Outer Limits 4x4 Board

All

Has anyone got an articulator out there that I could talk them out of

Ado

We will have 20 ready in a short while.
Just that we have been mega-busy at work with some major projects we only do these things in our spare time.
Of course I'll let everyone know when their ready.
These units can be ordered with the normal manual locking pin or can have the air ram fitted (machined to suit).

Frank.

Frank can you explain the air ram setup ? Does it hook up to say an ARB compressor or what's the go ?

Yes some more information (and pics) would be helpfull. I will probably get one at least.

Yes basically it is a device that is inserted into the front swaybar. A peice of the swaybar is cut out and the unit is grub screwed onto the cut ends of the bar. It is a rotating device that is locked together by a 12mm pin so the bar is rigid when the pin is removed it allows the unit to rotate freely as the swaybar moves. The beauty of this design is that the bar stays fixed and does not flop around like with the end link type disconnects.
Also there is an optional attachment available for auto disconnecting/connecting, an air operated ram is installed (which can be powered by an ARB compressor) and is controlled by a switch on the dash. The prototype was on my Paj and worked brilliantly but now it is on Blair's (Noisey) truck so I'll let him comment on what he thins. Attached is a pic when it was installed on my truck. We have 20 units almost ready and I will announce when they are available for purchase.

Looking at the air ram and the two hoses - does it need to be driven in and out of lock mode by air??

or does it lock by return spring pressure? or something

Ado

Yep, air pressure to unlock and hold, spring pressure to re-lock once the air pressure is vented from the cylinder via the dash switch.

Does the one without the air pressure need the front bash plate removed to get access? Is that the advantage of the air pressure one?

Glen

do you have any probs with the air cylinder fouling when sway bar is disconected? ie the cylinder is attached to the left hand side(looking at your pic), so when the left wheel articulates the cylinder will move front to back in an ark.
also what are the legalities of having the unit fitted? legal on road as long as sway bar connected ?
also how did your insurance respond to the mod and does it need an engineering certificate?
looks well engineered and a very novel approach to disconecting sway bars.
i supose it could be adapted to fit other vehicles? any plans?

cookie monster

Yep my insurance co did not have a problem with it and when the fire happened the assessor noticed it and didn't even blink.
To be totally safe you would need to have an engineer to approve the set up so insurance is cool etc. It's like every other mod if your in a serious prang and have your 33" MTR's on the car well........................
With the manual locking pin I could access it between the grill and radiator thats ok for a 5sp but the auto has the tranny cooler there so it's very tight for access. Thats the reason we developed the auto disconnect system.
Basically the Articulator will work on any swaybar that has a straight length between the mounts so fitment to other vehicles is certainly possible.
When the unit is disconnected the free end only rotates about 5mm (either way) so as long as there is about 10mm room either side of the air ram it will not hit anything as the suspension cycles up and down.

Did you guys consider using engine vacuum like the super select front diff actuator??

Ado

No because engine vacuum wouldn't overcome the spring pressure which from memory is around 60PSI.

Bitsamissin wrote:Also there is an optional attachment available for auto disconnecting/connecting, an air operated ram is installed (which can be powered by an ARB compressor) and is controlled by a switch on the dash.

When you have both lockers connected to your ARB compressor, is it still possible to connect this as well?

Yes of course as I said there are 3 ports on the ARB compressor if running twin lockers there will be 2 solenoids and either a blank in the 3rd port or the air up fitting. All you have to do is plumb into the 3rd port, straight into it if blanked or intall a T fitting before the air up connection to run the 4mm Articulator air line.

bitsa,
looks like the unit is heat treated ? through hardened or nitrided? would have thought 718 nitrided would be the go?
also what brand of air cylinder are you using? festo, smc or some other?
i suppose you would have to have the car sat on a flat surface to reconnect the sway bar(so the holes for the pin line up)?
would be interested in the pricing of the unit.
just out of interest, what do you do for a living? looks like your into engineering, like me(im a toolmaker)?

cookie monster

Yep it's a Festo cylinder but has the guts replaced with a different seal and piston arrangement. We couldn't find an off the shelf unit that had the stroke we needed so we modified one to suit.
The unit itself is machined out of 4140 and coated with a nitride type treatment mainly for corrosion protection. The 12mm locking & rotating pins are heat treated.
Our company is a chemical recycling plant I look after operations and Barry our maintence contractor looks after the mechanical stuff we have a pretty good workshop and are both into fourbies so naturally some spare time is spent designing/making 4x4 stuff.
Unfortunately we just don't have enough time to do what would like to do. The Articulator and low range gears were all done in our spare time and originally was just meant for my truck but others were very interested. There are about 30 Articulators out there and 28 sets of low range gears. To be honest because of time constraints Barry has been trying to automate the manufacturing of the Articulator as it is time consuming drilling and tapping all those holes.
The following pic is the flex I could get with the rear swaybar removed, standard length rear shocks and front swaybar disconnected.
The front wheel could lift about 22" off the ground before lifting the same side rear wheel. When I first did this with the car bog standard I could only get 16".

Frank, can the actuator mechanism be easily fitted to an existing manual locking pin version? Unfortunately mine also falls into the difficult to access the pin category...

Westy

are there still any of these available as i will be interested in one in a few months time

badger wrote:are there still any of these available as i will be interested in one in a few months time

There is a new lot being made up I think mate.

These sound interesting, my cousin is looking for something like this for his Terracan. Are there any available (air ram version)?

cheers

I know im bumping an old thread, but are these still being made? Or perhaps some sitting around still available?

I have an Articulator for sale fitted to swaybay ready to bolt in.
I am looking for $100.00 pickup only.
Now sold
Glenn

PM sent.

Any availible for the rear bar ?

Easy to make one for the rear. Just replace the sleeve on links with U shaped sleeve hold them R clips.