Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I am currently in the planning stage of linking both the front and rear of my lux, what thickness material should i use for the link mounts? i have been reading on pirate and it looks like a lot of guys are using 1/4 inch- 6mm, is this thick enough or should i be using something thicker.

This is going on a trailer rig thats not going to be engineered so dont say ask the engineer.

6mm will be fine if braced. Look at the mounts on Patrol and Cruisers, they're all about 4mm with a bit of bracing.

If you intend on abusing 6mm won't cut it unless using chromo.
If intending on using hollow bar (mild steel) I wouldn't use less than 9.5-12.7mm wall especially on lowers. Uppers you could get away with 6mm wall.
IMO if you have to run a spine brace on links you haven't used sufficient wall thickness tubing. Links are one thing that cops a flogging & the extra weight in these combined with quality joints/heims to me is just not a weight saving area unless going solid 7075 alum.



brooksy

We use 6 mm on all our link tabs with braces on the new 40 seems to hold up fine for me , as stated above nissan and toyota use 4 mm .

I like to use 8 mm it will take a hit from a rock but not as heavy as 10mm but always will come back to the weight of the car the design of the mount and what the car will be used for. Totally agree with brookys not an area to cut corners

worked too many hrs over the weekend.
I just realized I was talking link material as in arms not link tabs !!!!
I run 8mm on lower tabs if below housing but generally 6mm. I don't gusset very often outside but do brace/plate between either tab.



brooksy

brooksy wrote: worked too many hrs over the weekend.
I just realized I was talking link material as in arms not link tabs !!!!
I run 8mm on lower tabs if below housing but generally 6mm. I don't gusset very often outside but do brace/plate between either tab.



brooksy

I did wonder what you were talking about mate

I got some off ruffstuff recently and they were 3/8 thick so 9.5mm
The ones currently in my bundy are 5mm

General best practice is to aim for 1.5 times the parent material thickness. Your chassis structure and diff housing is folded up from something around 3mm plate most likely, so probably aim for 5mm or 3/16" for whatever you are going to add.
Theory is that anything thicker than 1.5x actually takes strength away from the parent structure as to get decent penetration the welding process gets too hot for the thinner material.

If designed right 5mm is plenty of material, I have always run 5mm on buggys with portals and big tyres no problem.
A weld washer to thicken up the material around the bolt hole is also a good idea for longevity.