Three Link or Indy?

[UK4X4]

"Just start building the darn thing"


he's been pondering this issue for a year already.....in another thread

another few months won't hurt.......eepwall:

mean while

the rest of us have been busy with the welder:arabia:

These threads help the home builder in many ways both from the idea's generated and the information provided.

Toe in / out on my design was slotted holes in one mount-

only one side needed it

Camber was going to be simply put a shim under the mount..

was'nt required.

I did not use a jig as such- just lots of clamps and measuring and the odd bash with a hammer.

Think of trailer suspension as rear's on trucks, really they don't effect the ride that much, hence the lack of adjustment.

Its not like front indy suspension on a truck which severly effects steering and tire wear.

Even if you were majorly off....with the average trailer usage....being a small percentage of time per year, you would probably have to replace the tires due to being old and perished before you'd worn anything down.

Distortion and movement can be minimised
Using heavy wall tube
tack welding all the pieces, beat to shape
then final weld in short steps, in diferent area's, keeping the temperature low

I'd say toe in/toe out on my indendant is about within 2mm and camber 3mm

I think watts linkages on a trailer suspension is a lot more work with no real benefits.

As soon as you leave the world of leaf springs-

cost and time to build mounts up pretty fast.

Air bags $ 150
Cheap shocks $ 60
air bag mounts $ 40
air bag plumbing $ 40
shock mounts $20
poly bushings 8 off $ 40
grade 8 mounting bolts 12 off $ 20
Bushing mounts 4 off $ 80
Axle 3500lbs complete hub to hub $160

$ 610



V's 1 off 3500lbs axle with springs and mounts for $ 240 (northern Tool)

Time....inde- 3 8 hr days

Standard 2 hrs

Anything bought piece part costs a lot more than standard off the shelf.

 

[GeoTracker90]

"Just start building the darn thing"


he's been pondering this issue for a year already.....in another thread

another few months won't hurt.......eepwall:

mean while the rest of us have been busy with the welder:arabia:

I think that someone has forgotten what I spent my summer doing. Just to jog your memory here is a picture and a link. I know I haven't forgoten and I don't think that Clark has either.

TheGillz Trailer Build Thread

And trust me the welder hasn't been ignored. The start of a three link suspension:

I still have some decisions to make before I progress further.

 

[ntsqd]

Perhaps I can help out? What are your link lengths?

UK, around these parts it's either known as "mental mast_____" or "Analysis paralysis" depending.

 

[GeoTracker90]

Perhaps I can help out? What are your link lengths?

UK, around these parts it's either known as "mental mast_____" or "Analysis paralysis" depending.

Nice comments. Didn't think that I was on Pirate 4X4, but I've been known to be wrong before.

If I remember correctly the links are 34" center to center of the bolt holes.

Mike

 

[UK4X4]

sorry obviously not enough smilies in my post,

it was meant to be a gentle rag
not an insult......

and yes I did watch the build- did you ever weigh it when completed ?

Hopefully this should be enough

:arabia: :arabia: :arabia: :arabia:

if its not please let me know and I'll add some:shakin: too:arabia:

 

[ntsqd]

I knew that I was being ribbed, no worries.

The truth is that I have too many trailers now to consider building another, one on long term loan to me, one that I have 1/2 interest in, and one that I own. The TrailBlazer, the Cheap Utility Trailer, and the utility trailer that I inherited from my grandfather. My grandfather built it in 1951 from a 2.5t GI bed. Ironically, he built it to go camping with.

Eventually I might replace the TrailBlazer's rubber torsions with some sort of independent trailing arm suspension, but it's way, way down on the projects list since the torsions work fine for the way the trailer is used.

Grandad's trailer uses an uncut 4' x 8' plywood sheet for it's floor. Rides on leaves and originally had DC-3 wheels & tires under it. I'm pondering replacing the axle to get 6 x 5.5" since that is what I'll most likely tow it with. I do need to get a coat of paint on it soon.

 

[mtbcoach]

Thanks for taking this project on. I'll be watching closely to see what I can do for the future on my upcoming build...

 

[97kurt]

Bringing this one back from the dead, has anyone else gone down this road? And those that have, how are things holding up?

I am planning on building the base for a teardrop trailer soon and will be doing the independent arm style setup. Cant quite decide if I should do in-expensive QA1 coils or go the air bag route.

 

[cparcell]

Just weld in bungs and threaded heim joints into the arms instead of bushings. You can then have the trailer aligned after completion. That's what we're doing for our independent spindles

 

[Outdoort]

There are real advantages to having bushings instead. Can find them in threaded assemblies so the assembly method can remain the same.

Been thinking about a 4 link triangulated with solid axle for my trailer build that just started. I also want to save costs and use some rubber bushings on both ends of each trailing arm that is located under the frame. then the two trailing arms that form the triangle in the center will have heim joints on the axle, rubber bushings on the frame.
Not sure though if leaving the heim joints out would effect alignment though or not ( Id have to measure correctly). Here's a rough sketch. :

and the axle assembly.

 

[Outdoort]

Bushing 1 and 2 will be located low on the axle and bushing 5 and 6 will be located high on the axle (axle twist). This is just my newb thoughts as I've never built a suspension before.

 

[97kurt]

4 link has a cool factor, but is not needed for a trailer. I'd do a radius arm + panhard if I wanted it linked. But the independent suspension I made turned out to not be that difficult.

But if you want to do the 4link, I'd do the leaf spring bushing that WFO or ruffstuff sells on one end, then a 3/4" or 7/8" heim on the other for adjustability.