[Taragon]

Okay guys, I am wanting to do a SAS on a 96 Explorer.

I am going with coils and radius arm set up. My axle/ wheels will be a 79 D60 front and 37's.

Here's where I need help.

I bought all these brackets from Ballistic Fab (kick ass quality I might add!!!)and they will work just fine for my plans...

And I am going to build my R/A myself.

I want to do them with tube, so heres my questions..

-What size and type joints do you recommend for the R/A's?
-What size and type joints do you recommend for the trac bar?
-What size and type tube?

I have all the skills and resources to build the R/A's, just not the knowledge of the materials I will be needing.

 

[operose]

hey did you get the parts yet????

someone else had those upper link brackets fail because of the :rainbow: logo cutout

then I think they said they changed the part?

 

[BOGGER1966]

-What size and type joints do you recommend for the R/A's?
-What size and type joints do you recommend for the trac bar?
-What size and type tube?

personally id go with:
-1.25" JJ's
-7/8"+ heims
-it would depend on your design.....

 

[Booger Weldz]

havent you posted this or similar things a couple of times and still havent actually built anything?

 

[Taragon]

personally id go with:
-1.25" JJ's
-7/8"+ heims
-it would depend on your design.....

-JJ's at both ends of the R/A's?
-For the Trac-bar, I'm gonna look at the size of those, but they seem pretty beefy and just what I may want.

-Is 1.5" DOM tubing too small?

 

[Taragon]

hey did you get the parts yet????

someone else had those upper link brackets fail because of the :rainbow: logo cutout

then I think they said they changed the part?

Im sure if I welded them together correctly, and installed them correctly, and they failed b/c of a design flaw, Dr. Vic would warranty and replace them at no charge to me.

Only my time to re-weld them together, and them to the axle is all I would be out, and Im sure I'd get a Ballistic Fab tee-shirt free of charge to make up for that!!

 

[Taragon]

havent you posted this or similar things a couple of times and still havent actually built anything?

Ive collected ideas, and info yes, but most of the responses I have gotten are just people flaming.
:flipoff2:

 

[Booger Weldz]

-Is 1.5" DOM tubing too small?

yes, go with 2'' .250''wall(or more) for lower links or stupiddumb radius arms:flipoff2:

 

[Booger Weldz]

Im sure if I welded them together correctly, and installed them correctly, and they failed b/c of a design flaw, Dr. Vic would warranty and replace them at no charge to me.

yes, i think it was a different bracket that broke though, i forget the thread...but if the right bracket lets go on a linked suspension, you take out driveshafts, shock shafts....it gets ugly, and $$$

 

[wanderer-RRORC]

www.explorer4x4 dot com and search the sas thread...

enjoy doing research!!!

 

[ErikB]

-JJ's at both ends of the R/A's?
-For the Trac-bar, I'm gonna look at the size of those, but they seem pretty beefy and just what I may want.

-Is 1.5" DOM tubing too small?

If you are using two radius arms, then you have to use rubber or poly (something that will give) at the axle ends of the RA's. If only one RA and one link, then use whatever.

Yes, 1.5" is too small for lowers, ok for uppers.

Im sure if I welded them together correctly, and installed them correctly, and they failed b/c of a design flaw, Dr. Vic would warranty and replace them at no charge to me.

Only my time to re-weld them together, and them to the axle is all I would be out, and Im sure I'd get a Ballistic Fab tee-shirt free of charge to make up for that!!

AND anything else that the the axle takes out when it rotates from the failed bracket. Shocks, driveline, oil pan?, etc.

 

[DrVic723]

I have never heard reports of any of those brackets listed having problems. Any and all brackets that have failed are redesigned and updated.

 

[Taragon]

Okay, so 2" .250 wall (minimum) tubing for the radius arms.

The same for the trac-bar?

Also,

If you are using two radius arms, then you have to use rubber or poly (something that will give) at the axle ends of the RA's. If only one RA and one link, then use whatever.

Are you saying the jonny joints at BOTH ends is okay?

What about on the ends of the trac bar?

I was thinking of making my radius arms in a pattern something like ----< Basically like the old for style, but out of tube and joints so they will bolt to the ballistic brackets. In this case, will I need to use a poly bushing on the top part of the radius arm?

enjoy doing research!!!

I've dont TONS of research on HOW to do the swap, and this is the research on what to use as far as materials to do the swap

 

[BOGGER1966]

Okay, so 2" .250 wall (minimum) tubing for the radius arms.?

like i said, it depends on your design......if your going to build a radius arm similar to this design:

you could get away with smaller materials then with just tying in your upper into your lower and just basically have one tube.....

The same for the trac-bar??

like i said 1.75x.25 would be fine....IMO

Are you saying the jonny joints at BOTH ends is okay?

id run bushings on the axle and JJ's on the frame ends.....

 

[operose]

I have never heard reports of any of those brackets listed having problems. Any and all brackets that have failed are redesigned and updated.

apologies if I was thinking of the old design or some other bracket.. I can't find the thread right now but my memory tells me that is the logo that was in the middle of a bracket that failed, possibly due to operator error, what the hell do I know?

Not trying to stir up shit just wanted to make sure the OP stayed safe

 

[sn0border88]

I would use regular poly bushings on the axle end, no benefit from running joints there if you run them on the frame end. Should be all the misalignment you need, maybe use the 2.65 JJ's or 3.0 ballistic with no stud on the frame end and summit machine bushings on axle, they have worked great for me.

Ive seen heims and bushings work well on trac bars, bushings would hold up better and you dont really need misalignment from a trac bar, just pivot.

Do a search on the explorer forum for 95exploderboy, he has a full width radius arm swap in a 95 and it works really well, ive wheeled with him a few times.

 

[comeonstart]

personally id go with:
-1.25" JJ's
-7/8"+ heims
-it would depend on your design.....

Great advice there. :shaking:

A radius arm suspension will not work unless there is some give in the joints. Its most typical that bushings are used everywhere but the frame ends on the radius arms.
________
How to roll blunts

 

[BOGGER1966]

Great advice there. :shaking:

A radius arm suspension will not work unless there is some give in the joints. Its most typical that bushings are used everywhere but the frame ends on the radius arms.

id run bushings on the axle and JJ's on the frame ends.....

yeah......aaaaaannnnd?

 

[Taragon]

This is the kind of radius arms I am going for

Design....

Should I go flat metal where it attaches to the axle like these , or tube where the flat metal is?


Installed look:

Yeah, yeah, I could just make them to the specs given in the description, but this exact design is for a D35 TTB on an explorer, and I am planning on using a D60.

 

[Taragon]

Guess my help has dried up.....