Snowy's 3-Linked 98 Xtra Cab

This guy gets it. Dimple all things.

 

I was just about to tag you in a reply with some witty response about the overuse of dimple dies

 

Just ordered some more the other night in bigger sizes. The tin work/wanna be tin work will be full of them and bead rolls

 

Lmao, I was going to reply with barnes makes that exact gusset with a simple die. Shiiieeeetttttt even my leaf spring, flux cored POS has a dimple die on a bracket that looks just like that. Gotta up that street cred game!!

 

Mmm look what showed up today...3 more for the collection

 

Still plugging away, the highs being in the single digits for the last week has slowed me down but I’m bound and determined to not fall in project hell making excuses. Been a long week of grinding and prepping for the fun parts of actually locating links.

Before locating the frame mounts, I plated the frame with 1/8” to make sure I had good solid metal to weld to and to help shore up the paper thin inner frame. Got the frame side and lower axle side tacked in. I was able to get the axle side about an inch above the axle center line so that will help with roll axis and the frame side has just enough triangulation to clear the frame on full bump. Lowers will be right at 37.5” long

 

What do you have supporting your drivetrain there? or is it just hanging by the motor mounts?

 

Have you tried moving the axle end lower mounts out yet? I moved mine out till the tires just touched them at max turning to get the most “triangulation” I can

 

The first part of the driveshaft supports it on the carrier bearing some. I didn’t feel like fighting a jackstand while I was doing all the grinding at odd angles under the truck.

That’s where I’m at with a little guesstimation to make sure I’ll clear 40’s at full lock compared to the 37’s. I’m only a 61” WMS so things get snug really quick outside the frame lol

 

Makes sense. They looked really far in till I looked back at your pictures and realized your pretty narrow compared to mine

 

I hit my first big wall tonight. Everything wants to occupy the same space... The tie rod limits where I can mount the axle side panhard bracket, which then makes the diff crash into the panhard, and leaves no room to land an upper link on top of the diff.









After pondering and researching, I think I’ll go y-link steering and run the tie rod under the hi steer arms. I can drill the arms out to 7/8” and drop inserts in from Ruffstuff to use with their GM rod end kit. I stole inspiration from @Jimmynolife.

 

Project creep strikes again.

I need a longer driver side steering arm to get the tie rod out of the frame side panhard mount. I’ve contemplated running a passenger side arm on the driver side and running the tie rod under the arms. I think the right way to go will be flat keyed Front Range arms. Their sets have a longer driver side arm and they can put holes wherever I need plus machine my knuckles.

 

What about putting a bend I. The tie rod (steering from knuckle to knuckle) to kick it out some and give you more room. Could also try moving the upper link to the passenger side and making a mount that houses the panhard and upper link. It would have to be crazy strong but strong but an idea.

or could always move the steering box farther foward to give that much extra room to move the panhard forward

 

My biggest fight is the tie rod on the driver side steering arm limiting where the panhard can land on the frame and then it crashing into the diff limiting uptravel. No amount of moving the box forward will help me on it. My frame side mounts are already made so I'm feeling pretty committed to the driver side upper lol.

I've done some poking around and it looks like most of the guys running Toyota outers and high steer, have some crazy bends in the panhard to make it fit. I "could" try to come up with something but I only have 1.75" dies and my tie rod is bent anyway so....

 

1 word... hear me out though..... hydro!

 

Another thing you can try is building the upper link to hang over the third. If you look at jlee’s build with the spidertrax 9s, he has his upper almost completely over the third. I kind of did that with mine to clear the panhard.

Getting longer steering arms like you said would help the steering clear. I was surprised how long/far forward the steering is on 60 stuff.

 

That's what I told him. Hydro the truck, and buy a miata for on road fun. He already has a 500ft long trailer for the truck, stop with just the tip and go all the way in on trail rig.

 

It still doesn’t fix my problem with the short steering arm limiting where the panhard goes lol

 

Yes it does. Rotate the steering arms to the back of the axle and mount hydro behind the axle... use your brain man!

 

FROR flat, blank, keyed arms with 25mm pins and bearings are ordered. I’ll have them machine my knuckles so I’m not tempted to do it with an angle grinder.

I have no idea why I even try to budget truck projects