Book on 4 link drag race suspension design

You enter heights above the ground and distance ahead of the front axle for up to 6 holes for all 4 brackets for your car, or any number of cars. Over the years, drag racers with door cars have gone through all sorts of suspension arrangements. Jun 06, 2009 the simplest oe coil spring rear suspension is the four link. Found nothing useful in this book that a 10 year offroad veteran didnt already knew. The 4 link is a fixed factor with the chassis and has the ride height. Drag race 4link frame clips chris alstons chassisworks. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on the progress. To understand how a 4 link can be made to provide such handling, you must first understand a few basics about rear suspensions. Chassis engineering explains the complex principles of suspension geometry and chassis design in terms the novice can easily understand and apply to any project. If you begin with a fourlink, bickel notes that it is entirely possible to. According to chuck, each setup provides for a very different handling experience. Rearwheeldrive cars with rear coil springs and two upper and two lower control. When bolted in place, these jigs maintain the proper spacing between your 4 link brackets while you weld them together. Drag race 4link suspensions chris alstons chassisworks.

David hodgson this thesis outlines the process of designing a three link front, and four link rear suspension system. From infinitely adjustable 4 link brackets to heavy duty 4 link bars, antiroll bars, sway bars, wishbone and housing locator kits all the way to penske shocks, nitrogen fill kits, strange engineering components and more, you can find what it takes to put together a stateoftheart drag racing suspension. The popularity of the 4 link suspension is due primarily to its ability to let the race car turn freely in the middle of the corner without compromising forward bite. If you however are building a one off rig, oh lets say with rockwell axles, nitro shocks, a 4link setup with 6 foot tall tractor tires, and all you wanted was basic suspension design, setup, so on and so forth, this book is not for you. Be sure to check out the other videos on alignment, pinion angle, preload, antiroll bar and ride height if you havent already. Four link kits visit applied racing technology for a full range of qualtiy drag racing components. Suspension basics and drag racing dynamics march 12, 2015 by muscle car diy this chapter explains the basic physics occurring on the starting line when you launch your car, along with why it does or doesnt do what it should. And for drag racing, a two link would work well theres no cornering in drag racing or a four link with 18 to 24inchlong bars and an ic thats in the middle of the chassis and 6 to 10 inches. Race car ride height 101 with jerry bickel and chassis engineering. The factory five 4link rear suspension is a great value it is the standard solidaxle rear suspension in the mk4 roadster, type 65 coupe, and 33 hot rod. Also, all mustangs from 79 on use a triangulated 4 link. A 4 link suspension system is commonly used to replace leaf springs and shocks in vehicles to provide much greater stability while cornering, greater tire contact and traction for drag racers, and reduces body roll in lifted offroad trucks and suvs.

Metric fourlink suspension design circle track magazine. Drag racing four link design greglocock automotive 27 nov 02 17. The metric four link suspension design is a bit different than most other rear suspensions. Make sure to subscribe to our channel to be updated with. Unmatched in strength, reliability and quality, the adjustable 4link suspension system uses the finest nas hardware available and is compatible with several different sizes and designs of rod ends, including 78 and 3 4. Quartermax 4 link kits offer the highest quaility and best value of any kits on the market. Heavy duty rod ends are a must on any 4 link that will take right pedal abuse. Historically, three link suspensions have not been common with oems. Computer program to simulate and analyze rear suspension 4link setups for instant. Body and suspension upgrades to keep your strip burner on the track.

Computer program to simulate and analyze rear suspension 4 link setups for instant center, pinion angle and driveshaft angle change, antisquat %, and more for drag racing. Right the drag race eliminator ii 4 link rear suspension featured doublesheer, adjustable lower shock mounts designed to allow finetuning of the rear ride height. Rear suspension series covers rear end alignment, pinion angle, preload, antiroll bar, ride height, basic 4 link settings. Calculates all possible instant center locations plus percentage of rise and squat. Feb 27, 2006 the three link setup another suspension type common on the racetrack but not seen very much on street cars, is the three link. A newer style that is only just now becoming stock in just a few vehicles and that works well as performance type of suspension. In this article well cover what we consider to be the three most important elements. Of all of the systems, the most common youll see today is the equal length four link, probably followed by the ladder bar. My company developed the original 4link wizard program and some others, plus the original edition of the bickel chassis book in conjunction with jbrc and the rehermorrison engine books in conjunction with rmre.

