Tag: four link

Dear Welder Series… how much hp?

Dear Welder Series…
How much hp does your universal 4 link kit support? And can you estimate shipping to Saskatoon SK.

Dear Jesse…
A lot depends on the tires you are running and how you plan to beat on things. We build parts for street rods and feel they are top quality. A parallel rear 4-link kit does not give the same traction advantage that a race-type, non-parallel 4-link does. Freight from our door to yours is 10% of the order with a minimum charge of $15 and a maximum charge of $60.

Dear Welder Series… coil over specs?

Dear Welder Series…
I just purchased a 1950 Chevy 3100 truck where the seller installed WS21906 in the front and WS318500 in the rear of the original frame. I was hoping you could suggested an affordable set of coil overs that would work with this setup. Unfortunately I have no idea as to what I should be looking for in terms of the stroke, lengths, dampening, etc.. Thank you.

Yuchol

Dear Yuchol…
Congratulations on your new project! These are great looking trucks.

I suggest blocking the truck at ride height to establish coil-over ride height.

If the upper mounts for the front shocks have been installed, the ride height for the coil-overs will be the center-to-center distance between the mounting holes on the lower arms and the brackets. If the frame plates have not been installed, click here for the manual…pages 2 and 13 will help.

If the rear crossmember has been installed to mount the top of the coil-overs, the truck’s ride height you have chosen with the mock-up will give you the coil-over ride height. If there isn’t yet a place to mount the top of the coil-over, please consider the crossmember

 

The coil-over mounting angle is discussed here. The coil-over ride height can be determined when you mock up the crossmember and mounting points.

Regarding the coil-over stroke, generally longer is better as it will offer more suspension travel. Other factors or interference points also come into play. Viking, RideTech and other North American companies make quality coil-overs.

I hope this helps with your decisions.
Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series…
Thank you so much!

Yuchol

Dear Welder Series…four bar bars – do they need jam nuts?

Dear Welder Series…
I have a couple questions about your 4 link kit. With the adjuster just on one end, wouldn’t it be best to just forget the jam nut? With a rubber boot to keep the dirt out, wouldn’t this let the bar “twist” and prevent binding? I’d have thought that the nut would work loose anyway as the adjuster attempted to loosen or tighten when you go over a bump with one wheel.

Also, I assume your adjusters and bars are a mild steel. How do I stop them from rusting after welding? Do you recommend plating? I would paint the bars etc but I’m unsure about the threaded portions.

Thanks
Miles

Dear Miles…
Hi, Miles. For street use, the bushings have enough elasticity to absorb the twist and not loosen the jam nuts. Even lubricated, it’s likely that the threads in the mild steel bars and adjuster studs would wear and either fail or have to be replaced periodically.

Thread the adjusters into the bars without the jam nuts to keep the threads clean, or just mask off the portion of the thread that will go into the bar.

Thanks for your interest in Welder Series parts.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… four link frame brackets on the outside?

Dear Welder Series… 
We are a local community college automotive collision repair program, we are building a 1968 C10, and would like to install a rear four link suspension. But we are looking to install it on the outside of the frame rails, to make room a fuel tank. Could you help?

Octavio

Dear Octavio…
Octavio, I just now left a message on your voicemail but want to confirm by email.

The rear 4-link can be installed outside the frame rails if you have 4″ clearance between the frame and the tire. One thing to be aware of is that the frame will likely have to be notched for coil-over clearance if the coil-overs are to be mounted at an angle.

We offer a 10% discount to schools using our parts in their projects.

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… ’56 Chevy air ride four link?

Dear Welder Series…
Hi Paul, i have a 56 chevy wagon and know for a fact that because the location of the fuel tank the only way i can place a 4 link in the car is putting the bags in front of the axle. Can i modify this kit to do it and work properly?

Thanks, Gon.

Dear Gon…
The bags will work ahead or behind the axle, but it might be tricky modifying the standard air bag 4-link kit to do this.

Our Rear Four Link Package Kit could be used and the axle bracket could mount the shocks instead of coil-overs. We could produce an air bag bracket that would come off the front of the axle tube, tangent to the top of the tube. This still leaves an issue with Panhard clearance, but you could consider a diagonal locater from the front lower bar bracket to the opposite axle bracket.

