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4 Linking the rear on my TJ?

glockman

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
So I need to build some adjustable rear control arms for my TJ. Then it occured to me that if I was building the arms, it wouldn't be much more to 4 link it. This would eliminate my rear track bar giving me better rear flex and allowing me to move the axle back an inch or so. Am I correct in my logic? If so, does someone make or a kit of some kind? I am not good at goemetry but if it just intails welding on the brackets and building arms to length I think I could manage. Any input would be welcome.
 
bamacpl

bamacpl

Well-Known Member
Location
Roy, Utah
I did the same thing to mine.... I don't recall the exact measurements of my UCA & LCA but I can measure if ud like? I am in the process of building axles, so I'll just weld tabs on the new one & just bolt up the same control arms... I can take pics & measurements if u'd like....,otherwise the suspension works very good!!
 
glockman

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
If I had 1/2 the fab skills Herzog has I would be 3 times as good as I am. Thanks for all the info. It's a ways down the priority list but the more time I have to think and rethink how to do things, the better they seem to turn out. That way I make all the mistakes in my head before I start cutting metal.
 
glockman

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Not sure about love but I definetly admire anyone who can take a pile of DOM and build a working buggy out of it (there are many of you on this site). I was just to the point where I felt like I could wrench on anything, then this Jeep stuff has thrown the whole fabrication world on me. I'm loving it and really eager to learn more. I think self reliance is far too scarce these days.
 
Venture13

Venture13

Active Member
Location
Layton
Yup, there are plenty of prefabbed weld on and bolt on suspension enhancements out there. No matter how fancy these parts are, they only work as well as you set them up. Using suspension calculators and setup standards for 4 link and 3 link can be difficult to understand. Forums like these help some with getting wheelers in the right direction for sure. You will get it all setup, there appears to be a lot of fabricators on this board that have shops..
 
bamacpl

bamacpl

Well-Known Member
Location
Roy, Utah
DIY!!! If u look at the installation instructions of a RE long arm kit on their website it tells u the UCA & LCA lengths & that gives u something to go off of

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Images/Products/RE7215/RE7215.pdf
 
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bamacpl

bamacpl

Well-Known Member
Location
Roy, Utah
Adjust front lower control arms’ length to an initial setting of 37.5” from bolt center to bolt center. Final arm lengths seem to vary from around 37.5” to 38” depending on lift, axle squareness (see step C) and differential clearance to track bar.

Adjust front upper control arms’ length to an initial setting of 15-7/8” from bolt center to bolt center. Install front upper arms’ rubber bushing end into the welded on bracket of the lower arms with supplied hardware. The upper arms will be used to adjust final caster and pinion angle.

REAR - Adjust rear lower control arms’ length to an initial setting of about 32-5/8” from bolt center to bolt center. this measurement will be 42.625”. Final arm lengths seem to vary from around 32-5/8” to 33.25” depending on lift, axle squareness (see step F), tire size, and gas tank clearance. Install adjustable end of arm to rear crossmember lower mounts with supplied hardware (zerk on bottom).

. Adjust rear upper control arms’ length to an initial setting of about 33-5/8” (for 5.5” kits with CV shafts) from bolt center to bolt center. For LJ Unlimited: This measurement needs to be 43-5/8”. It’s recommended that the 4.5” kits set this about 0.125” less to drop the pinion a bit. The 3.5” kits may need the arms a bit shorter yet. Install the arms to rear crossmember upper mounts with supplied hardware (zerk on top). The upper arms will be used to adjust final pinion angle.
 
thenag

thenag

Registered User
Location
Kearns
glockman said:
I was looking at the Clayton 4 link and stretch kit last night. Looks really cool but $$$$$.
Click to expand...

The Clayton kits seem to come with more so when you actually add in all the "nickle and dime" things you would need with other kits they are not that much more. (brake lines, etc) Their stuff is high quality, and I had a very good customer experience too. I did give them a lot of money for what is under my xj and it was worth the money for me, I didn't have to figure out any linkage or do any test fitting, or get it setup and then realize that it sucked and have to re-do everything.

Nathan
99 xj with stuff
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?83436-Nathan-and-Tanja-s-99-XJ-Build-up
 
glockman

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Herzog said:
This is the exact reason I started to learn how to make as much stuff as I could on my own. :D :D
Click to expand...

That is why I am looking at doing it myself. I can't justify spending $2,000 on a suspension. Some things are way cheaper to build and some things are just fun to build. I always learn something or multiple things on each project that help the next project.
 
thenag

thenag

Registered User
Location
Kearns
glockman said:
That is why I am looking at doing it myself. I can't justify spending $2,000 on a suspension. Some things are way cheaper to build and some things are just fun to build. I always learn something or multiple things on each project that help the next project.
Click to expand...

I think there is a lot to consider. I am not afraid of building things, but the goal of my project was to have an extremely high quality build and have it on jack stands for a short time. I also don't have a huge a garage and don't really have the space to store a ton of tools. I did look at building it all myself and when you start adding up pre made tabs, springs, fab time... I know the clayton rear xj coil conversion kit is about a $1500 That includes everything but shocks, it even had a belly pan. (you do kind of need to have their front kit to build everything off of though) Springs are about $150 new, to use joints and inserts similar to what they provide you are going to spend $300-$500. Unless you fab all your own tabs that will be a few hundred $$ more. All that assumes you have the fab skills and tools, spend more time and money learning the skills and buying tools... To me it was about $250-500 between doing it myself and buying the kit, to convert my rear to coils without me having to learn too much, and it not looking like a "scary suspension"

I have so much respect for Rockmonkey, his build and mine are fun to compare, I say his is low budget very high skill, mine was high budget, average skill. I have 3x's the $$ in mine but mine was only on jack stands for a few months, it seems like his took more than a year.

I am sure his xj will out preform mine on the trail, his is lower and lighter.

As for the tj, the clayton rear half long arm upgrade is $1000, it has a truss, arms, 8 johnny joints, and pre made tabs. Looks like you could install it on a Saturday and wheel on Sunday.

I am betting without any kind of template it would take the average person a day just to fab up the frame mounts. (I said average person, not Shane or Carl...)

having said that I will probably never buy a kit like that again. If my brother in law gets serious I am going to 4 link the rear of his fj-40.

You guys that do spend tons of money on tools and tons of time, I appreciate you, and one of you is going to build an exo for the xj one of these days (I'll pay, I don't mind)...

Nathan
 
skippy

skippy

Pretend Fabricator
Location
Tooele
If you shop around its not horribly expensive tabs can be had for anywhere between a buck a piece and 2 bucks a piece and you can find enough heims to link an entire axle for around 250 bucks plus some link material you can build a set up way cheaper than you could ever buy one
 
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