5 link front for GQ

[justinshere]

Hey,

Can someone please point me in the right direction to find info on 5 link steups for the front GQ.

Cheers

[4Speed]

bolt on or custom?

[KIWI]

What are the diffrences between the 2? Would bolt on need more "servicing"?
Would the road manners of the 2 be different?
Any idea on price of a bolt on unit?

Cheers,
Dave

[stool]

If i had my time again id get 3rds drop arms as thay seem to work well

[superzuki]

i have thirds drop arms in my gq an they flex the same as any 5link i have seen but my bushes are scrubbed out that could have something to do with it i was quoted a minimun of $2000 for a five link and $1500 for the drop arms an there basically unbreakable unlike a five link

[4Speed]

What are the diffrences between the 2? Would bolt on need more "servicing"?
Would the road manners of the 2 be different?
Any idea on price of a bolt on unit?

Cheers,
Dave

Not much, depends who builds it or if you buy it off the shelf..

[troy gill]

i have a five link for sale that is a bolt in that i am removing which i made it has been to the cape crossed the dessert 3 trips to the high country and have just returned from traveling australia towing a bushtracker caravan also has come 1st place in open in northcoast woodpecker and black rat which i won the the travel ramp over the cars running the thirds arms buy a long way also drove to the bottom of jack hamer pass but had no winch in the last woodpecker i personal would not run those arms thay are still a three link which can only allow twist of the diff housing within the bushes where a five link allows it to rotate and anyone who differs has never had properly setup five link!

[JemmyBubbles]

Ditto.....

3rds arms are still a 3link and as such will still bind during suspension cycling. A properly setup 5 link will be the best setup in the front IMHO, (Look at TJ jeeps).

However, to get the full benefit you may have to look at a high steer option in addition to a five link. Get the Tie Rod up front nice and high, get the drag link and panhard sitting parallel with on another (and almost horizontal for that matter). Another plus of the high steer setup is that you will have all the room in the world behind your housing to place your links, eleminating the need for links with bends(like what comes in the bolt on kit).

[DR Frankenstine]

I have a calbah 5 link in the front of mine and its GREAT! unfortunatlly Chester Baker tells me they don't do them anymore.

[GUHOON]

http://www.mannellmotors.com.au/

Now available 5 Link Front Ends for GQ and GU See Whats New



The Kit comes with all hardware required & fitting takes approx 4 hours. The front sway bar is retained with quick disconnects for excellent on road driveability.


Thats his GU with the 5 link
Think last time i got a price there were about $1500 bucks.

[thepatroldude]

Just wondering, but arn't these being stopped becasue of legal issues and drivability???

I looked into these a few years ago, but was told that 3rds etc are now the way to go......(not sure if they are legal themselves)

Correct me if I'm wrong, just this was what I was told from other 4x4 stores/engineers etc

[Jimbo]

What makes 3rds legal?

Wheni was loooking around at patrols i drove one with a bolt on 5 link with sway bars. It still handled like a boat but you could get used to it. I wouldnt like to have to swerve at anything over 60km/hr though.

Jimmy

[KIWI]

Just contacted Mannels, Nick says they no longer produce the 5 link, and use and recommend the drop arms

[Mick.]

http://www.mannellmotors.com.au/

Now available 5 Link Front Ends for GQ and GU See Whats New



The Kit comes with all hardware required & fitting takes approx 4 hours. The front sway bar is retained with quick disconnects for excellent on road driveability.


Thats his GU with the 5 link
Think last time i got a price there were about $1500 bucks.

I actually spoke to Nick a couple of months ago about these kits he sells Sean and he said unless it never goes on road than buy it. If you want to drive it on road go the drop arms. He even took the 5 link out of his 4wd because it was crap on road and fitted drop arms.

Cheers Mick.

[LUXon37s]

I cant believe the bad write up every one gives 5links
Both pete (dr frankenstine) and i run 5 links and have no handling issues at all

I had 3RDS arms fitted and then pulled tham out in favour of a wizard 5link and there where no diffrence AT ALL in handling


GAV.

[Mick.]

I cant believe the bad write up every one gives 5links
Both pete (dr frankenstine) and i run 5 links and have no handling issues at all

I had 3RDS arms fitted and then pulled tham out in favour of a wizard 5link and there where no diffrence AT ALL in handling


GAV.

The impression i've got from shops and people i've asked is that they don't want anything to do with fitting them and find it easier to just sell you the arms because they are easy to fit.

When i'm ready to do the front of my 4wd I will be trying to get a 5 link if possable but by the sounds of it they are getting harder to find.

Cheers Mick.

