Toyota 3link rear questions

childers88 · Dec 29, 2016

I ended up with a Toyota crawler that has a 14 bolt rear with a 3 link and air shocks. Something is not right with it and I'm a virgin to link setups. I've always ran leafs. Does anyone have any specs or pointers that may help me get headed in the right direction? Im looking to lower the ride height and get rid of the lean it has. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Markrobinson · Dec 29, 2016

I wonder why they did a 3 link instead of triangulated 4 link? I don't know much about 3 links but the lowers should probably be more parallel with the ground. Could you pull all the stuff that's there and do a coil spring 4 link?

bamatoy · Dec 29, 2016

Markrobinson said:
I wonder why they did a 3 link instead of triangulated 4 link? I don't know much about 3 links but the lowers should probably be more parallel with the ground. Could you pull all the stuff that's there and do a coil spring 4 link?

Gas tank location is the reason for the 3 link, looks to be a trailgear kit.
Its hard to tell about the lean you are describing from the pics. Some pics have shocks on and other pics dont?

childers88 · Dec 29, 2016

Re: Re: Toyota 3link rear questions

bamatoy said:
Gas tank location is the reason for the 3 link, looks to be a trailgear kit.
Its hard to tell about the lean you are describing from the pics. Some pics have shocks on and other pics dont?

Yea I pulled the shocks off to rebuild them. And it is a TG setup, I'm trying to get this thing put together for my wife to wheel. It leans to the passenger side pretty bad. I've heard several different things that I need to do from making the lower links match the length of the panhard, to cutting it all out and just putting it back of leafs.

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childers88 · Dec 29, 2016

Re:

I'd like to be able to coil spring 4 link it but funds won't allow all that. I'm trying to keep 2 rigs up and going

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bamatoy · Dec 29, 2016

I wouldn't go back leafs, lower the rig as much as you can while still being able to clear everything. It looks to be really tall.
Check the front spring packs front broken leafs also.
Also more pics the better

the_white_shadow · Dec 29, 2016

Im guessing the lean is from the leafs up front. Did they add the 3/8" spacer under the drivers side? If its been wheeled, odds are the springs settled differently and thus causing it to lean. Really no way to fix this the way it sits.

As for the rear 3-link. Can you remove the gas tank and get a fuel cell in there. I would triangulate the lowers more. You can lower the rear all day easily, but the front is whats keeping you at that ride height. Maybe swap in some 3rd gen yota rear springs (with some others mixxed in) to lower it. Cut the fenders as needed.

TBItoy · Dec 29, 2016

The front shackle mount looks all kinds of ****ed up. Redo that and get the shackle pivots up higher (frenched into the frame)

As for the rear, take the gas tank from the stock location, mount it up behind the cab across the frame, run a crossmember between the frame rails and triangulate the lowers, plus try to mount them lower to where they are flatter at what ever ride height you want. This will make the rear suspension act a LOT better.

You're also going to have to get those air shock shocks farther apart on the axle and standing up a bit straighter, which will require cutting out the frame to clear the shocks.

I'd probably just put standard Jeep coils in the rear under the frame rails, and mount some regular shocks to the axle. (if you aren't looking to re-work the entire setup.

childers88 · Dec 29, 2016

Re:

Thanks for all the pointers. I did actually find that the passenger side front springs have a bit of a kink. From the few numbers I can still read on them they look to be 5" TG springs. I've also already got the frame tubes for the front, just trying to decide what to do about shackles. I have to drop the front axle that is a narrow waggy axle and replace with a wide track d 44 that I already have (wish I had a 60). For some reason they decided to cut the knuckles off and flip the axle and install reverse cut gears in the one under it. (Pretty much a hack job) I'm still not sure which route to go, I'm leaning more towards the leafs because it's for my wife and she learned in my Toyota that's on leafs so shes used to how they feel. I'll get a few more pics when it's daylight. And again I appreciate the input feel free to follow along and chime it at any time. I'll post progress pics along the way

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TBItoy · Dec 29, 2016

FYI what you described they did to the front axle isn't possible, doesn't matter since you are getting rid of it anyway.

There are several chevy 60s listed on here for around/less than $1000. I wouldn't spend a dime on a 44 unless it's going to be a pavement princess.

A set of leaves in the the rear is probably the simplest route