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What can be said about this type of setup? What is it called?

Doesn't look like you'll get huge lift with it, but it should be fairly quick, and reliable as well.

Would you be able to use this setup to locate the rear end if using a 2 link?

Gunman, any comments?

it's a cantilever, and you should get decent lift with it because the arms are setup at a ratio, so they multiply the amount of movement.

Yeah, I realized it was a cantilever setup, just didn't know if there was another term for it. Thanks. Anybody else?

That set up has been around a while. It is in fact a canti set up. You get a little more lift as mentioned, but it cannot be used to "locate a rear end on a 2 link" You must still have a track bar, panhard rod or a watts link.
Ricky

Ok. Thanks for the feedback Ricky.

Here are some questions I posted at Silver Star Customs website, but I haven't had any replies yet. Maybe you can help me out with these as well.

1. - If I install a 2 link with pinion angle set at half travel, what kind of lift can I expect, and will I eat up my U joints driving fully lifted, or fully lowered?

2. - The big cross bar (SSC's two link kit) that needs to be welded in place - what does this do to keep the axle centered? Doesn't this just transfer the lateral stresses to the bushings up front?

3. - I realize a 2 link is a cheap way of getting huge lift, (and this will likely be my first setup) but do you have any concerns about articulation? I'm not planning on throwing huge sides with it, because I'd be concerned about twisting it up...but what are your comments?

ah the cantilever- i love it. Various renditions of it are often used in race car rear suspension. i think it just looks sweet

The problem with 2 links is that they dont allow ANY articulation because the links are solidly secured to the axle.

Any articulation anyone has ever gotten out of a 2 link is because of stress, ie: stressing the links themselves, or transfering all the stress into the bushings, or stress in the mounting locations. There is just no way to articulate a 2 link without creating loads of stress somewhere, despite the people that will say "well I have/had a two link and never had any problems."

If you don't have the money right now for a 4 link, you need to wait and save it up. Don't rush into it just because it's what you can afford "right now". Honestly, two extra lenths of steel tube and a few more bushings are not that much more expensive.

It's a bellcrank and pushrod setup.

The amount of lift you'll get depends on the ratio of the bellcrank, but just like the mechanical advantage setups that locate the bag on the link bars, as you increase the amount of lift, the pressure required in the bag increases.

The nice thing about these setups, is you can reduce some unsprung weight, and it makes packaging and maintance easier, since the bag (or coilover) is located remotely. Plus you can alter your motion ratio, by changing bellcranks.

Whats being done here, is actually the opposite of whats done in a racecar, in regards to the motion ratio. In a racecar, you want to take the small amount of suspension travel, and convert it into more shock travel. In this situation, ie a minitruck, you're converting a little bag movement, into more suspension movement.

Back to the original questions...

Its a bellcrank-pushrod setup (you can also do bellcrank-pullrod, but its less common).

Amount of lift depends on the bellcrank ratio.

and last, no you can't locate the rearend with this. This is purely a system to gain a mechanical advantage, a panhard bar, or watts-link will still be needed.

Originally posted by 0425

3. - I realize a 2 link is a cheap way of getting huge lift, (and this will likely be my first setup) but do you have any concerns about articulation? I'm not planning on throwing huge sides with it, because I'd be concerned about twisting it up...but what are your comments?

all i can say is dont even try side to side w/ a 2 link. bad things happen. learned from experience.

Ditto on that we are gonna have fix the hangers on the Dually b/c he was pulling sides ond 3 wheeling it. now one is bent down.
Ricky

a friend of mine has that setup on his 85 ranger....he gets ok lift....it can be a really fast setup, his is fairly quick, but not too quick...he needs bigger valves

Originally posted by BlauSplash
Ditto on that we are gonna have fix the hangers on the Dually b/c he was pulling sides ond 3 wheeling it. now one is bent down.
Ricky

haha bent? i snapped a 2x2 bar in half!! welds held up bar broke right infront of the spring plate! think it fubared the rearend to, i can turn the back wheels like a half turn before the driveshaft moves.

That first setup would be horrible in corners. It doesnt look like he has anything preventing side to side play...not even squishing air from side to side like a F.B. setup...just one bag. I dont understand why everyone doesnt just shell out the money for 4 bags and 8 valves. Oh well...I'm going to look into a bellcrank setup. Just something different and it puts the bags out of harm's way. Swapping bellcranks for massive lift or hop-fast lift doesnt seem like itd be too hard.

~Russell

run some johnny joints in ur 2link and you can hit s2s but by the time you buy 2 of them you could have bought a 4 link