OK. So I have a question and decided to bring it to the PBB. *crosses fingers* Please help with advice or suggestions on the way to go about it in your opinion. I just haven't seen/read much on personal dealings with them to make up my mind.

I'm just wanting to spend my money right the first time around.

Well here it is. I have a 87 Sami that I have wheeled for about three years now and now looking for a little more out of it. The Samurai at the moment is locked F/R, 5.14s , 6" full spoa kit, 31-33"s. (More stuff done but making it short.) I will be running built, locked Sami axles with 34" LTBs also a change to 6.5 tcase gears. It will be wheeled on rocky, off camber, steep uphill and downhill climbs, east coast trails.

I recently got a set of four YJ springs from a friend. Now this is where the question comes in at Do I or do I not run the missing links on the front & rear. Also The YJs will be used SOA.

Will I be happy with the flex of the YJs alone in SPOA?

I guess what I'm asking is for personal opinions about the missing link setups. I have heard great things and have heard horror stories that come with them.

What do you think? Run them f/r? Maybe just on the rear w/ out the fronts?

Is there anyone that has ran them and took them off because of problems?
Does anyone wish they did use them or bought a set and put them on after putting the YJs on?

Well I hope this is understandable to you all? Please help guide me in the right direction! Thanks.

Just curious if you plan on driving this on the street much? This subject has been widely covered on here. My recommendation is to look around on the build thread a bit. I've been wanting to do the YJ swap on mine for a bit & i decided on doing the shackle reversal up front since i've heard mixed reviews about the missing links.

The only time it will see street is just to drive it out inbetween trail rides so it wont just be sitting. I have looked through and read MANY builds on here but not many personal opinions on running them. Its either they did or didn't run the M/L setup.

Thats what I'm really looking for. Peoples opinions on them.

I chose reversal. YJ's alone flex amazing and unless you plan on running center limit straps, I'd stay away from missing links.

I chose reversal. YJ's alone flex amazing and unless you plan on running center limit straps, I'd stay away from missing links.

That's the thing though. You say stay away from the MLs unless using straps but why? Limiting straps wouldn't be that hard to install. Is this all? Just limiting straps to the centers?

Nice rig btw!

watching this thread.......

That's the thing though. You say stay away from the MLs unless using straps but why? Limiting straps wouldn't be that hard to install. Is this all? Just limiting straps to the centers?

Nice rig btw!
If you're planning on steep incline/decline, put in the straps. The last phase of my Ex-Sami was linking it front and rear on air shocks. I too used center straps that would only allow 3" of droop from ride height.

As stated earlier........... there is a plethora of info on this & many other sites.



I have YJ "5-packs" front and rear along with the missing link set-up.

Flexes like mad and I couldn't be happier !! .... well........ the ride is a little stiff. Other than that I love this rig.

all I need to do is raise the upper shock mounts and I am golden.


Link to my build:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=727330

Thanks for the replies! I also am on a few other sites and have read soooo much about this topic, just not many personal opinions on the missing links. Sometimes we do things and just because it was done don't mean that we like it or wouldn't chang it. That's where your opinion comes in at!

Thats all I was looking for basically was just opinions on the links or not.

Pretty good info so far on the topic and thanks for the link!

I just don't want to do something and then wish I had done it another way. That's what I'm going through now.... redoing everything...

I am no pro, this is my first build, just want it right. Thanks for info and opinions!

I have never used missing links, but I did have a Sami on YJs. The YJs alone work really good. If you have stock springs now, you'll love them. The bad thing I've heard about missing links is that they allow basically uncontrolled droop which can cause pucker on steep or side stuff. Same goes for a buggy spring set-up. If you do lots of iffy stuff, I would stay away from them just so I didn't have to find out the hard way.
Travis..

there is one thing I have read about.

the rear missing links will tend to unload on you when you are decending and have to hit the brakes. This will cause the rear to want to go end over end. It is something you have to get used to and adjust your driving on trails accordingly.

