Pro Street 4 link for a daily driver?
- Thread starter bgreen776
- Start date
bgreen776
White Collar Fabricator
Thats a new one on me. I wouldn't think that would work without the use of bushings vs a hard mechanical heim joint, but I've not put much thought into it, nor have I ever modeled it.
I'm not a fan of heim joints, and prefer poly bushings in suspension applications, ball joints in steering, but I'm always willing to listen and learn. All my suspension experience is with high performance snowmobiles and off-road trucks/buggies.
I realize nobody wants to give secrets to their competition, but since I'm 3000 miles away from the next drag strip in America...
I'll post up some numbers once I get everything measured out and maybe someone will let me know if it looks like I'm all screwed up. :rockwoot:
I'm not a fan of heim joints, and prefer poly bushings in suspension applications, ball joints in steering, but I'm always willing to listen and learn. All my suspension experience is with high performance snowmobiles and off-road trucks/buggies.
I realize nobody wants to give secrets to their competition, but since I'm 3000 miles away from the next drag strip in America...
I'll post up some numbers once I get everything measured out and maybe someone will let me know if it looks like I'm all screwed up. :rockwoot:
dvst8r
Unobtainium
Yes they are, and are even found on leaf spring cars, as even leaf springs get a lot of side to side movement in high powered cars which makes them feel loose at the big end.
To really control the suspension at launch hiems become a necessary evil as there is just too much play in a bushing. The amount of pinion deflection and even rear end twist can really make it almost impossible to get a consistent launch. That and bushings absorb energy.
I like to run in that 125-150% AS on a drag radial, and an IC out close to the front bumper or a bit beyond, but there are a lot of opinions out there. Best to spend some time reading.
To really control the suspension at launch hiems become a necessary evil as there is just too much play in a bushing. The amount of pinion deflection and even rear end twist can really make it almost impossible to get a consistent launch. That and bushings absorb energy.
I like to run in that 125-150% AS on a drag radial, and an IC out close to the front bumper or a bit beyond, but there are a lot of opinions out there. Best to spend some time reading.
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SmokeShow
New member
Those are your preferred settings for a 2wd or 4wd?
Cummins12Club
Happy Dinosaur
I would assume he's refering to his experience with Torry's truck and it is 4wd
dvst8r
Unobtainium
2wd, I have not done a link suspension on a 4wd designated for drag strip use to this point. However based on my experience, this is where I would still start for 4wd.
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dvst8r
Unobtainium
And leaf springs, nothing in common at all, as ic and as are not even adjustable there. The only similarities are 4wd and drag radial, and while they do give me some theories I would test on Torrey's truck if we were to ever to go to a link setup, this is not where my suggestions come from.
My 4 link experience comes from turbo outlaw and grudge drag radial cars.
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CorneliusRox
Seasoned Rookie
The upside to running a parallel four link is the fact that you get binding in a way that it will act like a swaybar. Fourlink is better in every other way IMO, but obviously is going to give you more articulation which isn't a plus in drag racing.
In a drag racing application, you also don't need a long trac bar/panhard. The reason they are so long on front axles is only to match the draglink so that you don't get bump steer.
Also, the longer it is, the less lateral movement the axle will have while traveling, but you shouldn't have much travel drag racing, like you would with a 14" off road suspension.
You could do parallel four link, with johnny joints (or ballistic), truss the rear axle, and run a panhard from the frame rail to the top of the truss. That way you're actually gaining stiffness and traction for the added weight. And JJ or Ballistic Joints are going to hold up to winters instead of noisy heims.
Oh, and shocks are usually worth their weight in gold, but like people said, the good ones need rebuilding yearly.
In a drag racing application, you also don't need a long trac bar/panhard. The reason they are so long on front axles is only to match the draglink so that you don't get bump steer.
Also, the longer it is, the less lateral movement the axle will have while traveling, but you shouldn't have much travel drag racing, like you would with a 14" off road suspension.
You could do parallel four link, with johnny joints (or ballistic), truss the rear axle, and run a panhard from the frame rail to the top of the truss. That way you're actually gaining stiffness and traction for the added weight. And JJ or Ballistic Joints are going to hold up to winters instead of noisy heims.
Oh, and shocks are usually worth their weight in gold, but like people said, the good ones need rebuilding yearly.
Cummins12Club
Happy Dinosaur
I'm sorry, I was thinking Torrey's truck had been 4 linked in the rear at this point. I understand leaf springs have nothing alike in a link set up. That's what I get for assuming haha
longhorn859
Brap.
If you are not concerned with wearing out heims, coil overs, etc....I see no reason why my setup could not be street-able. I drive it around town but keep it to a minimum because I don't want to wear out those costly items. It is a 3 link with an anti-roll bar and a wishbone panhard bar.
