Long Travel BS Thread

Is that a reason why (on an unrelated note) there are more bushing and uniball A-arm setups than heim?

 

Your right but I don't even think about those as useable offroad vehicles

 

Except I've seen lots of 4 links rip out frame side mounts, never a 3 link. And I've never seen a heim break from side loads.

 

No, long story but it's out of what sells best. For the best strength uppers should be heim and lowers should be uniball

 

Read back a few, a stated that I've never seem a heim go from side load... I've seen a few 3 links pull from the frame. There is no less load against the frame side.

 

I want to know how a 3 link wishbone could put less load on the frame side mount? Not talking shit just never heard that ever.

 

Wouldn't it be since both frame sides are connected that the stress gets spread better??

 

4 link uppers still see the same load. If the left link is pulling away from the frame the right link is pushing in to the frame just like a wishbone setup. To me it seems like the wish bone setup would be more stable vs. The 4 link.

 

Bushing uppers:

- are easier to install and align (and cheaper if you're paying someone else)
- are quieter and more comfortable

Heimed uppers:

- require solid mounting of lowers
- are more expensive
- won't deflect and will hold an alignment

 

Congrats on the 1000th post haha. And pardon the noob question but what do you mean by solid mount the lowers? I agree with you on the quieter part for the bushings though

 

You don't have to solid mount the lowers....it's when you use a bolt instead of the factory adjustable cam....aka non adjustable/movable lower control arms.

 

I would love some hiemed 2+ uppers so I can bump my caster from 1.9 to 4 on both sides.

Anybody with an allpro lt kit have this problem? Can't get the caster past 2, allpro says 4 is recommended.

 

Wow, can't believe I actually have that many posts. Thanks.

Lower A-arms like those on Tacomas adjust by way of eccentric cams and slotted mounting holes at the frame. This allows the lower arms to move in/out, forward/back for camber/caster/toe adjustments.

When you heim the uppers, you weld in plates or washers at the lower arm frame pivots. This gives you fixed lower arm pivots and your heimed uppers take over your alignment adjustments. Eccentric cams move/slip and lose their position, heimed uppers and fixed lowers do not unless something else bends or breaks.

 

True. You don't HAVE to solid mount them, but it's generally done because that's what they're designed for.

 

Doing an alignment with the upper cam arms only is a pain in the ass and I don't think there is an alignment shop out there that would perform this. I'm talking about having to pull the upper thru bolt, removing the arm, adjusting the heims and reinstall--unless there is another way?
While on the upper heim arm subject and caster adjustment, is there a "rule of thumb" adjustment for the heims in relation to caster? A post above said he wanted 4* of caster and is in the 1.5 range. I'm in the 1.9-2.2 range and want to increase caster to help the damn thing go straight on the road.

edit: at my last alignment my caster was 3.4* both sides, camber -0.9 left, -0.8 right and toe at -0.38. It drove straight after that but still has a wander to it. I've had no less that 40 alignments done since I've had the truck.

 

Im at 1.9 on both sides and the truck tracks straight, just wanders the slightest at 50mph or above.

 

Indeed, It took me a bit to figure out what each is from either user group, lol

 

I love having solid mounted lowers...alignment always the same

 

I need to crawl under my truck and check what joint it has, if it helps any it is a 2011 double cab 4wd. I did some quick searching online and from my understanding this would be 5.5-6 degrees down? Most information I see is for cars, so it doesn't convince me since our suspension moves much more and don't want to be having problems with the driveshaft slipping out or crushing the transmission down the road. I know Tim told me that I will need to get the shaft shortened but I didn't see any information for pinion angle.

 

No, that would 5.5-6 degrees UP from the horizontal.