MG #81 - Four Link Front End on my K5 Blazer! Part I
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Got the front link brackets tacked in place on the Blazer frame. Pinion, (caster) wheelbase (rough), ride height (approximate) link length (adjustable) and travel all sort of dialed in.
Part of the beauty of the four link system is the adjustability, but getting everything located rough center will give me the most adjustability and tuning options when I burn in all the tacks.
Super stoked on this project, @K30Blazer is gonna be a destroyer of worlds!
Many thanks to Bilstein, Eaton, Off Road Design, DIY4X and Yukon Gear and Axle for their support!
Check them out:
Bilstein Suspension - bit.ly/BilsteinMG
Bilstein Coilovers - bit.ly/Bilstein...
Bilstein Bump Stop - bit.ly/Bilstein...
Eaton Lockers - bit.ly/eaton-lo...
Yukon Hardcore Locking Hub 35 - bit.ly/YukonHar...
Yukon Gear and Axle - bit.ly/YukonGear
Off Road Design - bit.ly/OffRoadD...
DIY4X - bit.ly/diy-4x
My Amazon Store: bit.ly/MERRICKS...
Come find me on instagram: bit.ly/K30-Blazer
Amsoil for your engine: bit.ly/AMSOILME...
Facebook: bit.ly/Merricks...
It's pretty awesome to see this K5 being continually modified, making it stronger and stronger.
+Ruben Robles labor of love Ruben.
Can't wait to see the finished four link. You keep giving me ideas. Next month my 17 year old son and I are flying to Spokane to get his 1984 Custom Deluxe 4X4. I'm so proud that he wants to follow me in my foot steps.
The front pinion angle is different than the transfer case output and you’re running U-joints, therefore you will have torsional sinusoidal vibration in 4wd. Also @8:58 i noticed your pinion is contacting your oil pan at full stuff. Both would be remedied by clocking your pinion to be level. I realize that would mess up your caster but i’m unsure why the axles knuckles are clocked like that.
Nice work and video coverage, going to be awesome.
Wow James you did a lot to that truck good job!!!
Thanks man. Been a lot of hard work
Being able to adjust caster is HUGE, i run 6 but honestly even more helps on the highway
yea, not so much of a consideration for the trails, but makes a big difference on the road.
@@MerricksGarage
Its important both ways, running quite a bit more negative caster makes it much easier to turn those big tires, less stress on parts,
but Damn on the highway any little rut almost sends you off the road, just my opinion but being able to have that adjustability is awesome!
You got the A-Bomb front and you're going coilovers... Can't say that you didn't try to be happy with leaf springs.
("It's finished" only ever means for the time being.)
Honestly, I am looking at mine and I'm still doing extensive body work to make her show worthy; however, all I can think about is the fact that I'm a TJ Wrangler guy through and through... That said, I haven't even drove it with the insane LS1 sitting there because of the body work and still, I know it's going to ride like a scary monster on 39.5's with the windows bottom standing at 5' 3".
I love coils and they're the only suspension I've ever done. I know enough about dealing with leaf springs from my past that I don't even want to deal with them... Shoddy bushings, pressing out rubber for polyurethane upgrades, body roll, some axle wrap (full springs, no blocks on mine as it sits, but all leaf springs wrap some,) and then comes new polyurethane body mounts as well as a new steering box!
I put the Fabtech 8" Rock Crawler kit on my 2000 Jeep and saved every bit of the measurements as well as the instructions. I'm considering a cloning of the radius arm front links, the tucked up/3-piece cross member/skid plate, and the 3-link rear suspension where the upper link uses the lower control arm bolts to do the job of locking in the pinion angle.
If I had my LS1 back then, I would have eaten sports cars all day beyond the line. The body mounts, sway bar frame mount bushings, and steering box are what I needed to have it rival my 97 Z28... But on 40's! The safest tracking vehicle I've ever driven and my dad 🙏🏼✝️ had some reservations until he drove it too. He was as surprised as I was that it drove better than most new vehicles.
Anyhow... I know this was an old video, it's just relaxing to sit back watching another guy get it right and empty my thoughts out...
You really have some good stuff on your channel and I certainly appreciate the content!
Have a good one.
very nice. hope I can use some of this on my Durango build. very good info here. keep up the great work and have fun.
Very educational, I really enjoy your videos! I have a 79 k10 and you’re doing everything that I would love to do. College budget doesn’t really work out though right now so for the future!
slow and steady. Did my first suspension lift on this truck when I was in college. Right in my dorm parking lot. It didn't end well lol
Totally awesome. Great custom fab.
Cant wait to see it finished, doing the same thing on my 91 blazer, my brackets are behind the body mount, just had to clearance them a little
+H20Toie are you using the ORD kit?
yes except i am having Jim at Higher ground in newhall installing it. he just finished locating the rear brackets.has all the brackets and truss on the axle. links are cut to length. so kind of on track with were your videos are.
I would be curious to see pictures of where he placed everything.
Great video with a lot of information.
+Nicholas Moglia Sweet. Thanks man!
Looking great! Cant wait to see it complete. I had my 79 k5 stolen earlier this week, still hoping it turns up somewhere.
+David Garrison damn that sucks man. Sorry to hear this. FWIW my truck was stolen back in 98 and recovered.