[GUHOON]

Just contacted Mannels, Nick says they no longer produce the 5 link, and use and recommend the drop arms

Wonder when he will update his website

[Vulcanised]

i thought about 5 link until i was put off them by people that reckon they handle like crap on the road at highway speeds, and 95% of my road driving is at highway speeds. I think it was a set of 3rd's that i was looking at when i was down at Tiny's shop for a pretty good price.... might have to save my pennies














i wonder how much a divorce will cost me

[fatassgq]

Just to clear it up too. the five link that Nick Mannel has in the pic of his GU is in no way the same as the one in the pic.
Mannels five link was either wizards or an exact copy.


If a five link is set up right it should handle well on the road. Of course there will be a little more body roll but this can be combated by using good shocks or higher spring rates and also running swaybars. They actually allow alot more adjustment easily in the way of caster so this is a positive.

Yes I have had one.

Cheers
Brian

[DR Frankenstine]

Just to clarrify.
The 5 link in mine is a Calbah weld in job. Has rancho 9000's, Was a leaf sprung 98 model GQ cab chassis, Has 7" coils in the front and original leaf sprung SPOA rear (with bogie leaf). Handles brilliantly on the highway at 100+ kays. No shimmy shake or anything. I think the people saying 5 link GQ'S don't handle well havn't set them up properly.

[bru21]

prob with the wizard annd hence mannel is the seperation between the bushes at the front is too small and under breaking or non constant loads such as bumping the diff castor rocks due to the fact that there is so much rotational load supported by 2x the rubber of a factory setup, hence the castor goes all over the place. I have had one and i would say it is close to lockers traction wise, i never got stuck in mine but that was when the driving was easier. the wheels just never leave the ground. on road they suck and setting the castor to non factory settings to hida a fault is no good. Ideally the links need to be parallel so there is no castor change during cycling (paralellogram) and have greater frontal seperation prob double wizards.

I now run 3rds arms set up without the bushes 80series style and so far they appear optimal for on / off road use. If i build another truck i would start with a blank chassis and do a 5 link as I feel i know enough about them this time round. I feel the patrol bushes will tear eventually in my 3rds setup as the rotation is too great, maybe jonnie joints replaced more frequently would be better but i am more worried about stress cracking over corrigations

too much thought

bru

[troy gill]

i agree you need equal length arms top to bottom and you need to make the spacing between the two mounting points as far apart as possible but equal distance in height on diff to chassic the more hieght between the arm locators the less the diff can rock in the bushes hence better on road as it is not affected buy bumps due to the diff having better leverage support. have a look at a tj setup they have about 250mm between upper and low mounting points also connect your sway bars on road this makes a huge difference in handling if anyone is wanting bolt on kits i can duplicate the one on my car

[WALKS]

[quote/] if anyone is wanting bolt on kits i can duplicate the one on my car[quote]

troy is your kit a complete bolt on job with no cutting or welding to the car?

would it be too hard to give me a drawing of the kit on your car so i can build my own ive been thinking about doing it my self but it would be much easier if i had somewhere to start

[KIWI]

So who else sells bolt on kits? (shop contact in the Brisbane or Sydney area if possible)

Would prefer 5 link, but if I cant find one it'll have to be arms instead.


Cheers,
Dave

[MitchellBros4x4]

I can confirm that the five link in the GU pictured above was a Callbah weld in kit.
Remember that the panhard and the shocks are the limiting factors.
5 link setups are becoming obsolete with the advent of drop radius arms.
Agreed that drop radius arms potentially dont have the same articulation, but you gain in other areas.
I have the Snake arms in my patrol that has 5" spring lift. Gone is the shimmy and wheel alignment issues.

[4Speed]

So who else sells bolt on kits? (shop contact in the Brisbane or Sydney area if possible)

Would prefer 5 link, but if I cant find one it'll have to be arms instead.

Kiwi is there no one over at all selling this stuff? (or 4wd gear in general)The old man told me there's a big lack of it, and would be a good hole to fill.

[troy gill]

yes my kit is totally bolt on but no i do not have drawing but if you are competant with a welder have a go just follow what i have posted and you wont go wrong my kit is simalar to mannel but both my arms locate to where the three link on the chasis bolts and extends back to also locate under the gearbox mounts the bottom arms need to be made from solid 4140 bar or similar due to needing to be bent under the drag link. the top arms are less important as they are straght and dont see the same force which is greatest under braking. for the diff copy a set of caster plates but put your bottom mount where it would normally attach at the back side and put a bolt throw the other hole of three link with a spacer as to not crush it than choose the hight and location of the top mount using the info i posted above but the best design five link needs eqaul arms and eqaul hieght between arm with them being apart as far as possible thus giving the diff it correct caster throw a large rotation and the most leverage to control it

[troy gill]

just opened a shop in newcastle i am mvria approved to modify 4wd and i am going to start making bolt on five links and other custom gear so anyone interested give us ago i am also going to offer a 30 day trial period on my five links so critics can try them and if they arnt what u expected ill refund the money less frieght cost

[chops]

Any photos of your kit Troy? and what's it cost to have a kit made up?

[WALKS]

Any photos of your kit Troy? and what's it cost to have a kit made up?

x2
thanks