Book cover of steve smith legends race car chassis setup performance. Track all chassis information including corner weights and center of gravity. It can be configured for drag racing one week, turn a few screws on the links and it goes road racing, change the angles and it goes dirt track. Choose from jegs, competition engineering and other high strength 4 link suspension kits or replacement parts. These systems are commonly found on vehicles used for the sport of rock. Aside from building hot rods, i also build professional drag racing chassis. Add a 4 link suspension kit to your car or truck to add performance and adjustability to your suspension. The best chassis shop for drag racing books and drag racing software to help with your race car setup and suspension tunning. Then you will be able to tell if each side is preloaded the same.

A triangulated 4 link installed with certain accomodations is one of the most versatile and adjustable systems available. Chassis master software leading drag racing chassis builder. The 4 link calculator lets you input, view, save, analyze and compare your 4 link rear suspension geometry. The flatter the top bar, the easier it is to use its pull on the chassis to plant the tire. Perfect for drag racers, mud race cars, tug a truck, or truck pulling. To simplify this 4 link discussion even further, chuck led us to separate it into two different categories. With a 2 link suspension the instant center is the front pivot point, where with a 4 link the instant center moves with suspension travel. Jerry bickels 4link wizard professional version jerry bickel race cars, in cooperation with etc, inc.

When you or your chassis builder installs the rearend in your car with a fourlink setup. The upright also locates these components in space. Sep 23, 2011 a 2 link can also be ladder barstoo stiff for street as it turn the rear axle housing into a large anti sway bar. There are dozens of variations of suspension types used on race and passenger vehicles. How to build and modify gm lsseries engines motorbooks workshop. Also featured are laser cut frame and housing brackets with 58 holes for greater strength. Feb 14, 2017 suspension geometry is important to a quality driving vehicle, and instant center is the foundation of any link type suspension.

Depending on the type of racing for race cars, the road surface and evolution of the vehicles, the suspension is designed to accommodate multiple requirements. Robs rod shop drag racing suspension episode 1 basic 4 link. Check out the video below for a quick overview of this system and why its a musthave for any serious racer. A full explanation as to why the instant center is important is a. Help the uninitiated with 4 link vs trianglated the h. Four link components from tube kits to suspension packages in. This kind of suspension always has some kind of panhard bar to keep the axle centered.

Product tech chris alston explains drag racing suspensions. Design of three and four link suspensions for off road use. This suspension system has all 3 links running parallel to each other. It makes sense, since this is the bar that also dictates the ic once the rest of the parameters are set. Bob schools the dead redneck on how to setup, adjust and. These cars include gm intermediates built in 19641977 abodies, 19781988 gbodies, 19941996 impala ss cars bbodies, and 19792004 ford mustangs foxbodies.

We go indepth with jerry bickel and curt perry from chassis. The housings were available in widths ranging from 22 inches all the way out to 62. How to build a winning drag race chassis and suspension. This configuration is common in general motors cars built in. The simplest oe coil spring rear suspension is the four link. Have them put the car on the scales weigh the car with the 4 link disconnected. Previously i had begun this on another board and it got too large.

When bolted in place, these jigs maintain the proper spacing between your 4link brackets while you weld them together. May 21, 2015 may 21, 2015 mike aguilar drag race 101 0 body and suspension upgrades to keep your strip burner on the track sportsman class competitors line up prior to their passes at the 2015 summit racing equipment nhra southern nationals may 16th, 2015. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download. Bob schools the dead redneck on how to setup, adjust and tune a parallel 4 link suspension rat rod bob builds. Choose the same chassis that professionals worldwide use. Dave morgan, who wrote the box door slammers, the chassis book. Drag race four link suspensions typically use one of two axle locating devices. Hundreds of photos and illustrations illustrate what it takes to design, build, and tune the ultimate chassis for maximum cornering power on and off the track. Department of mechanical engineering, union college advisor. Rear suspension design three link four link two link. This design uses two parallel lower control arms located near the outboard ends of the rear axle. Each laser link comes complete with grade 8 hardware. Drag race four link suspension use spherical rod ends for strength and extreme adjustability. This is the same design that we developed, tested and install on our 6second pro modified cars.

