not just your average suspension question....

[Matty]

I've got a buddy that runs in the JeepSpeed Series, and we're talking of turning the waggy into a chase truck. Obviously, suspension wise, I've looking for serious usable travel. I'm looking at 4-linking the rear, but what should I do up front?

[ March 05, 2003, 10:12 PM: Message edited by: Matty ]

[illegalFSJ]

It may sound crazy, but I read an article in 4WOR (I think it was sept. or oct. '01) about "Ultimate Jeep Build-ups" where they wanted to have a 4-link in the rear and use rear Chevy leaf springs in the front. They had a good reason for this, but I'm not sure what it was. And I don't know how much faith one can really place in a magazine article, but it's food for thought. Actually, it may have been JP magazine.

[Cecil14]

You could go with a 1/4 eliptical suspention up front. Suppose to have a lot of travel from those setups. Either that or coils up front.

Anthony

[Matty]

will a 4-link work very well up front tho...?

[jode]

Originally posted by Cecil14:
You could go with a 1/4 eliptical suspention up front. Suppose to have a lot of travel from those setups. :confused: That seems like a bad idea.
If you are going 1/4 elliptical, you have to have most of the setup for the coil springs already, so why not go with the coils then?

JeepSpeed is a race series.
Racing = fast moving over terrain
1/4 elliptical is good for slow speed rockcrawling
The amount of travel is not as important in this case as the quality of that travel.

Why not set the front up the same as an XJ...seems fitting seeing as this is Jeepspeed we are talking about here :D

[Bombadier]

the picture i'm seeing, is that at high speeds and desert whooptees, i'd do a four-link HP axle with semi-elipticals. a four-link up front would be helpful, but i'm curious if i could find a way to maybe do a coilover HP axle. definitely weld in some shock hoops for quad absorbers.

i'd prolly attach my four-link near the pumpkin, like on this Dana60.

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/Parts-Junkyards/60rear.jpg

[ March 05, 2003, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Bombadier ]

[River Beast]

http://www.fullsizejeep.com/Pics/Coils/rearwitharms.jpg

If you want to link it with coils... talk to Frank in Norway.. that is his setup in the pic and here is a shot of the coiled over FSJ linked up as she is today.

http://www.fullsizejeep.com/gallery/109%20side.jpg

You can read ALL about it at www.fullsizejeep.com (http://www.fullsizejeep.com)

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank in Ouray last year for the Invasion.... GREAT guy... I haven't seen him here that much lately, though.

check out the galleries on his site... proper transition shots from beginning to end.

[Josh D]

My opinion for the front would be custom leaf springs from Alcan or National, in a spring under configuration and a shackle reversal. I'd run dual remote reservoir shocks as well. Simple, and will take a beating! Trailing arm and coils, or coil over shock combos would work well in the rear.

[tuck]

I'm with Josh D on this one... Spring under with some long-flexy springs and some good shock absorption..

I think it would be more headache than it's worth to 4 link the front and make it handle well.

As far as the 1/4 ellipticals goes, they have been used in Baja trucks before.. but in the rear with a 4 link setup. They can work fine for going fast, it's all about how you setup the links.

[rockjeep44]

If you want to get serious, run a triangulated 4 link frontend (NO TRACBARS) with coilovers. Thats serious SHIZZZZZNIT. My friend and I built one on his '77 Cherokee that is straight rediculous.
-Andrew

[jeepguzzi]

There was a wide trac Cherokee for sale in CA. a few months ago. It had been used as a desert pre-runner. Anybody got pics of that, or a link??