I hope these thoughts prime your imagination. Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… X Frame Four Link?

Dear Welder Series…
Hello,

I know your product is universal but am wondering if you know of, or have experience with using this on an “X-Frame” car. I have a 1957 Cadillac which is an “X-frame” that I’m considering using your kit on. I thought I might as well ask to see if you have any info. Thanks!

Dear Alex…
Thanks for asking, Alex. I don’t have any experience with the x-frame Cadillacs, but from the pictures on the internet, it looks like a big job. The rear 4-link installation sheets, for the parallel and triangulated kits, are on our webstore below the description of the kits.

http://welderseries.com/Rear-Four-Link-Kit-Parallel-p51428446
http://welderseries.com/Triangulated-Four-Link-Kit-p49926314

Using them, you might be able to see where the frame mounts could be put and what interference points there will be.

Sorry I can’t give a more specific answer, but thanks for considering Welder Series parts for your project.
Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… four link for towing?

Dear Welder Series…
Can these be used on a crew cab dually that will be doing some towing up to 10,000 lbs? Also is the hole cut big enough to fit over a 14 bolt which I believe is larger than most street axle tubes??

Dear Corey…
Corey, we make parts for street rods/hot rods and I feel our kits are overbuilt. But I don’t know where their limit is. I might try this if it was my own project, but I won’t suggest you do our R&D. The axle brackets are built for a 3″ diameter tube. They can be opened up for the larger Ford tubes.

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Paul

Dear Welder Series… triangulated four link for an NG?

Dear Welder Series…
Hi there, My name is Rob and I live in Holland (Europe) I saw your Triangulated Four Link Kit and I am very interested. You see I have an NG chassis which had the dimensions of an MGB, and I was wondering if I could use this kit (maybe with some extra accessories) to fit my car, so I can get rid of the leaf, feather springs. Could you advise me please?

Best Regards,

Rob

Dear Rob…
Rob, the triangulated kit should work well. Because I feel that your frame is narrow, you might want to mount the upper bars on the axle just inside the frame rails and angle them forward and towards the centerline of the frame. This will give more support angle than mounting them close to the rear axle center section and angling forward and out to the inside of the frame. Check the installation drawings on our web store to see if there are “ambushes” waiting for you.

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts for your project.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… Custom Bars?

Dear Welder Series…
Hi D.W.
I was wondering if the 21 1/4 inch bars would work on my chassis, I need them to be 21 1/2 inches long from C/C were they mount. (See) photo above, they would be 1 inch dia DOM

image

Or would I have to get custom made bars, talk too you soon

Dennis

Dear Dennis…
[update: the response to this tech question predated the (mostly) standardized 1-3/4″ wide bushings, so I removed the info to avoid confusion. We can build bars to your specs.]

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… 1989 Chevy Pro Street Pickup Four Link?

Dear Welder Series…
I am building a 89 Chevy c1500 street/drag I am wanting to go with a narrower rear end and do a 4-link set up. I was wondering what 4 link set  up would you recommend for me?

Dear Jon…
Our pro/street rear 4-link can be set up so the bars are parallel for street driving or they can be adjusted to get the instant center that you want for racing. The kit comes with urethane bushed bars. Serious racers use these on the street but change them to rod ends for the track.

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts for your project.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… 1951 Chev truck rear suspension?

Dear Welder Series…
I have a 1951 Chevrolet truck 1/2 ton putting a 2002 Chevy S10 4×4 Blazer 8.5 ring gear rear w/disc brakes in. I want to use the 4 link system, which one of yours will work easiest and best?

Thank you!

Dear Don…
Don, the decision regarding a parallel or a triangulated rear 4-link is somewhat philosophical. Here is my explanation:

Both kits do a good job of locating the rear end, holding it in place, and letting the suspension work.

The triangulated kit costs less than the parallel kit because a Panhard bar is not required.

 

The parallel kit does require a Panhard kit (about $100.00). The parallel kit is easier to adjust for squaring the rear axle to the frame center line, and centering the frame left-to-right.

The Panhard bar does move the frame left-to-right as the frame goes up and down, but if a straight Panhard bar is installed level, this amount is insignificant (about 1/8″ with a 19″ bar) for normal suspension travel.

I hope this helps you decide. Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.