I have also read where you can pin the shackle that rests under the frame. Then you would only be using the 1 shackle that the leaf spring is attacted to.


David

there is one thing I have read about.

the rear missing links will tend to unload on you when you are decending and have to hit the brakes. This will cause the rear to want to go end over end. It is something you have to get used to and adjust your driving on trails accordingly.

I have also read where you can pin the shackle that rests under the frame. Then you would only be using the 1 shackle that the leaf spring is attacted to.

David
ive actually seen what urntalkin about a buddy of mine got that setup and when he was goin up a v notch his rear springs looked crazy like they were ready to pop

I too was concerned when I put on the YJ springs and was talked into missing links in the front and none in the back.

I found the front suspension worked well and the rear wanted to bounce the rig from side to side from time to time.

I then called Brent at Trail Tough and discussed what was happening and he suggested I also put the missing links in the rear. Well I put them on the rear, the rig now stays level in the same situations when I was being tossed side to side, and the rear wheels stay on the ground much better.

I drive my rig back and forth to the local mountains, about 75 miles each way, but for the most part I trailer the rig and only use it off road. I have had the rig set up like it is now for about 6 years and no complaints. I run the hammers regularly, Parker, Moab, Rubicon and other extreme trails all the time, in fact I am on my 3rd set of spring with this setup.

You won't be sorry if you put missing links front and rear.

My 2 cents

I chose reversal. YJ's alone flex amazing and unless you plan on running center limit straps, I'd stay away from missing links.

what stroke shocks are you using on your SR yj setup? I just got an asian autoparts kit and skyman shock kit. I am thinking of 12" stroke Bilstein 7100's

what stroke shocks are you using on your SR yj setup? I just got an asian autoparts kit and skyman shock kit. I am thinking of 12" stroke Bilstein 7100's
14" Doestech with 4" of exposed shaft on the same kit you're gonna run.
PM me if you have any questions about that kit. It worked great for me till I went to 37's.

I too was concerned when I put on the YJ springs and was talked into missing links in the front and none in the back.

I found the front suspension worked well and the rear wanted to bounce the rig from side to side from time to time.

I then called Brent at Trail Tough and discussed what was happening and he suggested I also put the missing links in the rear. Well I put them on the rear, the rig now stays level in the same situations when I was being tossed side to side, and the rear wheels stay on the ground much better.

I drive my rig back and forth to the local mountains, about 75 miles each way, but for the most part I trailer the rig and only use it off road. I have had the rig set up like it is now for about 6 years and no complaints. I run the hammers regularly, Parker, Moab, Rubicon and other extreme trails all the time, in fact I am on my 3rd set of spring with this setup.

You won't be sorry if you put missing links front and rear.

My 2 cents


Did you use the limiting straps to your axles? I will be using stock YJs that were taken off after a new set was put on the Jeep for lift. I think I'm going o use the ML setup and just see....


Good info going on! Thanks guys, I'm sure I'm not the only one being helped in here. :D

the bigger question was did he mount the spings to the stock location without relocating them when he wasn't using missing links? The springs are longer and if you try to mount them in the stock position you hoop the springs and get a big tall tightly sprung ride and loose the cushiness of the YJ. If you aren't running missing links you need to relocate the spring mounts.

The limiting strap keeps you from dropping both sides out at the same time to the point where the shackles both unload. You could also use a panhard... a good investment for off camber driving since it leverages extra down pressure on your drooped wheel

the bigger question was did he mount the spings to the stock location without relocating them when he wasn't using missing links? The springs are longer and if you try to mount them in the stock position you hoop the springs and get a big tall tightly sprung ride and loose the cushiness of the YJ. If you aren't running missing links you need to relocate the spring mounts.

The limiting strap keeps you from dropping both sides out at the same time to the point where the shackles both unload. You could also use a panhard... a good investment for off camber driving since it leverages extra down pressure on your drooped wheel

If this was to me... My YJs are not mounted yet. I'm just trying to get some opinions on the MLs. Weather to use or not to use and why or why not.

