A Frame rear on Hilux

[Pesky Pete]

I want to build an A Frame rear for My Hilux and was wondering If anyone had any detailled pics, drawings, meaurements etc that may be of use.

Im particularly interested to know what materials you used for trailing arms, A frame etc so that I can get hold of the material before I go on Christmas Holidays.

Also what are the pro's and Cons of using a Uni Joint as opposed to other methods on the the a frame.

Cheers

Pete

[Surfection]

It's not a difficult modification pete, just make sure you do all your measurments right before cutting/welding. My lower arms are solid chromoly with snake racing mogs joints at both ends. They are pretty long, alot of people have told me too long, as they do sacrifice clearence a little, but i have only touched them on rocks twice, and they've seen some pretty cool trails. I wouldn't hesitate to run them this long again, but would probably run a small bend in them towards the diff end, to tuck them up a little. The A frame is made from tube, i think it's 3.2mm wall. Doing it over i would make it a little thicker, or even go with the same material as the lowers, as although i haven't had any problems whatsoever, you can never have too much strength.

HTH Jeremy

[POS]

Yes its NOT A difficult MOD!!!

But there is more to it than just putting some cool long links under there and getting heaps of flex!!

You need to talk to someone that knows there shait!!!!!

[Surfection]

But there is more to it than just putting some cool long links under there and getting heaps of flex!!

But the guys at maccas said if i put cool long links under my truck i'd be da maaan !! what are you saying adrian ?!!?

[POS]

But there is more to it than just putting some cool long links under there and getting heaps of flex!!

But the guys at maccas said if i put cool long links under my truck i'd be da maaan !! what are you saying adrian ?!!?

Aww nothing like that mate!

I ment there is heaps of stuff involved in getting the suspension to not only flex but also WORK so it gets the Power to the ground and its not like riding a Kangaroo!

[Surfection]

But there is more to it than just putting some cool long links under there and getting heaps of flex!!

But the guys at maccas said if i put cool long links under my truck i'd be da maaan !! what are you saying adrian ?!!?

Aww nothing like that mate!

I ment there is heaps of stuff involved in getting the suspension to not only flex but also WORK so it gets the Power to the ground and its not like riding a Kangaroo!

Yeah for sure ! I was just seein what you'd say dude We removed all mounts off the diff and rotated so it was pointing at the transfer, then welded on new mounts making sure they were all symetrical. We made the A frame mount out of 6 or 8mm thick box, gruntless [travis] cut the diff shape out roughly with the oxy and we tidyied it up with the grinder.
Then we basically made sure the lowers and A frame were parrallel as from the reading/looking i'd done i thought this wouldn't give us too many surprises in the anti squat department. We were stoked with the way it turned out, obviously it's a bit too high, but softer springs and no spring spacers would sort this out.
Anyway, pete if you want more pics or anything i'm sure adrian and i can pony up with enough to give you a fair idea of what ya gotta do

Jeremy

[Pesky Pete]

EDIT Deleted damn double post

[Pesky Pete]

Thanks Jeremey
I'm going to try and arrange to take a tape to a few rigs I know work well. Do you have any detailled pics of the diff mounts for both arms and A Frame and also mounts at the other end on the Chassis.

Cheers

Peter

[Wendle]

Dude, read as much as you can before you start. Read the "linked suspensions for dummies" thing on pirate, and anyhting else you can find. You want to completely understand how the geometrical characteristics of what you build will effect your suspensions performance (and why it will) way before you start thinking about what to build it all out of.


Good luck, and have fun. It is VERY interesting stuff, and a VERY worthwhile bunch of numbers to have in your head.

[XXXL80]

But there is more to it than just putting some cool long links under there and getting heaps of flex!!

But the guys at maccas said if i put cool long links under my truck i'd be da maaan !! what are you saying adrian ?!!?

[Pesky Pete]

Okay Adrian after a lengthy read on Pirate, I now understand your comments a bit more. My thoughts for now are to ensure that whatever I do it is faily easily adjusted so that I can make chages fairly quickly. Particularly to antisquat.

Most of the rigs I have seen here in Oz seem to use the straight A Frame concept. I notice on pirate that some of the guys are using more a 4 link style setup like the one in this pic. Any comments on this setup.

Cheers

Pete

[Pesky Pete]

Thanks Wendle
Great Tech and so much from Strange Rover.

Cheers

Pete

[Wendle]

I run a set-up similar to the one in your photo. very compararble in performance with an 3-link a-frame set-up, but a bit simpler to build (maybe?) due to no side load on anything.

PM A1MAV, and ask him to forward on the fax I sent him a few weeks ago to you. If you read it alongside all the stuff you have already read, it will help you get started a bit easier..

[beebee]

I run a set-up similar to the one in your photo. very compararble in performance with an 3-link a-frame set-up, but a bit simpler to build (maybe?) due to no side load on anything.

PM A1MAV, and ask him to forward on the fax I sent him a few weeks ago to you. If you read it alongside all the stuff you have already read, it will help you get started a bit easier..

Any chance of getting a copy of that sent my way too?

