Setting up links for variable height suspension

mrblaine said:
No, not where the frame bends up for the rear wheel arch, they are pushed forward into the lateral bend right before the belly skid. You could easily lay out the mount, find the center of the mount, cut the frame there, add a 4" section, and move the frame back that way. Keep the rear of the mount marked if you wish and that will put one end of the frame splice inside the C channel of the mount for extra reinforcement.






A couple of inches won't hurt. The TJ arms are shorter than I would like by about 2" and you could easily use the TJ Unlimited arms which are 2" longer. That would automatically get you some of what you are after.


I cut in front when they are already installed. I cut other places when starting from scratch with a new install that includes a stretch.





Not saying it can't happen, but I want to see 102 in a TJ with a tank under the back. I've done it, I won't do it again and I doubt that folks will go to the lengths I did to get that.
This is what the top looks like after we customized the crap out of a tank.
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That was pushing and tweaking everything possible to get the front and back as far apart as possible.
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You as always do some awesome work.

I'd looked at the idea of trying to do a recessed fuel cell like that and I don't have your skills.
Thanks for setting my straight on my misunderstandings. This really gives me room for thought and ideas.

What about on the front? I think I remember you saying it could be made a little longer without any issue? Can those brackets also be moved a little?
 
mrblaine said:
I'm out.
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Well as I don't know as much of the underside of my TJ in the rear I'll have to spend some time looking and measuring.
As you said already put the axle where I think I want it and then do some measuring and see if I can even fit a tank. I know from your experiance it won't but I am also not trying to push it back as much. And as always things can change once I start working on it. The weather is finally warming up enough I can work outside.
I still may end up with a fuel cell.
 
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Theoretically in my mind you could always use an extreme stretch tank to allow for not using a fuel cell - but I know the compromise is there on capacity and practical application. I’d like to see how an alien tank would fit into a rear stretch
 
BuildBreakRepeat said:
Theoretically in my mind you could always use an extreme stretch tank to allow for not using a fuel cell - but I know the compromise is there on capacity and practical application. I’d like to see how an alien tank would fit into a rear stretch
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Yes and I am running a V-8 so I don't want to go with a small tank as then I'd have to carry fuel cans also.
Here is the tank I have been looking at. As we all know the actual amount of stretch may not be as stated & I have a Dana 60 rear axle so that takes up even more room.

https://genright.com/products/tj-lj-crawler-comp20-gas-tank-skid-plate-20-gal.html
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My WB right now is 95" and when I bought the extended range tank back in 2006 Tony wasn't 100% sure it would fit with my Dana 60.
 
Howdy again everyone,
Well here I thought I had this all figured out and BOOM get thrown a curve ball....... I was really lookin forward to trying out the Savvy mid arm suspension but with some new information I'm not as sure now. The AiRock requires that I have a bushing at one end that doesn't allow the links to rotate more than about 6* or it will interfere with the readings for the height sensors that tell the computer where the arms are positioned.

So on that note and not wanting to screwup the Savvy kit unless I'm told otherwise I guess it's back to the drawing boards and I'll have to use other brackets and just make my own suspension. Bummer too as I thinking I had this figures out.
 
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Wildman said:
Howdy again everyone,
Well here I thought I had this all figured out and BOOM get thrown a curve ball....... I was really lookin forward to trying out the Savvy mid arm suspension but with some new information I'm not as sure now. The AiRock requires that I have a bushing at one end that doesn't allow the links to rotate more than about 6* or it will interfere with the readings for the height sensors that tell the computer where the arms are positioned.

So on that note and not wanting to screwup the Savvy kit unless I'm told otherwise I guess it's back to the drawing boards and I'll have to use other brackets and just make my own suspension. Bummer too as I thinking I had this figures out.
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How does the AiRock determine height? I think this could be overcome with a little engineering.
 
Wildman, why don't you just buy the bracket kit and make your own arms, with one side a bushing? Can probably re purpose your current links to do that.
 
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They mount to the control arm with a sensor that then tells the computer where the arm is.

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These are the sensors. One idea being thrown around was to connect them to the swaybar arms front & rear and use those instead of the control arms.
 
pcoplin said:
Wildman, why don't you just buy the bracket kit and make your own arms, with one side a bushing? Can probably re purpose your current links to do that.
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Hadn't thought about that. What would that do to the way the suspension is designed? Don't want to take all the hard work that has been put into the Savvy mid arm and FUBAR it up by using a poly bushing at one end.
 
Wildman said:
Hadn't thought about that. What would that do to the way the suspension is designed? Don't want to take all the hard work that has been put into the Savvy mid arm and FUBAR it up by using a poly bushing at one end.
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Not poly, get the ones that Rokmen uses that takes a clevite bushing. Should be plug and play.
 
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Wildman said:
View attachment 149879View attachment 149880

They mount to the control arm with a sensor that then tells the computer where the arm is.

View attachment 149883View attachment 149884

These are the sensors. One idea being thrown around was to connect them to the swaybar arms front & rear and use those instead of the control arms.
Click to expand...
I think connecting it to the front and rear sway bar would be a much easier option and allow you to not compromise by using a less flexible joint. Since the sway bar remains in one plane it shouldn’t be an issue.
 
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mrblaine said:
Not poly, get the ones that Rokmen uses that takes a clevite bushing. Should be plug and play.
Click to expand...

I looked on their website and couldn't find a place to get just the joints? Could you point me in the right direction? Or is this something I have to call them for?
So just replace the 4 lower control arm joints? Just want to make sure I am understanding.
 
Wildman said:
I looked on their website and couldn't find a place to get just the joints? Could you point me in the right direction? Or is this something I have to call them for?
So just replace the 4 lower control arm joints? Just want to make sure I am understanding.
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I don't know. All I know is they have made them in the past. Yes, just replace 4 LCA joints.
 
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mrblaine said:
I don't know. All I know is they have made them in the past. Yes, just replace 4 LCA joints.
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Okay and thanks to everyone for the ideas. Will talk more to ORO and see if we can figure out how to take the reading off the swaybar and then if not I'll go with the different joint route.
 
Okay I keep getting more info so maybe @mrblaine or others can answer this question. Here is what ORO wrote me:
need one end to be like a rubber bushing to get the arm to rotate to center... rather than stop in different rotations after articulation. As long as the arms return to center
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The joint on one end needs to be a joint that has a return to center/neutral position. So since I know hardly nothing about all the different joints which ones do this?
 
Wildman said:
Okay I keep getting more info so maybe @mrblaine or others can answer this question. Here is what ORO wrote me:


The joint on one end needs to be a joint that has a return to center/neutral position. So since I know hardly nothing about all the different joints which ones do this?
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Joints that use elastic material like rubber will perform how you are thinking. A Johnny joint on the axle side and a rubber bushing on the frame side would provide good results. Hell, you could even experiment with a MC duroflex on one end and a JJ on the other for the self centering ;)
 
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