Suspension set ups

[tuff_48]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

[craz3d]

30 foot coilovers with 10.6 link

[bogged]

30 foot coilovers with 10.6 link

u win

[bogged]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

what is your budget? 1000 or 20,000?

[v840]

Define "best flexing setups"? Are you looking for a ramp queen? A vehicle that has all it's flex in the rear but comparatively little in the front? Vice versa? Anything that may give an indication of what you want from your 4wd? Please keep in mind that flex alone is incredibly overrated and considered posing by most real wheelers.



You really need to be aware that there is sooooooo much more to a vehicles suspension setup than flex. Please do some reading on here, Pirate and any other vehicle specific forums that you may know of. It will save you a buttload of frustration and heartache down the line, not to mention building a POS that looks great on a ramp and is worth 4/5ths of FA everywhere else. It's absolutely useless to have a ride that ramps 2000 RTI but behaves like a cracked out 18yo on the trail. Just fyi.



Anyway here are the links below. Don't be afraid to search for more info. I've posted heaps of info re 4 link setups and guys that know way more than me have also. You're at that point in your build where research is the difference between building a worthless pile of junk and a capable, desirable wheeler. Tread carefully.


4 link calc: http://mysite.verizon.net/triaged/fi...rLinkV3.1d.zip

3 link + p/hard calc: http://mysite.verizon.net/triaged/4link ... index.html

[DUDELUX]

Everyone knows that for real good flex, you need ........



TEAL SLACKS.




Or you could do what V840 has suggested and research the crap out of the interweb.

[Havoc Racing]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

It pretty much depends on what setup will fit the best under your car. Both a triangulated 4 link setup, and a 3 link plus panhard will provide you with plenty of movement. And yes, controlable flex is definately a good thing, no matter what any of the web wheelers say.

[v840]

And yes, controlable flex is definately a good thing, no matter what any of the web wheelers say.

Care to expand on this? The way I see it is if your car has awesome flex, but super high or low AS, a steeply angled RC, and/or massive flex in the rear vs ordinary front or vice versa i.e unbalanced as fark, then it's going to drive like ass on everything but a ramp.

The OP sounded as though he wants mad flex yo, and I was just pointing out that there is a lot more to consider when setting up your suspension. More info would be great, suck as terrain he wants to drive, trailer queen or road legal, type of car, tyre size etc. etc. And I hate to sound too judgemental, but if someone asks such a broad question about a moderately complex subject then it is a fair bet that they haven't done much reading on it, and that could be very dangerous IMO.

He could plug some numbers in to the calculator, build his rig, and have better flex than the chainlink but it won't be any good to him when a standard truck with lockers crawls right by him on the trail while he's pig rooting a 5 degree incline. It's all about getting the variables to work with each other.

[Havoc Racing]

Yeh of course you need to get decent variables, or as you said will be pointless. But he has been given the links to the calculators, so it is gonna make it hard for him to go too far wrong. But what i was saying, is he is chasing good flex, go for it. I know that if i didnt have 16" f&r, i would have been on my lid many of times.

tuff_48 use those calculators, make sure your as/rc figures are good, and chase some good flex. If you use 3 link/ 4 link, you cant really go wrong. If you are after some ideas, let me know, coz we have two very differently setup vehicles here, that both achieve very good flex and drive.

Regards Mitch

[Auto-Craft]

Flex, lift, and traction effort are all perameters that will effect how the car drives, and should all be part of the total calculation if wanting anything other than a ramp queen.

How much you need, and how much you compromise each one to suit the end result will determine the end design.

Spring and shock valving can then be changed to help cover some of the areas that are compromised as well, as part of the process.

[Ruffy]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

It's very important to know the reason why you want flex. Flex alone will not help you if the geometry of the suspension is incorrect. Like wise, the link calculator will not help you determine the geometry of the arms, just the length versus the travel.
Triangulation of upper arms will give great flex but will comprise on road handling and off road ability.
Roll centers, Centre of gravity and anti squat are far more important if you want the car to "WORK".

[T_Diesel]

Everyone knows that for real good flex, you need ........



TEAL SLACKS.

You forgot 9" shackles.

[nzdarin]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

It's very important to know the reason why you want flex. Flex alone will not help you if the geometry of the suspension is incorrect. Like wise, the link calculator will not help you determine the geometry of the arms, just the length versus the travel.
Triangulation of upper arms will give great flex but will comprise on road handling and off road ability.
Roll centers, Centre of gravity and anti squat are far more important if you want the car to "WORK".

How does triagulation compromise on road handling and off road ability? If you are talking throwing an 'A' frame onto a GQ with no other geometry changes then sure I fully understand.

[Ruffy]

I just wanted to know whats the best flexing set up. And where to find the link calculator?

It's very important to know the reason why you want flex. Flex alone will not help you if the geometry of the suspension is incorrect. Like wise, the link calculator will not help you determine the geometry of the arms, just the length versus the travel.
Triangulation of upper arms will give great flex but will comprise on road handling and off road ability.
Roll centers, Centre of gravity and anti squat are far more important if you want the car to "WORK".

How does triagulation compromise on road handling and off road ability? If you are talking throwing an 'A' frame onto a GQ with no other geometry changes then sure I fully understand.

Yes Darin.. Without a 6 page document trying to explain suspension geometry i am talking about the common 'A' frame fitment in replacement of top arms and panhards.. A triangulated link cannot provide the same handling by it's nature. I am refering to triangulated links, not triangulation of the geometry.

[nzdarin]

That's sweet.
It is funny how with suspension the more you learn, the more you realise you have more to learn! And everything is a compromise!

But i will argue that an 'A' frame can't work. If designed properly it can work and in some cases a 4 link is not an option so an 'A' is the only way to do it. eg long arms and a narrow chassis so not enough angle on the top arms so too much force on there joints.
It this case then you compromise perfect wheel travel on articulation to achieve the travel you need and the length of the arms also compensates for the restrictions an 'A' frame causes. But this is for a truck designed for highspeed not rock crawling so travle is the important factor not articulation.