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How much material is needed to tap a suspension link

Kiel

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
I'm about ready to make my suspension links. I have 2.5 inch johnny joints with 1.25 shanks. How much material is needed to tap for these joints directly into the link itself. I am thinking baout going 2 inch lowers .500 wall which would put the ID at 1 inch giving me .250 total extra to tap my joint into:confused:
 
I Lean

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
You'll need to bore the tube out before tapping, if that's what you're asking.

Edit: 1-11/64" is the drill size for 1.25"-12 TPI. ;)
 
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Z

Zombie

Random Dead Guy
Location
Sandy Utah
I was planning to ask this question myself soon... so thanks.

What woudl be the benefit of using Bungs vs tapping the arm material?
 
I Lean

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
Zombie said:
I was planning to ask this question myself soon... so thanks.

What woudl be the benefit of using Bungs vs tapping the arm material?
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The benefit is just time/ease. Tapping large threads requires equipment and tooling most people don't have, or don't want to buy for a one-time project. With weld-in bungs you can just buy the parts and weld them into the end of your tube.

Direct threading is arguably stronger, and certainly cleaner-looking.
 
waynehartwig

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
I Lean said:
The benefit is just time/ease. Tapping large threads requires equipment and tooling most people don't have, or don't want to buy for a one-time project. With weld-in bungs you can just buy the parts and weld them into the end of your tube.

Direct threading is arguably stronger, and certainly cleaner-looking.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Bungs are far easier... And faster, IMO. For cutting that much thread, and size, I'd just toss it in the lathe and do it. But that also means checking the settings constantly. I bet it would take all day to cut those threads, or a few short hours to weld in bungs.
 
M

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
It's easy, you just take your stuff to Summit and pick it up a few days later.

Bung sounds a lot like stinger.
 
I Lean

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
waynehartwig said:
Exactly. Bungs are far easier... And faster, IMO. For cutting that much thread, and size, I'd just toss it in the lathe and do it. But that also means checking the settings constantly. I bet it would take all day to cut those threads, or a few short hours to weld in bungs.
Click to expand...

If you have a lathe, the right drill bit, and the tap/taps, it doesn't take long at all. Setting it up takes more time than actually cutting the threads--I'll bet a slow person can average 15 or 20 minutes per end easily.

Bungs aren't going to be possible to fit 2" .500 wall tube though, since the ID is smaller than the actual threads.
 
waynehartwig

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
I Lean said:
If you have a lathe, the right drill bit, and the tap/taps, it doesn't take long at all. Setting it up takes more time than actually cutting the threads--I'll bet a slow person can average 15 or 20 minutes per end easily.

Bungs aren't going to be possible to fit 2" .500 wall tube though, since the ID is smaller than the actual threads.
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True... I'd use 2" .25 wall. The strength difference between .5 and .25" wall doesn't outweigh the weight difference, IMO.

Taps are expensive. I would have used the lathe to actually cut the threads... IF I was to do it that way. I'm for the bungs. Let someone else make the threads.:p Or like Meat said, drop 'em off and pick 'em up later, is even the better way :D
 
Crinco

Crinco

Well-Known Member
Location
Heber
Kiel, I have used solid bars for my lowers (thats a LOT of drilling before the tapping starts) and I have started using 1/4 walled instead. 1/4" has much better spring back than the solids do for sure, and they weight less than half too. The solids came with the Chassis when I got it, thats why I have them.
Have you thought about using aluminum links instead, I have been really impressed with them, and will be switching to those someday. They dont get bent up as fast as the steel, at least they havent on my friends rig and he wheels a bit harded than me :) The cost is higher than steel, but it seems to be a good upgrade. You tell him what length and then go pick em up. The uppers can still be steel, they dont get slammed on the rocks like the lowers do, so they dont get bent by impacts as much.
Lower control arms are the only thing I have replaced, besides a bum tranny that never worked right to begin with.
The Poisen Spider guys will take and use a 1.5" lower to put the threaded end into, and then slide a piece of 2", 1/4" walled over that for strength. They are HEAVY, but I havent seen any of theirs bent, I am sure they have though. :) They only do this for their lowers of course.

Chris R.
 
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timpanogos

timpanogos

Push to the Peak
Location
Heber
Mike at Summit built me a KILLER tie-rod end, which he drilled/tapped. The price was VERY reasonable.

Call Mike, he can fix you up'
 
Kiel

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
spaggyroe said:
Kiel,

Have you purchased the material yet?

Thanks
Nate
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No I haven't bought anything yet, I do have about a 10 foot piece of 2 inch .250 laying around. Why? I was thinking maybe get the weld in bungs and slide a piece of 1.5 inside the sections not with the bungs to to resist some abuse. Last time I checked guys aluminum links were way out of my price range. The downside on bungs was they are about 10 bucks a piece time 16 links equals 320 bucks for freakin bungs:eek:
 
Crinco

Crinco

Well-Known Member
Location
Heber
WJ ZUK said:
No I haven't bought anything yet, I do have about a 10 foot piece of 2 inch .250 laying around. Why? I was thinking maybe get the weld in bungs and slide a piece of 1.5 inside the sections not with the bungs to to resist some abuse. Last time I checked guys aluminum links were way out of my price range. The downside on bungs was they are about 10 bucks a piece time 16 links equals 320 bucks for freakin bungs:eek:
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You could pay someone locally to build you some, that might save you some money. Add up all the cost of the parts and see if it is really that much cheaper than buying Aluminum links. I have had to replace 3 of my lowers so far, and that adds to the cost some, but I dont know if you will have to replace yours or not. How long is your wheelbase? A longer wheelbase may leave you with longer links to hit on the rocks.
CR
 
waynehartwig

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
Yup.. They aren't cheap! That's one of the reasons I welded one JJ on and then made the other adjustable. The weldable JJ's are cheaper than the forged ones as well, so the price almost evens out. They are just not greasable, unless you have a greasable bolt. The forged joints have a zerk on the joint itself.

If it were me, I'd just use the 2" .25 wall stuff for your lowers and then 1-3/4" .120 wall for the uppers. That's what I did on mine... Not that I have wheeled mine very much to know, but I havne't bent one yet. Although, I really haven't drug them on the rocks yet either (I don't even think the paint is scratched yet). Between the 39" tires and stuff, I don't drag the bottom like I did with 35's. Even then those arms were 2" .25 wall (molly though), but I never bent an arm... And those did get beat on the rocks pretty hard.
 
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