4 linking my yota buggy

Tj breaker · Sep 3, 2014

I'm wanting to link the back of my yota. Cutting and welding is not a problem but I've never built a 4 link and would like to built it myself instead of buying one. Any pics of trusses and cross members would be great and a few pointers would be awesome! This is my project

Tj breaker · Sep 3, 2014

I live in paulding county if anyone is close to me that has this setup that I could look at would be awesome

CheapJ7 · Sep 3, 2014

I'll give you the ol 4 link for dummies

Uppers and lowers as flat as possible at ride height, upper 70-75 percent length of lowers.
8in of separation at axle and 6in at frame is a good starting point. Build adjustment up or down, prob up, into frame side uppers.
If it hops when letting it eat in a hill, likely antisquat is too high, raise your frame side uppers.
Triangulation is your friend. Def, triangulate uppers to frame, lowers can go straight forward, but triangulated to a xmember is better.

This should get you close enough to ride, then someone that knows what they are talking about cAn help you :drinkers:

nhl_bullitt · Sep 3, 2014

Also, to get the ball rolling faster, you could go to a site like ruffstuffspecialties.com. Order a truss, heims, maybe some tabs/brackets depending on much you want to do yourself.
My rear is triangulated on top, not really on bottom. You just need around 45 degrees of triangulation total between the uppers and lowers. I have 7/8's heims at all ends of the uppers. 1.25 heims on the lowers at one end of the link while having a fixed bushing at the other.

TacomaJD · Sep 3, 2014

Re: Re: 4 linking my yota buggy

It ain't perfect but here's a few pics of mine for something to look at.

Rear end is trussed with round tube and works fine. Higher truss to get upper links higher and "flatter"

Classic ramp champ shot

What kind of shocks you plan to run after linking?

Tj breaker · Sep 3, 2014

I was thinking fox 2.0 air shocks?

TacomaJD · Sep 3, 2014

Better read up on how to tune them. I would source some 14" or 16" used coilovers if I could. That last ramp champ shot of my rig had 18" 2.0's on the rear, I later swapped to 2.5's and they were much better. I also didn't try to tune the 2.0's. Lot more to tuning an air shock than most realize.

This sounds like a classic case of trying to do it cheap as possible so you want to go with 2.0's...you finally link the rear and leave the front on leafs (how my rig was when I bought it), install the 2.0's take it out in the yard and it leans like **** every time you turn. You're pissed off, and start the tuning process, may or may not can tune them to work worth a ****. You may get tired of fooling with it, eventually buy some coilovers and/or link the front end too, then you are finally happy with it, but you spent 3 or 4x the amount you initially prepared to spend.

My stages were

1.) leafs front and 18" 2.0's with 4 link rear = shitty terrible leaning, could almost roll it on flat ground it was so terrible
2.) swapped the 18" 2.0's for some used 16" 2.5's = much less leaning, but still more than I wanted.
3.) broke one of the leaf springs, got pissed off, sent it to fab shop and ordered some brand new 14" Fox 2.0 coilovers from EOR for the front, left the rear on 2.5 air shocks = thoroughly happy with it now.

Wish I had've spent that money a long time ago, but you live and learn, and I learn through experience moreso than listening to others, unfortunately. lol

51Jeepwillys · Sep 3, 2014

CheapJ7 said:
I'll give you the ol 4 link for dummies

Uppers and lowers as flat as possible at ride height, upper 70-75 percent length of lowers.
8in of separation at axle and 6in at frame is a good starting point. Build adjustment up or down, prob up, into frame side uppers.
If it hops when letting it eat in a hill, likely antisquat is too high, raise your frame side uppers.
Triangulation is your friend. Def, triangulate uppers to frame, lowers can go straight forward, but triangulated to a xmember is better.

This should get you close enough to ride, then someone that knows what they are talking about cAn help you

good info to start. when I linked my ftoy I used a tg 4 link frame mount and homemade the rest of it. never used a calculator or anything like that and it flexed just fine. I have since built a full tube buggy and use these same basic guide lines and never used a calculator and I think it flexes pretty damn good. here is a pic of the buggy. the tires are 39" iroks and there is close to 47" under the tire that's in the air.