I know that if no ML are used that I will have to relocate the front hangers. I'm just trying to make up my mind which way to go. :shaking:
Still no idea....

LOL! There is no way that I would try to fit stock YJs into the front or rear spring mounts of a Samurai. (Would they even fit anyway with the stock front or rear hangers?) I couldn't imagine the poop ride that would create. :homer:

I was addressing your question to rubizuk... he was saying that his back end was hoping all over the place.... so he switched to missing links.... ?
Switched from what? Once you've extended the frame and relocated the hangars you can't go back to missing links unless you cut the frame and put the hangars back.

I think he was running yj's in the stock hangars from the sound of it... so yeah don't do that.

I was addressing your question to rubizuk... he was saying that his back end was hoping all over the place.... so he switched to missing links.... ?
Switched from what? Once you've extended the frame and relocated the hangars you can't go back to missing links unless you cut the frame and put the hangars back.

I think he was running yj's in the stock hangars from the sound of it... so yeah don't do that.


Ahhh, Gotcha!

No, I would never try that. It just sounds bad.

Never used limit straps, I have however hooked up my winch cable to the front axle and extremely steep uphills.



Did you use the limiting straps to your axles? I will be using stock YJs that were taken off after a new set was put on the Jeep for lift. I think I'm going o use the ML setup and just see....


Good info going on! Thanks guys, I'm sure I'm not the only one being helped in here. :D

I had missing links on my rig for about a day. They looked like way to much of a spring destroyer. Ended up cutting up the missing links, extending my frame and running a standard single shackle....First shake down run for my rig I ended up with this....
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f261/rellim87/Samurai/BentSpring.jpg

I guess If i were to do it all over again I'd ditch shackles up front all together.:homer:

Sort of relevant to missing link opinions:D

another are missing link's safe thread????
BTW I've had mine for almost 7 years, drove cross country on them and wheeled the crap out of them. daily drove on them for 4 years through Boston traffic .. can we put this debate to rest... they are fine never had them "unload" I do have a panhard bar so that may be why
In fact my moms stock tj with its links and coils feels sketchy then my zuk did when it was DD'd on 33's
if it was still street legal I would have brought my son home from the hospital in it

I'm with you Supa


This is my second rig with missing links and I have had no problems with them at all.

Well.......... they just flex like mad and stuff the tires in the fenders, but other than that ....... I love 'em


David

another are missing link's safe thread????
BTW I've had mine for almost 7 years, drove cross country on them and wheeled the crap out of them. daily drove on them for 4 years through Boston traffic .. can we put this debate to rest... they are fine never had them "unload" I do have a panhard bar so that may be why
In fact my moms stock tj with its links and coils feels sketchy then my zuk did when it was DD'd on 33's
if it was still street legal I would have brought my son home from the hospital in it

Not really worried how "safe" they are. I doubt vendors would sell them like they do if they had that bad a wrap. Just curious as to personal dealings with them.

Either you like them or not! That's it! :flipoff2:

I think I will be ordering my stuff this weekend or early next week w/ the ML setup! We'll see!!!

Thanks again!

Sorry it took so long to get back with you.

I was running the extended shackle that Trail Tough sells if you don't want the rear missing link. I have the rear shackles still if you are interested, there like new.

Instead of moving the spring hanger on the frame, I moved the mounts on the axles.

Larry

I was addressing your question to rubizuk... he was saying that his back end was hoping all over the place.... so he switched to missing links.... ?
Switched from what? Once you've extended the frame and relocated the hangars you can't go back to missing links unless you cut the frame and put the hangars back.

I think he was running yj's in the stock hangars from the sound of it... so yeah don't do that.

I run front missing links on front and rear yj's. I have over 6 trail runs on them with no problems. I run extended shackles on the rear. SPOA with 36" Swampers. You can ask around for years and get different answers. It all depends on what your expectations are. Don't do it if you care about your ride and stability on the highway, but if you just want to wheel, do it. They are relatively cheap upgrades and make a HUGE difference in flex.

