I'm thinking about low profile gussets around the knuckle balls. I've never experienced the ball ripping off of the housing. Does it break at the weld (blue line) or does it rip the housing where the ball piece ends inside the housing (red line)?

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/440/knuckleballbreakage.png (http://img833.imageshack.us/i/knuckleballbreakage.png/)

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I've never completely broken one but I've bent plenty. Always bends just outboard of the spring perch. I have used the TG gussets then add a little to them to extend over to the spring perch and box in the open part on top except where the shock goes. Don't recall ever bending one with this setup. Hope that helps.

I've never completely broken one but I've bent plenty. Always bends just outboard of the spring perch. I have used the TG gussets then add a little to them to extend over to the spring perch and box in the open part on top except where the shock goes. Don't recall ever bending one with this setup. Hope that helps.

Jon is correct. They rarely break. Think 50mph into a guardrail, that breaks them. They fail in the smallest diameter groove, to the right of your blue line. Otherwise just bend. On a stock housing, my opinion, no point in gusseting unless you are making sure they stay straight, to use in a better housing later. Reason being, the housing "tubing" will bend anyway.

Only exception to this would be trussing the whole housing, ball to ball. Which requires a jig, a way of preloading the housing, a ton of patience, and you building an extensive truss. The current aftermarket "truss" only contribute to failing the housings, not helping.

So Brian I'm sure you've seen more jacked up housings than most folks. In an aftermarket housing that uses stock balls does the neck down of the ball become the weak link? Or with stronger tubes AND gussets is the weakness pretty much eliminated?

Yes, stronger tube, and gussets, knuckle issues are an extremely rare occurance. The only issues Ive seen have been people beating hard enough to break pins, thus damaging the ball from the outer knuckle flopping around. ie jumping heavy trucks at the beach, and not stopping then the tire starts flopping around. Ive have seen one instance of broken bearing races, and that distorted the ball a little. Again, jumping 4500+plus, way higher than it sshoud be, landing on the nose hard (come up short on a double!)

Those are the 2 issues Ive seen, only seen each instance once. Both people knew they did something bad in flight, and both learning to just back out a little, or build something else if they want to fly.

Fat rig flying?

Are you talking about Ben Swain, Brian? :D

Only exception to this would be trussing the whole housing, ball to ball. Which requires a jig, a way of preloading the housing, a ton of patience, and you building an extensive truss. The current aftermarket "truss" only contribute to failing the housings, not helping.

Ok my housing is a 78 fj40 with the 9.5 ring gear. I think it is thicker than the pickup housings (mine are 0.250'' wall thick. Measured when I've cut the tube to center the pumpkin on my rear housing). So would you gusset it with a housing that thick?

When I first built the truck I haven't trussed and shaved the housings. I was in the regret of it since my friends with same tire size and pickup axles could pass in some places that I couldn't without getting stuck. So, i'm rebuilding with those upgrades I should have done the first time.

What jig/preload would you do to build that ball to ball gusset? It's hard for me to understand how it will bend if I stitch weld 1 inch at a time. I also have to make a track bar bracket and air shox brackets.

What kind of gusset would you think is better?

This kind is low profile and usefull only if it really bend at the ball neck.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9517/3397305721.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/i/3397305721.jpg/)

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Low profile but defenatly weaker. Would need a top gusset and filling the hole since my play ground have some mud.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/3686/08034wd26z1981toyotapic.jpg (http://img832.imageshack.us/i/08034wd26z1981toyotapic.jpg/)

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Could make that on top
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/4726/imagescanglq7c.jpg (http://img846.imageshack.us/i/imagescanglq7c.jpg/)

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For a full housing gusset, I don't like the original pickup style ones since they compromise clearance and the housing can bend right after de truss nearly under the spring pads.

Same thing with that kind of top truss
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/6691/toyotaaxlearmor1.jpg (http://img810.imageshack.us/i/toyotaaxlearmor1.jpg/)

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I also don't like that kind of trussing (pre runner style) since it reduce the approach angle of the housing. I think it's more high HP engine oriented.
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7338/76806067.jpg (http://img577.imageshack.us/i/76806067.jpg/)

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So, I'm thinking of doing some thing like that. Low profile gusset under the balls, small plates welded in front and rear of housin where it can rip + full housing truss. What do you think of it? Not really shure of the full housing gusset because it makes a wall on vegetable stuff
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4825/mongusset.png (http://img17.imageshack.us/i/mongusset.png/)

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Ok my housing is a 78 fj40 with the 9.5 ring gear. I think it is thicker than the pickup housings (mine are 0.250'' wall thick. Measured when I've cut the tube to center the pumpkin on my rear housing). So would you gusset it with a housing that thick?

When I first built the truck I haven't trussed and shaved the housings. I was in the regret of it since my friends with same tire size and pickup axles could pass in some places that I couldn't without getting stuck. So, i'm rebuilding with those upgrades I should have done the first time.

What jig/preload would you do to build that ball to ball gusset? It's hard for me to understand how it will bend if I stitch weld 1 inch at a time. I also have to make a track bar bracket and air shox brackets.

What kind of gusset would you think is better?

This kind is low profile and usefull only if it really bend at the ball neck.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9517/3397305721.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/i/3397305721.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Low profile but defenatly weaker. Would need a top gusset and filling the hole since my play ground have some mud.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/3686/08034wd26z1981toyotapic.jpg (http://img832.imageshack.us/i/08034wd26z1981toyotapic.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Could make that on top
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/4726/imagescanglq7c.jpg (http://img846.imageshack.us/i/imagescanglq7c.jpg/)

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Top:
strengthens the ball, severely limits steering.

Middle, strengthens the ball a little, not much

Bottom, no room for a V shaped gusset without limiting steering.

For a full housing gusset, I don't like the original pickup style ones since they compromise clearance and the housing can bend right after de truss nearly under the spring pads.

Same thing with that kind of top truss
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/6691/toyotaaxlearmor1.jpg (http://img810.imageshack.us/i/toyotaaxlearmor1.jpg/)

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I also don't like that kind of trussing (pre runner style) since it reduce the approach angle of the housing. I think it's more high HP engine oriented.
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7338/76806067.jpg (http://img577.imageshack.us/i/76806067.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

So, I'm thinking of doing some thing like that. Low profile gusset under the balls, small plates welded in front and rear of housin where it can rip + full housing truss. What do you think of it? Not really shure of the full housing gusset because it makes a wall on vegetable stuff
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4825/mongusset.png (http://img17.imageshack.us/i/mongusset.png/)

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Top:
horrible

middle, yes, good.

bottom, need more material over the ring gear area. This is a real truss. You will need a jig, multiple checks, and very likely preloading the housing. Welding short areas just means it warps less, and warps in small sections. Much better than a full straight weld, but will still warp. To see an example of this, look at a stock rear 80 series, FF housing. Just inboard the the backing plates there is a weld, going about 1/3 around the housing. There is no bracket there, no cut in the tubing either. They're using the pull from the weld to get the housing back to straight.