2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Four link suspension

[BigBadDodge]

Mark, I never even thought of that man thanks I will check it out tomarrow and see if she looks like she will rub your right I did put them on the outside of the frame because it will make them straight but didn't consider the rubbing if it will I will keep everybody posted here,



Chris, yes sled pulling, we run heavier then street or drag racing bars to keep the axle in place and stop the axle wrap, the current Fabriteck street bars aren't working that great with the poly bushings giving me to much movement, there great for a regular stock set up but not in my application. Most sledd pullers are well over 1500 Ftlbs of torque.



BBD

 

[CWebster]

First, congrats on your win. Second, is your truck a daily driver? If it is, do you see any benefit to the ride with your setup? I don't sled pull, but I pull trailers full of steel all of the time ( grossing 24,000 + lbs) and I am trying to find a good balance between a capable work truck, and a pleasant ride unloaded. I have heard that "ladder bars" take some of the harshness out of expansion joints, etc. , but I have no experience with them. I am very interested in your results, as I have been thinking of a similar setup.



Thanks

Chris

 

[BigBadDodge]

I know, I know, I have been working on the rear part of this suspension for ages



well I actully got some time this weekend to work on it some more, and hopefully the whole thing will be going in about a couple weeks.



I made the bag brackets and pan hard bar this weekend :



#ad






#ad






#ad






BBD

 

[BigBadDodge]

Okay fellers she is in finally I know, I have been working on this for ten months now in my spare time. Well it finally went in this past weekend went pretty good considering I designed and fabed it myself, a big thanks goes out to the folks at Design-It here in Rohnert Park, CA who let me use the there shop and tools and provided assistance. I Will have the pics up sometime this week. All I can say is it rides like a Cadillac very noticeable and I will be working on front bags for next winter I am sure. when I blocked up the frame and took the weight off the suspension I noticed right away how loose my hardware was on the front mounting brackets for the Fabriteck bars they probably wouldn't have handled to many more 4K RPM launches. I think that play is what was giving some slight wheel hop while taking off from a dead start, that is gone now as the new bars are letting anything move adjust ability is so simple now just a turn of the bars even locating the rear under the frame with the pan hard bar.



Sorry about the post with no pics will have them up very soon.



BBD

 

[CWebster]

Great! Lookin' forward to the pics and your results after you get some miles on it.



Chris

 

[csutton7]

BBD--that's great news--glad you are able to start dialing it in--will be interesting to see how it works---chris

 

[BigBadDodge]

Okay more pics:



Here you see we had to get the bed to the proper ride hieght first



#ad






NOT !!!!!





Really though, the lift was great for holding the bed out of the way while we worked:



#ad








Truck on jack stands and axle stripped:

#ad






Spring purches cut off:

#ad

 

[BigBadDodge]

Bars and brackets tacked in:

#ad




Air bags in, notice I had to re-fabricate the lower air bag mounts to set them back 2" to give the proper clerance from the fuel tank:

#ad




Another view:

#ad

 

[BigBadDodge]

Done and cleaned up

#ad






rear view

#ad




Better rear view with pan hard bar in place:

#ad

 

[csutton7]

excellent--chris

 

[BigBadDodge]

New stance with out bright red fabriteck's



#ad

 

[BPINE]

Looks great Scott, how does it ride?

 

[willyslover]

My My My... that baby looks very good Scotty. . can't wait to see her in action !!

 

[Cooker]

Man I wish I lived in a salt free state Looks great! It looks like all the fabrication paid off

 

[NVR FNSH]

What's the weight change between leaf spring vs 4-link/air bag?



Brian

 

[NPloysa]

Awesome BBD,



Question for you. I was curious where you mounted your upper air bag mounts to? That's the only thing I can't really see.



On edit: Nevermind, I see the brace put in that the upper bag supports mount to!



Looks great though! I am in the process of drawing up some plans for mine too. I am taking some Kelderman stuff and simplifying it but yours looks much simpler, which does not mean weaker, just as strong just not as complicated. Plus you now have more travel with your longer arms and they double as ladder bars too.



On my plans I was going to bolt everything together but you are welding yours. I don't see why I could not weld to the axle with the proper wire. Stronger and I do not have a need to take it off at any time.



Also, could you explain the pan hard bar. I know what it does, but how did you mount yours? I can see it from the pic but its a little confusing!



Thanks!



Nick

 

[NPloysa]

Scott,



One thing I would like to ask. Could you tell me, and the other curious guys, roughly how much you spent on materials?



Also, how much lift does it have now? Same as before or did you add any?



And, you may know this already, and I am not trying to be a smart ass or anything, but your rear arm mount, on the axle, it looks like it may catch and hold water in that pocket below the lower heim. I would put a drain hole in there if you have not done so already.

 

[BigBadDodge]

Sorry for the delayed response fellers I was busy installing the wrong ARB in the friont end yesterday





Blair: ride is like night and day, way much smoother, but the front is definatly going to get done next winter



Brian: not sure what the weight change is as I have added quit a bit this past winter with out wieghing everything. the front was done last years and I know there is some wieght in the center bracket and cross piece. I would guess the back bars are at about 35 to 40 lbs a piece that 2" DOM ain't light. also remeber I am building a puller not a racer though so my only concern is to stay under the 8K mark, last year I lugged around 700lbs of JD wieghts shouldn't be that much this year. I figure two bars wieghed as much as the leaf springs I also added a rear RA Bumper to wich isn't light either, air compressor, tank, the ARB, stacks, the other battery, all more wieght. I am going to hit the local scale here next week when the front bumper is back on keeping my finger crossed I am still under the 8K.



Nick: yeah there is a piece of I beam welded in between the frame right over the bags and then the 2" square stock was cut to give me the 10" install hight required by the bags and welded there is no added hieght I set it up at the same ride hieght however if inflate the bags it will come up some. Pan hard bar is hard to see from the pics basicaly 2" square welded to the left frame rail comes down to the level of the axle and the a nother piece of 2" square is welded from the inside of the right frame rail and connects to the other triangular support and the the bar it self is fastened with a hiem to that and the axle at the other side. Did I really confuse you now. I will through some more pics that might help. Materials, I probably have 3K into it easy. So if your not into fabing and spending your time you might consider the Keldfeman I just didn't know if it would handle the mega tourque sled pulling would through at it so I built my own. Thanks on the suggestion for the water draining I was planing that soon as well as welding the "C" rings on the front of the brackets that are welded to the axle tube that hold the bars.



BBD

 

[BigBadDodge]

I Beam:

#ad






Pan Hard bracket, frame mounted left side.

#ad




Pan Hard bracket axle mounted:

#ad




BBD

 

[NPloysa]

Sweet, thanks for the new pics. I do get it now. Just couldn't tell exactly how you had it rigged. That I-beam looks stout enough!



I have considered Kelderman but knowing myself, I could not save up enough to buy it all at once, I would blow it all. I do love to fabricate and can do that only through my neighbor and some friends, both have Tigs, Migs, stick, oxycetalene, and some scrap. I think doing it piece by piece, having fun while doing it, and doing it exactly how you want to do it is the best way to go.



One more question for you! Your front mirrors the rear, but on your frame bracket for the arms, the front half only has one heim connection, are you going to weld the upper arm's bracket more towards the front of the truck? I realize you have standard coil suspension on the front, but you replaced the Skyjacker arms with two homemade ones, could not tell where the other one is mounted to the frame at?



Nick