4wd suspension that Hooks (Ditching Leaf springs)

Crawler said:
If you're set on four link then build a front and a rear subframe and four link them both properly.

Can you do the fab or would you farm it out?
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Thanks. Heres a true first gen 12mm ve 2wd with my setup. My daughters truck. Runs 11.90s on fuel only and cuts 1.67 to 1.8 60s (dependent on trac temps).
 

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Here's a pic of ours going down the track.

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Bponci said:
I built some traction bars. 3 Leafs in the rear. 5 degrees pinion angle. Front limiting straps (due to coils kept popping out of the buckets under a hard launch). Soft rear shocks and good 90/10 front shocks. Played with tire pressure and roll out. Just takes time and patience. Sorry I don't have pics. Just the ones in my head.
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Here's another picture I have of Brad's Blue Sub where you can see his traction bars. It wasn't anything crazy fancy but Brad really did his homework and tuning and made that thing shoot out of the hole, and go straight too. :rockwoot:
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Now after seeing this and more gears grinding. I think im just going to do with a parallel front style 4 link front and leafs and traction bars in the back with a good set of shocks.
 
scat said:
I know leaf springs will get me there but Ive always wanted to try something newer with a older style 4 wheel leaf spring suspension system. As of now my biggest concern would be the front suspension with the weight of the truck with 2 leafs (where my ride height is now) and a hard launch. Ive seen Coles truck in a few videos all over the place on a launch but he has 5 or more leafs I believe and sits higher then where i am now. I should add that i want to do this with a 29 x 10.5 DOT slick.
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Cole told me he runs 3 leafs in the front
 
White Knight said:
Here's another picture I have of Brad's Blue Sub where you can see his traction bars. It wasn't anything crazy fancy but Brad really did his homework and tuning and made that thing shoot out of the hole, and go straight too. :rockwoot:
IMG_6262.jpg
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Nice simple set-up...I actually know we're this truck sits today :) I also noticed the simple suspension set-up while talking to Ronnie about it.
 
Crawler said:
Rear four link or ladders are completely streetable. Although with heim joints etc, it will make a little noise. There are quieter heims, but I would just run the noisy ones.

A ladder setup is easier for most guys to tune and will have less maintenance.

Unless you dramatically lower the truck, you will need to build a sub cage below the frame to make your front connecting points. For a drag type application you want your bars almost parallel to the ground. It's different when we're talking off road trucks.

But as you can see, at this point the lower bar is nowhere near parallel to the ground. So in my application I need to move the rear end upward, in other words lower the vehicle.

Now before I get flamed, the setup will not end up parallel to the ground, but its not that far from it. So, suspension gurus, don't bust my balls for using that term.U have to measure and find the instant center for your application to determine your bars exact positioning.
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I talked to a couple more people about bar relationship of the competition style 4 link to center of gravity and it varys as far as being parallel with the ground. With lower vehicles about 95% of them are flat but with mine being raised higher then a car I should benefit from it angled up more to reduce squat and plant the tires more. Ive done nothing but read up on this stuff and call leads for the past few days my heads still going in circles. Made my mind up once, then found out more about people who have made it work. Then for the most part the shock/ spring set up would determine the most about the traction and weight transfer. :bang
 
scat said:
I talked to a couple more people about bar relationship of the competition style 4 link to center of gravity and it varys as far as being parallel with the ground. With lower vehicles about 95% of them are flat but with mine being raised higher then a car I should benefit from it angled up more to reduce squat and plant the tires more. Ive done nothing but read up on this stuff and call leads for the past few days my heads still going in circles. Made my mind up once, then found out more about people who have made it work. Then for the most part the shock/ spring set up would determine the most about the traction and weight transfer. :bang
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As I said before a four link angled upward is good. A level four link is better ;)

That being said, I've never been a fan of the dropped subframe. It works but isn't optimal. It requires different settings than a traditional four link. It changes the setup from a calculus problem into a trig problem. ha ha

There are advantages to both versions.

Personally, I'd look at a four link setup similar to a 2nd or 3rd gen Dodge with limiting straps on the front and a then run soft leafs with a caltrac style link in the rear on anything other than a dedicated racer.
 
Another option is the poor mans four link.

Add lower link bars in the rear. Remove some leafs. Add a track bar or wishbone. Then cut the leafs off behind the axle and remove.

Essentially using the leafs as a top four link bar. ;)
 
One more idea i like and just popped in my head in the shop is; Parallel front 4 link similar to dodges style then on the rear i would run a long arm upper triangulated rear with poly bushings all around and a good set of strange single adjustable all around. I think then i could still have street ability with no worry of heim joints and still have a solid all around foundation. I know Lee from Contagious Diesel has a rear triangulated and uses the truck for pulling.
 
Well ive been working......

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Keep in mind the bar angles aren't like a car because my anti squat line is way higher then a car and yet i don't want to have the front raise and unload the front tires or else 4wd would be pointless. Just started on the front tonight. :rockwoot:
 
Looks good. Same set up I am planning on for the front of my first gen this winter. Haven't decided if I'm going to leave the leafs in the rear or go with 4 link in the rear also.
 
Some more fab porn...

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Home stretch now. Couple more things on the front to moch up and get driveshaft loops in place them it can all be pulled apart and final welded and then painted.
 
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