4 link suspensions
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Street Queen to the extr3m3
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,554
Likes: 3
From: Lubbock, Texas
4 link suspensions
Does anybody care to explain why or how 4 link suspensions work? Ive been surfing around the internet and done alot of searching on another forum, and i keep finding lame write ups and no pics to go along with anything. Whats written is hard to understand with out a pic.
So does anybody care to enlighten me on how 4 links work?
So does anybody care to enlighten me on how 4 links work?
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
I'm no genious when it comes to this, but basically a 4 link has 4 links to control the loads placed on the axle during acceleration and braking, and they are a much smarter suspension set up than stacked blocks and bannana springs, but 4 links are hard to create propper roll understeer and anti squat.
Then there're 3 Links which are very flexible and have infinite ways to set up, but 3 links have no lateral location control.
Then there're 3 Links which are very flexible and have infinite ways to set up, but 3 links have no lateral location control.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
With a four link, it controls the pinion angle and axle location through 4 solid links, that are separated vertically and horizontally. The vertical separation controls the rotation of the axle throughout its range of movement, and the horizontal separation and triangulation controls the axles movement from side to side.
They way they are set up, is the lower links are longer to make the axle rotate slightly through its movement to keep the pinion angle correct.
I'm sure someone will have some more insight and critique on what I said.
They way they are set up, is the lower links are longer to make the axle rotate slightly through its movement to keep the pinion angle correct.
I'm sure someone will have some more insight and critique on what I said.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
nah, it wasn't that. I had 2 pages of this thread open somehow and I toggled between them, and didn't see all the posts in one of them.
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Street Queen to the extr3m3
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
Originally Posted by chrono4
wtf... I now retract this statement
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
Well when I looked at the thread the first time after I posted, I thought I had beat ya to it. So I put "beat ya to it haha", but then I saw I hadn't, and had to change it..... 10 posts in this thread and only 2 were of anything good lol. Nice.
Thread Starter
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Street Queen to the extr3m3
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,554
Likes: 3
From: Lubbock, Texas
Originally Posted by chrono4
Well when I looked at the thread the first time after I posted, I thought I had beat ya to it. So I put "beat ya to it haha", but then I saw I hadn't, and had to change it..... 10 posts in this thread and only 2 were of anything good lol. Nice.
maybe more info... somebody, as i am still stumped by this 4 link stuff.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,121
Likes: 1
From: Springfield, VA
Andrew gave a really good explination of how the 4 individual bars work, however there are other part to the puzzle that need to be there for a proper 4 link suspension to work. After the 4 link bars, is the panhard bar which locates the axle in the frame from left to right. This is the same setup as an 70's F-150 front track bar, so if you understand how that works and why it's there, then we can move on. After the panhard bar, is the shocks. Here is where you will usually see coilovers, though it is not unheard of in the offroad and cruiser world to use airbags. The coilovers (or bags) will set the rebound and dampening of the suspenion as well as set the ride height of the vehicle. For drag racing and street use, a shock with a somewhat short travel is used, for off roading (like rock crawling) this is where you see the long travel, remote reservior shocks (like Fox shocks as an example). Lastly as an option in the asphault drag racing world, they put an extra bracing bar between the lower link bars to help support and strengthen the bars from the latteral stress that is places on them when power is applied through the drivetrain.
I hope i didn't confues you, just giving a little more info to your questions.
I hope i didn't confues you, just giving a little more info to your questions.
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,042
Likes: 0
From: Cocoa, FL
Originally Posted by kjett
Andrew gave a really good explination of how the 4 individual bars work, however there are other part to the puzzle that need to be there for a proper 4 link suspension to work. After the 4 link bars, is the panhard bar which locates the axle in the frame from left to right. This is the same setup as an 70's F-150 front track bar, so if you understand how that works and why it's there, then we can move on. After the panhard bar, is the shocks. Here is where you will usually see coilovers, though it is not unheard of in the offroad and cruiser world to use airbags. The coilovers (or bags) will set the rebound and dampening of the suspenion as well as set the ride height of the vehicle. For drag racing and street use, a shock with a somewhat short travel is used, for off roading (like rock crawling) this is where you see the long travel, remote reservior shocks (like Fox shocks as an example). Lastly as an option in the asphault drag racing world, they put an extra bracing bar between the lower link bars to help support and strengthen the bars from the latteral stress that is places on them when power is applied through the drivetrain.
I hope i didn't confues you, just giving a little more info to your questions.
I hope i didn't confues you, just giving a little more info to your questions.