[Wendle]

I run a set-up similar to the one in your photo. very compararble in performance with an 3-link a-frame set-up, but a bit simpler to build (maybe?) due to no side load on anything.

PM A1MAV, and ask him to forward on the fax I sent him a few weeks ago to you. If you read it alongside all the stuff you have already read, it will help you get started a bit easier..

Any chance of getting a copy of that sent my way too?

it was just that article photocopied from the yankee mag.. I think by itself it is a bit dangerous, but if read in conjunction with a few other viewpoints, it probably isn't too bad of a set of vague instructions?

[hypo]

wood the setup in that pic allow axle rap due 2 the small amount of vertical sereration between the mounts on the diff ??

[Pesky Pete]

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I also wondered about the proximity of the mounts on the axle. My thoughts were that the top mounts on the axle housing as well as the top link mount on the chassis ahould be adjustable, so that the angles can be readily changed and antisquat altered by moving the link up or down at either end.

If I do decide ultimately to go this way (and at the moment I am leaning strongly this way) I think that the first adjustment hole at the axle housing end will be at least 6" above the height of the lower link mounts.


Sam, Pos, Ruff any comments on this type of setup. I am going to check out that suspension I have been offered tommorow, and if it is no good for my needs, I'll probably start working on something like the pic previously posted, but with adjustment like the drawing below.

Cheers

Pete

[Pesky Pete]

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I also wondered about the proximity of the mounts on the axle. My thoughts were that the top mounts on the axle housing as well as the top link mount on the chassis ahould be adjustable, so that the angles can be readily changed and antisquat altered by moving the link up or down at either end.

If I do decide ultimately to go this way (and at the moment I am leaning strongly this way) I think that the first adjustment hole at the axle housing end will be at least 6" above the height of the lower link mounts.


Sam, Pos, Ruff any comments on this type of setup. I am going to check out that suspension I have been offered tommorow, and if it is no good for my needs, I'll probably start working on something like the pic previously posted, but with adjustment like the drawing below.

Cheers

Pete

[beebee]

I run a set-up similar to the one in your photo. very compararble in performance with an 3-link a-frame set-up, but a bit simpler to build (maybe?) due to no side load on anything.

PM A1MAV, and ask him to forward on the fax I sent him a few weeks ago to you. If you read it alongside all the stuff you have already read, it will help you get started a bit easier..

Any chance of getting a copy of that sent my way too?

it was just that article photocopied from the yankee mag.. I think by itself it is a bit dangerous, but if read in conjunction with a few other viewpoints, it probably isn't too bad of a set of vague instructions?

Oh......I see. I've already got that mag so I won't be needing the info. Thanks anyway

[Wendle]

wood the setup in that pic allow axle rap due 2 the small amount of vertical sereration between the mounts on the diff ??

I think if you saw that setup in elevation there would be quite a bit of seperation. the lowers are mounted pretty tight down on the top of the tubes, and that truss that the uppers are mounted to looks pretty tall. Deceiving photo, but there is probably close to 200mm there....

[Wendle]

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I also wondered about the proximity of the mounts on the axle. My thoughts were that the top mounts on the axle housing as well as the top link mount on the chassis ahould be adjustable, so that the angles can be readily changed and antisquat altered by moving the link up or down at either end.

If I do decide ultimately to go this way (and at the moment I am leaning strongly this way) I think that the first adjustment hole at the axle housing end will be at least 6" above the height of the lower link mounts.


Sam, Pos, Ruff any comments on this type of setup. I am going to check out that suspension I have been offered tommorow, and if it is no good for my needs, I'll probably start working on something like the pic previously posted, but with adjustment like the drawing below.

Cheers

Pete

did you draw that?
is it to any sort of scale, or just a concept? looks way tall
personallt, I wouldn't worry about being able to change the height of the uppers at the axle end. changing it even a little bit at the chassis end makes huge differences. and if that is a working drawing you'll have some weird shit going on if the axle end up your uppers gets any lower

[spazbot]

that system looks like it has been built for coilovers aswell, so that may have some affect on link placement,

[Pesky Pete]

Wendle
Yeah I did draw it for the purpose of exagerating what I was trying to get across. It is not to scale at all, just a general idea.

THanks for the feedback.

Cheers

Pete

[Wendle]

draw up a quick plan and side elevation of what you have - chassis, axle, and any obstructions that will gt in the way of ideal link placement - to scale. draw in the links where you are thinking of running them. then you'll get some cool feedback, and this thread will get very interesting

[Pesky Pete]

Checked out the long awaited suspension and as expected, it is not much use to me. Pretty basic LN130 setup with about 80mm body blocks. Rear diff set up for coils with trailing arms and panhard.

So now I will go full steam ahead with doing something myself. I'll start with a bit of a scale drawing in the next few days as suggested by Wendle.

[Pesky Pete]

Checked out the long awaited suspension and as expected, it is not much use to me. Pretty basic LN130 setup with about 80mm body blocks. Rear diff set up for coils with trailing arms and panhard.

So now I will go full steam ahead with doing something myself. I'll start with a bit of a scale drawing in the next few days as suggested by Wendle.