finshing up my 3 link help...

[supertrooper90]

I got all my links back from the powder coater and I'm gonna start final assembly on my mid arm 3 link. I was looking for some advice on how tight to make all of my bolts. I'm using 9/16 5/8 and 3/4 diameter bolts all grade 8 (of coarse). I was thinking of torquing them all down to 100 ft lbs. Is this enough? I'll be using lock washers on everything should I be using thread locker as well? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. thanks

 

[RCP Fab]

http://bit.ly/v5gvF0

 

[supertrooper90]

yeah, Ive found what the torque specs are, 3/4 is something like 360 ft lbs. Are you suggesting I torque my 3/4 " bolts to 360 ft lbs? And arent you the guy doing leaf springs with d60's on 33's?

 

[RCP Fab]

Yes, you should torque the bolts to the appropriate spec if you expect them to stay tight and be as strong as they can be.

Also, yes I am the guy doing leaf springs and one tons on 33's (actually 32's for now) until spring when it will be on 38's or 40's. Just don't see the point in wasting money on tires when I don't wheel in the winter.

 

[Goatman]

What are you using 3/4" bolts on?

The strength of a bolted connection is the surface tension of the joint, not the shear strength of the bolt. Using the proper torque specs gives the most surface tension and so the most strength, and doesn't side load the bolt. If you used 100 ft lbs on a 5/8 bolt you'd be depending on the bolts shear strength.

 

[supertrooper90]

my upper link heims. I used 7/8 heims and I thought it seemed cheaper/easier to do it that way. thanks fopr clearing this up for me.

 

[RCP Fab]

7/8 x 3/4 heims? If so, I would run these http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/34-916SS.html

9/16" hardware in a double shear mount is stronger than the rest of the link (plus much easier to torque)

Lock washers are pretty useless in my opinion, I would use heavy grade 8 flat washers and all metal lock nuts if you are worried about it. I don't use lock tight on anything I plan on needing to remove or adjust (suspension, shock, or steering bolts).

If you have already drilled your mounts to 3/4", you can run the heavy hardware, or use these http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/FIXIT.html which would bring it down to 5/8", and make the link mount stronger.

 

[redrider2911]

You have to run high misalignment spacers if you don't want your flex limited by the amount of misalignment from just the heim. The heims will rotate on the shank threads and eventually loosen up.

 

[DeftwillP]

This is . You should be concerned with the shear factor.

 

[Goatman]

my upper link heims. I used 7/8 heims and I thought it seemed cheaper/easier to do it that way. thanks fopr clearing this up for me.

Yeah, a 7/8 x 3/4 rod end would need high misalignment spacers on a control arm, which would bring the bolt size down to 5/8 or 9/16. You can't just run a rod end with no misalignment spacers, it won't have enough movement in the joint and will loosen the jam nuts.

 

[supertrooper90]

I'm running high misalignment spacers on my ruffstuff heims, and my lowers are ballistic joints... I think I'm all set. Thank you RCP and goatman for helping educate me on what the proper thing to do was. This is my first 3 link build and if I ever do a second I at least some knowledge of what bolt sizes to look for. I decided to run the heavy hardware as I am already set up. A friend of mine is a mechanic for an excavator, so he said he has a big torque wrench I can use. If theres a next stage I will be using smaller fasteners for sure.

 

[RCP Fab]

No prob. So while this thread is going, how about some pics of the 3 link? The last jeep I had was a 3 link front (back in 2004), took all sorts of shit for doing a 3 link back then, radius arms were the "in" thing.