on a foldup chair and my feet on 4x4's stacked 3 high i still have some foot room. when i measure from the back of the seat to the center of the axle i got about 22". once i get closer to nailing down somethings like the frame and floor rough in i might be able to squeak a couple more "s.

rockabilly, i got a pic saved with the trailing arms outside of the body like you stated. 1 issue i got right now is 1 the right back spacing for the rims and or finding a longer axle. i have one more chevy axle option and thats a from a mid 80's van. with will give me about 4" more in length. which is really what i need anyhow. i want to get the rear drums tucked into the rims.

 

[deerchooper]

hey i was wondering again, lol.

why wouldnt this work? knowing that alot of gussets would be needed to transfer to the front frame. just something i had running threw my head.

 

[Motorhead]

That would work. The only concern is that the arc that the suspension scribes moves the axle away from the transmission. You risk pulling the driveshaft out of the transmission.

 

[bowatjr6969]

I installed my triangulated 4-link set up on my project this last weekend. The lower bars are 14" long and the uppers are 12" long. When I moved the axle through a simulated 12" of travel my pinion angle stayed within the desired parameters. When I moved it through an 8" travel the pinion angle only changed 1/2 degree. My set up looks like what you might find under a midsize GM car (monte carlo, buick regal, cutlass) it's all about bar placement.

My lower bars have an uphill 3 degree front higher than the back and the uppers are the same. This is taken at ride height, for the street it will work just fine. Don't get me wrong it's not just a get you by set up, but one that will actually function as intended.

Good luck on your decision!!

Oh by the way, my axle centerline from the back of cab is only 20".

 

[deerchooper]

bowatjr

do you have any detailed pics?

 

[bowatjr6969]

I will get some tonight when I get home and send them to you!!

 

[deerchooper]

cool sounds good.

 

[deerchooper]

i was also thinking. have the bottom bars come from the front and the upper bars come from the back, kinda like a watts link. i dont see why that wouldnt work.

i think with the help of all here i can put a normal 4 link set up in it, but i like to be different as well.

searching today and i found this 4 link set up for 70-80 camaros.

i just copied the pic. i thought it was different.

 

[bullet]

Interesting setup.
How much change in pinion angle does it get with the short upper links when suspension travels through it's full arc ?

Here's my tri-angulated 4 bar on my Studie frame.
A little hard to see with black paint on everything.

 

[deerchooper]

bullet, i dont know. i seen it while looking around for 4 bar kits. are your bars equal in lenght?

also, thanks for reminding me i have to take the body off again to paint it, lol.

 

[Fox Fabrication]

4 bars with .750" heims...equall length (12" bar... 16" eye to eye), parallel at ride height with panhard bar....I have aabout 3 " of suspension travel...works for me!

 

[bowatjr6969]

Here are some pics for you. Let me know if you need anything!

 

[deerchooper]

thanks bow

 

[scrap metal 48]

These are under my 48 F1.. I'm not sure of their length but I bought them out of "Speedway" catalog..........