4 bar, triangulated 4 bar, or 4 link?
 

Which would be best? I want to lower my truck about 3". I will have to c-notch the frame. I want a better ride, and handling than the stock suspension, and some traction when a rice burner wants to race. The truck is a 1961 F-100, stock height with leaf springs. I plan to use a HAL/QA1 coil over kit as well. I have found a lot of information about 4-link set-ups. I have not found much about 4 bar set-ups. It looks like a 4 bar will not provide much better traction than the stock leaf suspension. 4 bars look like they will not provide much lift under acceleration

What do you consider to be the difference between 4-bar and 4-link? The terms are used interchangably in kinematics to describe exactly the same mechanism.

I think of the 4-bar as having links that are parallel throughout the travel of the suspension. Maybe that is better known as a parallel 4-bar. The 4-link is a more sophisticated system in which the bars are not parallel and have multiple mounting points at the axle and the frame. I don't know how to describe the triangulated 4-bar but I think it is similar to what is used on mustangs and GM unibody cars. Go to this site, "http://www.artmorrison.com/index.html", under rear suspension there will be pictures of all three types.

Maybe i am missing something here, but i agree with strangeranger.

On a 4-link suspension the four links do run parallel, lateral movement is controlled by a trac bar (panhard bar).

A three link is a setup where you have two lower links running from frame or subframe to a point under the axle tube. The upper link and latteral movement is controlled by one link that is triagular in shape. The single mounting point is above the rear dif, wheil the other two are wider at the frame rails.

There is also a reverse four link, where the lower two links form the wishbone to control lateral movement, while the two uper links run parallel

The links are parallel, in the 4-bar and 4-link, with the frame. On the 4-bar the upper and lower links are always parallel. On the 4-link, if it is set up properly, the upper and lower bars are never parallel. I guess I'm not explaining it well. Go to the site that I listed above, "www.artmorrison.com", under rear suspension it will come up with a list with 4-bar, 4-link, and tri 4-bar, and a few other things, and it shows all three in the way that I know of them. I don't know a better way to explain them but the pictures should clarify it.

on a 4-link setup the bars do run parallel. They are not always the same lenghts, however tey can run parallel. I don't understand why you are arguing with my last post, you can check all my information out of four wheelers issue with the orange dodge on front, with the TTC Suspension Setups. It is all explained in there, each setup types with (installed) pictures of them all.

I am not arguing with your last post I am simply trying to explain the three systems that I know of. I know a lot about the 4-link the way that I, and many high performance shops, define it, anyway. It is use a lot in drag racing and in this particular setup the upper bars and lower bars are never parallel to each other. If you took all 4 connecting points of one side of the 4-link and connected them they would form a trapezoid. The front mounting points and the rear never have the same distance between them. No matter where you place the axle in the travel of the suspension the upper and lower bars will never be parallel because it has the shape of a trapezoid. The website that I have mentioned shows the three in the forms that I know of them. There may be different forms and I want to learn about them.

Those last few sentences are an argument. Sorry. Enough arguing.
I don't know much about the 4-bar and triangulated 4-bar but I do want to learn about them so that I can pick the best one for my application. Isn't Four Wheelers a magazine? The Title rings a bell but I'm not sure which bell.

I don't disagree with you. Perhaps on a 4-linkthey can either be parallel or not... maybe it works both ways. Perhaps they also use different setups for drags and off-roading. Thats entirely possible.

As far as learning some types, that article i was talking about is out of "F o u r W h e e l e r" (sorry had to put spaces.. it keeps adding an s to the end) magazine. It is issue June 2003. It has quite a good 2 or 3 page article with lots of pictures of different setups and explains each. It is titled "Ultimate TTC Suspensions"

I found the number where you can call to get either that issue, or even just the article from them. That can be from "Wrights' Reprints" an (877) 652-5295.

Good luck.

Thanks. I'll call and get a copy of it.

Bars...Bars...and more Bars...
 

I guess it depends MOST on the intended USE of said vehicle...

What is your 1961 F-100 REALLY going to be used for MOSTLY???

I went thru this for the past few months myself trying to figure out what to

use for a rear suspension on my '56...drove me NUTZ for quite awhile...not

to mention a few fellow FTE'ers on the 1948-1960 Forum also...

You can do a search for some of my posts & I'm sure you'll see what I mean...

As it it sits now...I'm going with Air Ride Technologies 4-Link set-up...this was

designed for 53-56 F100 and is NOT a "universal" kit...

Part # ARS14701---Ford F100 53-56---Air-4-Link...Online price shows $996.45
New Catalog I got YESTERDAY says...$949.00

I called & they said they would give me catalog pricing...
Here are a few links, might save ya some time:

Is there an AirBar for old Fords? - ridetech.com | Air Ride Technologies

Air Ride Technologies - Ridetech.com

Air Ride Technologies Headlines 1956 Ford F100

The last one is for the Air Ride Technologies Corporate Truck using the same
part number I'm ordering and shows a good side view of the "stance"...

I TRIED talking to "Scott" at Art Morrison about their Air Spring Plus (pg.28 in catalog)

& he just semed I was really bothering him...I don't need that crap...

HOPE this helps...DIDN"T mean to hi-jack...GOOD_LUCK...