Merricks Garage crazy thing is that it wasnt even running. I was in the middle of rebuilding the motor so whoever it was went through the trouble of towing it away. Thanks man hope i get as lucky!
that is insane. People are crazy
awesome video!
Love these videos!! Keep up the great work!!
+ALL 4 FUN thanks bud
Hey Merrick, just a side note, my company (turbine engine generator and compressors) uses a general rule of 1.5x bolt diameter for minimum thread engagement. Probably overkill but thought it would help potentially to have a bit of a bigger safety factor! (Looks like you had 1.5x btw)
That’s good to know. Thanks! It’s always in the details isn’t it!
@@MerricksGarage definitely! How do you like the four link over the old leafs now that you have driven on it a good amount? Worth the time/money?
My question is why is the caster set at negative as it should be set at positive. More positive caster equals more high speed stability. Unless this truck never sees any road use
I really want to do this to my 1970 jimmy.
Good video
Great Videos! Very informative.. keep up the great work! Just subscribed.
Thanks homey!
The rule of engagement with the shank is 1x diameter of shank..."IF IT'S CHROMOLY"... If it's not chromoly the rule is 1.5x diameter if the shank for engagement.
Love your channel, love your blazer, love Metallica! \M/!!!
Heck yea brother!
I'm planning a similar deal on my 84, my only issue is cost of coil over shocks lol
You should hammer in some hard stencil into your joints so when you're doing maintenance and it is all dirty you can still see "L" and "R" or just some shallow cut's it the Left thread nuts only to indicate Left thread, like on a cutting torch.
I'm curious how this suspension turns out, I have just acquired a K5 Military blazer and want to get it ready to work on the Pipeline and it gets very muddy there so I'm debating what suspension I want. The Leaf Springs seem to have many limitation where I think the 4 Link would be much better.
that is a good idea. I did sharpie them while I am building but it is already rubbing off. I need to pick up some letter punches
Awesome, awesome, awesome! So when you get the front in, are you going for a ride? LOL
NO PANHARD BAR????? IT'LL CHANGE THINGS,,,BIG TIME.
Hey merrick been a fan for a while now love the vids just bought my 1986 k5 blazer as my first project would love any help or tips for anything I would have to do.
I am curious with ride quality of 4 link suspension. With 4 link setup comfortness or ride quality is much better than lead spring?
It is next level. Handles and drives awesome
I'm taking notes for my Suburban build....
+Lance Roark hopefully “fingers crossed” I may have a Burban to build here in the next few months.
Merricks Garage NICE!
Merricks Garage I want to use AxleTech's ISAS 2000 (or 3000), but that one thing they call money says no.
oh hell yea. I have a dream where I put axletechs under a suburban. Need a lot more space than my driveway for that lol!
Merricks Garage I don't mean to be rude, but you know I'm talking about the Independent Suspension System that accepts Axletech's portal axles, right?
I have sporadically checked in to your channel from time to time, I’m a speed viewer , I skip to the part that interests me. My original build is a loose copy of your original research and build. I’m curious to know your thoughts now that you have a few years on the linked front end. I’m on the fence about to either go for it or build something else and leave it alone. Thanks.
I love it. For what the rig is built around now the links are awesome. They are a significant upgrade in $ work and results though!
Looking good! So jealous! How long is the slip in your front driveshaft? Are you planning to clock your t-case up out of harms way too?
+Sean Gill my slip is about 24”. I have an Agricultural shaft with the axle yoke being splined and the main shaft being the slip. As long as it isn’t too long there is no way it could ever separate and the least amount of spline to tube interface is probably a good 20”. I have always wanted to clock the case but just haven’t gotten around to it.
When you say all your links are measuring 38.5" is that center eyelet to center eyelet? or just the cut length of the dom tubing? I looking forward to going to a link set-up also. The Offroad design look great. Thanks for showing me your progress. Keep up the great work.
+Christopher Anderson measuring center eye to center eye. The DOM tubing was different lengths but going longer gave me the chance to get them the same length.
why same link length? i was always told you want your upper link 1 3rd shorter then the lower
+Randy Anderson baseline to start with. They shouldn’t be that far off as they are very similarly spaced. It depends on where your brackets mount thoughh
i thought it had something to do with how the suspension cycles for your pinion angle to stay correct as it cycles. also while keeping all your other stuff correct like track bar and steering links also i believe you'll get binding as the suspension Cycles
yea, it is not ideal right now, but will get tuned in. I was stoked to have them this close and considering out how far back I put the brackets I knew they would be close. The shorter your links, the more the suspension cycling changes the suspension
What size are the bolts through the Johnny joints? Im building a similar suspension and trying to figure out if 9/16" is enough or if I should go 5/8" or even 3/4" Thanks!
Where did you get your 4 link brackets?love how they mount on the outside of the frame up high
The kit is from Offroad Design. I got the high clearance kit
How long is your parallel bar of 4 ? 30 inch?
What episodes do you do the rear 4 link coil over. I’m building an 84 k5. Thanks
I have a playlist on it I believe
How did you decide the length of your links.
I can't figure out your accent. Where is that from?
England
@@MerricksGarage you are the most american British guy.
Hey I’m wondering are k10 chassis the same as a k5 chassis?
Trevor Estell No the K5 is short by about 6in
+Trevor Estell I believe they are ahorter
What u going do with the break lines
+Barry Hebert relocate them
Love your channel, check out my silver anniversary let me know what you think bro