4 link, Coilover, 4x4, e350 Conversion - King / Full Traction

tgreening

Expedition Leader


Orrr, and just tossing this out there, you could go with something like this for considerably less......:)

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350outrage

Adventurer
I understand that steering and suspension and death wobble seem like mysterious, magical things to most people. But If you learn calculus, and take a Physics for Engineers course, you will solve for hundreds of systems just like this. This isn't magic, it's just math.

Yes, its been very mysterious to the engineers at Ford and Chrysler who designed F series trucks and TJ's that suffered with it. Lots of those guys had actual engineering DEGREES, (not just first year students). "When I was 18, my father was a fool. By the time I turned 22, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 4 years!!" . . . Mark Twain. Yup, its all just math. Way beyond the ken of old greasemonkeys like us. :ylsmoke:
 
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tgreening

Expedition Leader
Your'e not the only one.

Really hard to justify the cost though!


Somebody out there makes a kit for converting mog portals from the torque tube setup to a standard drivshaft, whick makes the axles themselves fairly inepensive, but then there's the gearing limitations and link system that has to be designed/built, etc. Might be able to drop a van body on a mog chassis though. Hmm, never looked into that.
 
First year? It takes talent and experience to consistently misrepresent what I say. Can't argue with a group of grumpy *** old internet trolls. Enjoy the mire.
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
First year? It takes talent and experience to consistently misrepresent what I say. Can't argue with a group of grumpy *** old internet trolls. Enjoy the mire.


Dude, you got to admit, you came in here talking some pretty big talk, and intentional or not got a bit condescending with the "it isn't magic" bit. And whether you're a first, second, or xxxx year student, you're apparently still a student. As has been pointed out, there are folks in here with stacked degrees, and in some cases DECADES of experience on top of that, and you dismiss what they say in a most casual manner. If you were that dang good, as you seem to think, you wouldn't have been in here asking for opinions on the very things you claim to be able to design like a Boss, 'cause you know the math.

Friendly advise. Suck it up, be a bit more open minded to the opinions YOU asked for, take some ribbing, and get on with your build.

And don't forget to post pictures. Folks in here love pictures. If there's no pictures, it didn't happen, and we've got no way to steal other peoples good ideas. :)
 

Shocker

VanDOOM!
Yup. There is a long ways from engineering theory and practical implementation. Math is math, but not everything works out exactly right the first time even when the math says it should.

The bottom of my round file is littered with ME graduates with zero idea of real world engineering.

Don't get all angry when we are not dazzled with your brilliance and ideas. You came here looking for opinions and you got them.

Your path is clear, bust out your almost complete skillset and design a brand new setup. Show us how it is done and turn your bravado into a working product. I am all for new ideas and would love to see what you come up with. That is an honest response.

Oh, and Solidworks is for little girls. Pro E ******!
 

Toolman

Explorer
something else to think of when you are city slickin.

Most cities in my area enforce the no RV and NO commercial vehicles parked over night law. That said, your incognito plumbing van will be a target unless you're in walmart parking lot after 6pm.

Grumpy or not the good man in me said to inform not just the apple but the hole bunch.
 

derjack

Adventurer
Your'e not the only one.

Really hard to justify the cost though!
Portals are getting more and more common these days here- Germany. Several new components developed and build in Germany to be bold on.
Some of you know about the 6x6 Mercedes G. Similar is possible for G-Models as aftermarket (see my gallery from "abenteuer Allard 2014", the axle gallery ).
There is also a company developing Portals for Defenders etc. Note that there will be a HUGE amount of torsion onto the axle, when breaking!
These Portals are yours for just about 10k (10.000 euro - 13000$!). Not worth at all, if you have solid (meaning in terms of quality) axles- Unimogs aren`t in relation to total weight (that's why Mercedes probably went for that solution).
 

laproscopic

New member
No math needed fro this.
I have an ultra 4 car and too much time going fast in the desert (BITD). Been in and have driven my fair share of chase trucks-big heavy chase trucks going faster than they should at speeds in rough desert terrain.
Have done several coil spring conversions. Rockcrawl all the time.
This front end is so not difficult.

No King/coilover needed
You only want to make the ride nice while heading down the highway and then maintain a comfortable and stable ride for the occasional offroad time. So keep it low and when its done see if it has much sway. You prob dont need a swaybar so I wouldnt put one on till its tested. BUT KEEP IT LOW. No big lift needed. In this aplication big articulation wont be needed at speed. If anything it will be needed at low speeds (going slow through rough river wash etc) so allow for droop and not up-travel. KEEP IT LOW.

In my experience with these applications Linked suspension Joint life can become an issue. These big heavy vehicles can tear up mainstream offroad suspension joints like Johney joints, rubicon express joints and similar rebuildable. Even the big expensive heim joints are not going to last most of the time-They wont fail but they will require more maintainance than you want to be giving. Even if you buy huge bombproof joints like Evolution machine joints you will need to periodically tighten the preload on the joint. Nothing is as maintainance free as a leaf pack. But the linked suspension can be durable if you run the big heavy rubber bushings made for these applications.

If I were you I would run a pair of factory F230/f350 radius arms from a late model ford truck. Buy a pair of factory coils. Or find a pair of similar radius arms from a late model dodge truck. This will ride nicer than a pair of leafs up front.
Then buy a pair of coil bucktets from a fab supplier like Rough stuff industries (ive used theirs and they are nice 3/8" steel) or balistic fab. Track bars are stupid easy for low articulation trucks like this.
Done
 
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tgreening

Expedition Leader
No math needed fro this.
I have an ultra 4 car and too much time going fast in the desert (BITD). Been in and have driven my fair share of chase trucks-big heavy chase trucks going faster than they should at speeds in rough desert terrain.
Have done several coil spring conversions. Rockcrawl all the time.
This front end is so not difficult.

Done

Pretty sure the OP got a bit butt hurt because folks werent mad impressed by his engineering student skills, and left. At least havent heard from him anywhere obvious. He wouldn't listen to you anyway.
 

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