95 318 Dakota Solid Wide Track Axle Swap questions
#31
04-27-2010, 01:22 AM
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Honestly its just a long winded process, and like 600lbs of sand in sandblasting, still finding grit in unwanted places, my friend jake is a wiz at fab and majority of the brackets that we built were all from the old front end haha. yeah i hear you on the 4 link, would be nice but this project is kinda wearing me thin in the wallet at this time so maybe down the road but for cost effectivness i got the front strings (6inch lift springs) for $60 a pair it was well worth it, i love the wide track but i need some new glasswork fenders to fix the rubbing when flexed
#32
04-27-2010, 08:36 AM
That is a very true statement! My truck has been stuck up on jackstands for the past month. Hopefully though, by the end of this coming weekend it will finally be supporting its own weight again.
Also, there's really no room for a 4 link up front, thats why I'm doing a 3 link. Its definately going to make for a very interesting daily driver to say the least what with the anti-dive properties of a 3 link. But it ought to flex very well offroad!
Also, there's really no room for a 4 link up front, thats why I'm doing a 3 link. Its definately going to make for a very interesting daily driver to say the least what with the anti-dive properties of a 3 link. But it ought to flex very well offroad!
#34
04-27-2010, 05:56 PM
So if you understand a 4 link setup, then you know there are 2 bars mounted several inches below the axle (lets call them lower control arms) and 2 bars mounted several inches above the axle (lets call them upper control arms).
Well on a 3 link, there are two lower control arms and 1 upper control arm. The lower control arms are placed inline with the axle rather than below it and the upper control arm is placed several inches above the axle. The lower control arms are responsible for "placing" the axle and the upper is responsible for controlling twisting.
Basically, the 3 link is just a simplified version of the 4 link designed for use where ground clearance and overall space is important. For example, consider a monster truck if you're into monster jam. If you're familiar with those trucks, you'll know how much ground clearance those 4 link bars take up! If you were to try an 4 link the front of one of our trucks, the brackets you would have to build would do the same thing... limit ground clearance! Because a 3 link has the lower bars in line with the axle rather than under them, you gain some of that ground clearance back, and because there is only 1 upper link, you can place it wherever there is room.
The downside to a 3 link is that it can't handle the same kind of power platform that a 4 link can, since there is only one bar controlling axle twist, but my truck isn't pushing 1000 horsepower! :P
About the anti-squat and anti-dive (depending on if its a rear or front 3 link, respectively) properties... If you can picture this, since I have no diagrams to show... Consider a rear 3 link where the upper bar is placed in the dead center of the axle. When you are hard on the gas in your average, normal car, you know the vehicle wants to sit down in the back... called squat. But in a rear 3 link, if you stand on the gas, the upper bar actually pushes the frame upward and the axle downward. This is done because the axle is trying to turn in the opposite direction of the wheels (commonly called axle wrap... something commonly left uncontrolled on leaf springs). So because the frame is being pushed upward, the vehicle will not squat... a property called anti-squat. But with the upper link in the dead center of the axle, anti-squat can be a very desireable property in sports like circle track racing, where you want the rear axle to be forced into the ground for added traction without changing the weight distribution of the car that will hinder handling. Now in a front 3 link, rather than anti-squat, you have a property called anit-dive. If you consider slamming on your brakes in an average, normal car, the vehicle dives in the front. But again, since the axle is trying to turn in the opposite direction of the force being applied by the brakes, the upper link will push the frame upward, causing it not to dive. But here's the problem with front 3 links (and the reason you will never see one on a factory built daily driver!)... because of the engine, the upper link cannot be placed in the center of the axle. It has to be off to one side or the other. So the anti-dive properties of a front 3 link are only applied to one frame rail rather than both. This means when you slam on your brakes, only one side of the vehicle will dive and the other will not.
But thats just one side effect of a 3 link... honestly, a well designed 3 link is much more flexible than an equally well designed 4 link, and like I said earlier... they are great when space a ground clearance are a big concern. Basically, the less links you have, the less chance of binding during flexxing situations.
I hope this helps!
Well on a 3 link, there are two lower control arms and 1 upper control arm. The lower control arms are placed inline with the axle rather than below it and the upper control arm is placed several inches above the axle. The lower control arms are responsible for "placing" the axle and the upper is responsible for controlling twisting.
Basically, the 3 link is just a simplified version of the 4 link designed for use where ground clearance and overall space is important. For example, consider a monster truck if you're into monster jam. If you're familiar with those trucks, you'll know how much ground clearance those 4 link bars take up! If you were to try an 4 link the front of one of our trucks, the brackets you would have to build would do the same thing... limit ground clearance! Because a 3 link has the lower bars in line with the axle rather than under them, you gain some of that ground clearance back, and because there is only 1 upper link, you can place it wherever there is room.
The downside to a 3 link is that it can't handle the same kind of power platform that a 4 link can, since there is only one bar controlling axle twist, but my truck isn't pushing 1000 horsepower! :P
About the anti-squat and anti-dive (depending on if its a rear or front 3 link, respectively) properties... If you can picture this, since I have no diagrams to show... Consider a rear 3 link where the upper bar is placed in the dead center of the axle. When you are hard on the gas in your average, normal car, you know the vehicle wants to sit down in the back... called squat. But in a rear 3 link, if you stand on the gas, the upper bar actually pushes the frame upward and the axle downward. This is done because the axle is trying to turn in the opposite direction of the wheels (commonly called axle wrap... something commonly left uncontrolled on leaf springs). So because the frame is being pushed upward, the vehicle will not squat... a property called anti-squat. But with the upper link in the dead center of the axle, anti-squat can be a very desireable property in sports like circle track racing, where you want the rear axle to be forced into the ground for added traction without changing the weight distribution of the car that will hinder handling. Now in a front 3 link, rather than anti-squat, you have a property called anit-dive. If you consider slamming on your brakes in an average, normal car, the vehicle dives in the front. But again, since the axle is trying to turn in the opposite direction of the force being applied by the brakes, the upper link will push the frame upward, causing it not to dive. But here's the problem with front 3 links (and the reason you will never see one on a factory built daily driver!)... because of the engine, the upper link cannot be placed in the center of the axle. It has to be off to one side or the other. So the anti-dive properties of a front 3 link are only applied to one frame rail rather than both. This means when you slam on your brakes, only one side of the vehicle will dive and the other will not.
But thats just one side effect of a 3 link... honestly, a well designed 3 link is much more flexible than an equally well designed 4 link, and like I said earlier... they are great when space a ground clearance are a big concern. Basically, the less links you have, the less chance of binding during flexxing situations.
I hope this helps!
Last edited by 95_318SLT; 04-27-2010 at 05:59 PM.
#36
04-29-2010, 01:21 PM
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thanks for all the comments its nice to hear your thoughts
#37
11-25-2010, 09:23 PM
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