I have had mine on front and rear with 3" lifted YJ's sitting on 37" IROCS and daily drive it and have wheeled it hard several times and no breakage, they are getting a little loose on the road, I am very happy with the overall set up!

i only have them in the front but i have never had the mysterious "uncontrolled drop" on a steep grade. iv had the front in the air almost rolling backwards and the front acts no different than if it was a very long shackle. as far as handling goes, i dont drive it much and i dont think it handles too bad and if it does, frame half can be bloted down and just run the shackle part that connects to the spring. i am thinking about stretching my wheelbase about 6" back and i will probably do a rear ML setup and move the spring hanger back. btw i am running skys yj setup

Run the m/l you will love them. I daily drive mine and love em. HTH.

Just wanted to say thanks for the replies and pm's on this matter! Have gotten some pretty good opinions on this!

I have ordered my parts and bought my tires. We'll see how it goes within the next few weeks after the parts show up!!!

Belated post, I didn't think that there would be much tech here. Anyway, I daily drove my ML's on 33's w/stock YJ's for about a year, loved them as much as wheeling with them. I do get a lot of shit tho for having them from those who do not run them (fucking haters!). Then, I stretched to 101"wb to 35's, it became a trailer queen then, but still on stock YJ's, they never dissapointed. Currently, im at 108"wb with YJ fronts w/XJ rears (6" longer than YJ's) and still have the ML's front and rear with no plans to toss them until I link up. One thing I will say that on steep inclines (like PUCKER waterfalls, I mean PUCKER!) they could use a strap on the center of the axle. I have not yet seen a need for one on the rear yet but a strap can never be a bad idea.

Kevin

I currently have missing links on stock sammy springs (soon to be yj's) and my brothers both have yj's with missing links... None of us have seen any reason not to use them really

I have the TT YJ (four 5-leaf) SPOA with M/L front and rear and TT OTT w/power steering. My primary experience (and use) with it is trails and DD. There are tow things I have seen mentioned here, that I encourage you not to ignore.

1 A anti-wrap bar on the rear axle. I run the Spidertrax, and have no change on flex. It did eliminate axle wrap, and got rid of a lot of vibration.

2 Last week, I fabricated a Panhard Bar for the front axle. I cannot praise it enough. I see no change in flex, but I think it is primarily because I was very attentive to all of the dimensions. The Panhard Bar improved the road manors so much, it was like another vehicle. My Zuki turns much quicker, steering overall is tighter, shorter turning radius, greatly reduced vibration (I don't understand how), all but eliminates sway on the road, and stopped what I think is typically described as bump-steer. I have ran it up to 70 on the road, and still have more testing to do. I do not run a steering damper. I am convinced a Panhard Bar is a must on my Zuki.

Wayne

Glad you discovered the panhard... it's been around forever but a lot of people don't use them.
The majority of people that run their zuk on-road think it rides "just fine!" however,a lot of people that think their rig rides "just fine" have a zuk that would frighten the piss out of someone who doesn't own a samurai. We become accustomed to driving what we've got and we accomodate for the deficiencys... don't corner fast, don't go on the freeway durring a high wind advisory, make sure all your passengers are laying on the floor when you go over 50mph... etc. what those people fail to realize is that their rig can ride a whole lot better and they wouldn't have some of those handicaps if they were to add a simple panhard bar to their rig. You wouldn't need to strap it to prevent drop out since the center of the axel is kept located in the center of the vehicle and only allows one side to drop or lift at a time. It keeps the axel from shifting under the body when turning tight and it gives you downward pressure on your drooped side when the other side is compressed (instead of just the weight of the wheel holding it down) so that you can get better traction when off camber.

If any of the above conditions apply to you, and others are too terrified to ride with you on-road in your rig, consider the panhard bar as a possible solution. :smokin:

Well put Baratacus.


Wayne