Davis, benjamin design of three and four link suspensions for off road motorsports. Drag racing books drag racing software jerry bickel. First, well focus on the stock 4 link set up with an emphasis on handling, followed by a stock 4 link set up for drag racing. Mar, 2015 this chapter looks at muscle cars with rear suspension systems using coil springs with two upper and two lower control arms. Used by many of the best teams in drag racing, chassis master is easy to set up and input information. Links are direct threaded 3 4 16 left hand on one end 3 4 16 right hand on the other and feature oversize hex nuts for quick, easy adjustments. This chapter looks at muscle cars with rear suspension systems using coil springs with two upper and two lower control arms.

Apr 23, 2015 over the years, drag racers with door cars have gone through all sorts of suspension arrangements. Then connect the 4 link, preload it and weigh again. They include the 4 link with frame and housing brackets, coilover rear shocks with springs ratematched to your application and a choice of a panhard bar for street use or diagonal link race. Drag racing books drag racing software jerry bickel race cars.

Drag racing suspension tim mcamis performance parts. The jbrc pro chassis kit is available either welded or unwelded. There is no comparison to any other 4 link software available. Rear suspension guide tech, terminology popular hot. Robs rod shop drag racing suspension episode 1 basic 4. The factory five 4 link rear suspension is a great value it is the standard solidaxle rear suspension in the mk4 roadster, type 65 coupe, and 33 hot rod. If you want to check your 4 link setup, go to a chassis shop or find someone with portable race scales. The upright or knuckle attaches the wheel, brake rotor, hub, brake caliper and steering arm to the vehicle as shown in diagram ku1 below. You need a spring rate that will hold the shock at the designed distance apart for the weight of your car. Lift bars, slapper bars, super stock springs, leaf links, ladder bars, threelinks, fourlinks, and torque arms there may be others too, but its a start.

Made from 1 4 cold rolled a36 structural steel plates, these brackets can take all you throw at them. Drag race and pro street body, door, and window brake kits chassis kits driver area accessories drivetrain mounts exhaust systems, components frame clips, front bolt on frame clips, front weldin frame clips, rear 4 link drag race sportsman 4 link 3x2 sportsman 4 link 158 sportsman 4 link 4x2. Air suspension design book, vol 1 link based rear suspension. The execution of the lateral axle locator is one of the most important factors in determining how versatile a parallel four link suspension is. The key to any successful acceleration contest is traction. One of the most common questions we get about suspension setup and tuning is how 4 link geometry affects the performance and handling of a vehicle. Our kit is designed to be mounted onto an existing hardtail or slip tube dragster. Robs rod shop drag racing suspension episode 1 basic 4 link robs rod shop. Air suspension design book spreading airbag suspension.

Most of our 4 links are sold in complete rear suspension packages. On top of the book, we have started a youtube channel that will be dedicated to general automotive and suspension subjects. Quartermax 4link kits offer the highest quaility and best value of any kits on the market. Jerry bickel race cars gives racers the technology to win. Sportsman class competitors line up prior to their passes at the 2015 summit racing equipment nhra southern nationals may 16th, 2015. The angle of the top bar is the final ingredient to determining how much bite the tire will have, and for how long. May 08, 2005 aside from building hot rods, i also build professional drag racing chassis. Angle and driveshaft angle change, antisquat %, and more for drag racing. Drag race and pro street suspension systems, rear 4link suspension drag. Aug 27, 2015 part 6 in our series of tutorial videos that explain how to set up your rear suspension takes a look at 4link basics, set up and adjustments. Academy how to set up and utilize the rear suspension system on a tube chassis, 4 link drag racing vehicle. Chassis master software leading drag racing chassis. Four link tuning ics versus geometry drag racing parts.

Mar 12, 2015 suspension basics and drag racing dynamics march 12, 2015 by muscle car diy this chapter explains the basic physics occurring on the starting line when you launch your car, along with why it does or doesnt do what it should. Hes authored five howto books and written over 4,500 tech articles. With its 12diameter bolt holes, the 4 link adjustments are now much finer and, of course, there are more from which to choose. Pro chassis kits are constructed of 4 chrome moly material, and designed to meet the latest sfi specifications. A stock suspension car that uses 4 trailing arms is a true 4 link and can be treated, plotted, etc, as a true 4 link car so the savy racer looking for an edge can benifit from this information.