TacomaJD · Sep 3, 2014

Air shocks can be made to work well, but you really have to know a lot about how they act when you are mocking up your mounting geometry for them and ride height. You do not want much shaft showing at all on an air shock, so you'll have to fab your shock mounts accordingly with your desired ride height in mind. Sweet spot is 4-6", I would shoot for 4ish. My rears are at 4.75" shaft showing now and do pretty good for my application. 2.0's may be fine for your rig, it looks to be fairly light.

This buggy works great on 2.0's, but pay attention to how they are set up. He is running very little shaft showing, maybe only a couple inches. Running less shaft showing means less nitrogen psi is in the shock, less nitrogen psi means less unloading and much more stability. But the valving and shock oil must be tuned accordingly also, so that you aren't bottoming the shock out over every little bump. I would read every article I could on air shocks via Google search engine and on Pirate4x4. Coilovers are much more simple to tune and no doubt will perform better, equalling less of a headache.

Jesse Haines New Ride "Pokey"

TacomaJD · Sep 3, 2014

Plenty folks here that knows a lot more than myself about this topic, the only difference is I sit on my ass at work and have time to type all this up....most others don't :****: molaugh

Tj breaker · Sep 3, 2014

I'll be getting with my local offroad store tomorrow checking on coilovers. I might get the tg frame mount and go from there. The rear is really lite! My main thing is mounting the links to the frame in the right spot

Tj breaker · Sep 3, 2014

That rti ramp pic is at chocco? I ride there a lot.

51Jeepwillys · Sep 3, 2014

I run 2.0's on my buggy. my oil is close to 100cc over the stock amount and run about 110 psi in the front and about 90 in the rear. only have about 3" of shaft showing. doesn't unload or anything and rides fairly nice. but I do want to eventually put 2.5's on it just for a better ride(atleast from what ive heard).

you cant go wrong with the TG mount.

TacomaJD · Sep 4, 2014

Tj breaker said:
I'll be getting with my local offroad store tomorrow checking on coilovers. I might get the tg frame mount and go from there. The rear is really lite! My main thing is mounting the links to the frame in the right spot

Get a price from them, then call CJ at Essentially Offroad in TN. They beat everybody's prices when I ordered coilovers. plus helped me select spring rates. I ended up having to swap my top 100# spring out for a 150# spring due to it being a bit heavier up front than we speculated. All I had to pay was shipping and they swapped springs with me. Buy new from them, and they'll work with you if you need to change springs around, and they use PAC Racing springs, which are good springs. You might be able to get away with 100 over 150 spring rates, maybe even 100/100, if it's really light in the rear. Tell CJ the one legged rock hopper sent you if you call EOR :dblthumb:

fordcontraption01 · Sep 4, 2014

My buddies little jeep we just Redon the lowers they used to be straight

bamatoy · Sep 4, 2014

avoid the TG frame mount if you are running 3~4" lift on the front. To get the ride height needed to match the front it can throw off your link angles.

outlaw yota · Sep 4, 2014

bama toy beat me too it. i have thr trail mart kit.dual triag. it works but sucks for the money.geometry is all jacked up.4wu has a toyota kit,or ruff stuff.study setups and what others have done.i would go for all over handling than big wheel travel numbers.

clemsonjeep · Sep 4, 2014

Yep...try not to get brainwashed by obtaining lots of flex or that air shocks dont work. Just spend some quality time researching link setups with air shocks that work. Looking at pictures and reading after thoughts is great. I bought my 2.0 Fox shocks from Down South Motorsports because they had the best price AND they included a free tune on them. In other words I told them what i was going to use them for and some details about my vehicle and they changed up the valving and oil level to better suit me. Could i tune them further...sure...but do they work great as is...yep.

If your rig is at or above the 4000lb mark id probably step up to 2.5 shocks though. Mine is sub 3000lbs.

Keeping links as close to parallel to the ground at ride height is very important...but not an absolute. Nothing is absolute...but everything has a give and take aspect. Just gotta figure out what gives you the most benefits that you want and stick with it.