3 link short arm for 4.5 lift?

[shawn]

  on a 4.5"lift with short arms the uca length is about the same as stock lenght.  ive been looking at the 3 link long arms for a while now but lately I'm thinking to just get some lca's and new bushings for the uppers. then late at night i had this idea. ( I'm from b.c. - we invented colorado). anyway,  why not just get some nice adjustable lowers and leave the pass-side upper out of the equation. obviously it's not needed and leaving it out may even increase the flex a little an be one less set of bushings to wear out.   anyone see any reason why i should be committed ?

[Tommy]

I feel like the 3 link long arms are a short cut. They work, but locating the top of the axle/holding caster with a single point won't be as strong as two points. I wouldn't personally want to sacrifice strength and stability for possible flex, but I drive mine daily.

[mnkyboy]

The stock mounts were not meant to be ran that way and won't like the added stress from the missing upper link.

 

I have seen lower arms get torn off the unit frame.

[Rockfrog]

If you want to three link you need to start with a new axle side mount, a new frame side mount and plan to use at least a lower size bushing minimum. Then reinforce the mounting points and make a new upper link that is at least as beefy as a lower.

I went 3-link long arm, since new mounts were needed anyway. Passenger side mounts using a RE lower as an upper, tubes sleeved and welded to housing. Works beautifully.

A stock upper link would have died from the added stress long ago (if it didn't rip off outright). It was my daily driver until the water pump decided to leak. Commuting to work once per week between 500-1000km round trip depending on job site. So 13-26000kms/year for the last three years.

[mnkyboy]

I went with 2" .250 wall DOM uppers and lowers on my 3 link with flex joints on both ends.

 

My upper arm is on the passenger side and comes through the passenger floor board to Achieve about 8" of frame side link seperation.

 

The lowers are about 34" the upper is a little shorter but within 85% of the lowers.

 

All my mounts are custom made.

 

 

Thats just my set up,i have a few other 3 and 4 linked rigs around of various configurations.

There is alot more involved in a 3link then simply removing an arm.

[Incommando]

After building and using my rig it seems that your "3 link" idea would not do much if you still used the stock mounts and locations. I do not believr that your max droop and contraction would increase much as the arms will still max out at the same point.

[Blue XJ]

I've ran a Rock Krawler 3 link for over a decade. I haven't had a single issue, still using the original joints that it came with. There shouldn't be any more stress is the system, it only takes 3 points to define a plane, any more than that and it is over constrained and will bind somewhere. Just use the axle mount on the diff since it is the stronger of the two.

[Blue XJ]

Double post - delete

[mnkyboy]

 

This Rock Krawler 3 link mount is going to be alot stronger then the OPs stock arm mounts,i wish i still had the pic of a stock lower that had been torn off the unit frame.