Expanse 3-link

[expanse]

Hey everyone,
Here is a little project I've been working on this fall/winter. I'll add more over the coming weeks but here's some eye candy to kick things off.

We had an old SG outfitted D90 come through that needed some serious rehab. Below are the new chromoly arms built for replacements. A huge thanks goes out to Back Bay Customs for the production work on these arms.

Test brackets cut out of .125". these will be beefed up a bit more on v2.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[jymmiejamz]

Nice! I seem to remember that there was a weak link in the SG setup. Good to see you're beefing it up.

 

[Z.G]

 

[acheck]

same!

 

[expanse]

Should have more progress over the next few weeks. Going to blame broken rovers that keep showing up at the shop

 

[Landy_Andy]

Here's my 3 link I built about 15 yrs ago....

 

[Landy_Andy]

Should have more progress over the next few weeks. Going to blame broken rovers that keep showing up at the shop

Think about making the drag link tube removable like mine, makes servicing the front diff so much easier if you don’t have to remove the link brackets. Just chock the front wheels to stop the axle moving around without the centre link in place.

 

[chris snell]

Looking good, @expanse.

 

[Napalm00]

Two questions,

What is the little solid rod on the top for?

What are you using to make the axle brackets? They look laser cut or something?

I ask because I'd like to have some axle brackets like that just to mount a rear external shock

 

[expanse]

Two questions,

What is the little solid rod on the top for?

What are you using to make the axle brackets? They look laser cut or something?

I ask because I'd like to have some axle brackets like that just to mount a rear external shock

1. Rod is actually a small dia tube for protecting axle breather and air locker line.
2. Once these are drawn out I send them over to be cut on a plasma table. Laser has a few week turn around, plasma ~1 day turn around.

Working on a shock solution shortly.

 

[Napalm00]

Neat dude ! Thanks for the info

 

[Landy_Andy]

Didn’t think that my old build thread was still around..... 3 link build in 2004

 

[Dan kemper]

Expanse nice work improving old design and attempting to beef it up. Andy did you design the 3 link that later became the qt? version. Nice fab work. I ran a $G 3 link on the front of the 90 for a few years but went back to the radius arm design. The primary issue appeared to be the center link/bushing design. My brackets bent and definitely showed a source of binding. Your design with the large heim would eliminate that. More articulation and similar road manners with newer bushings. The part i disliked the most was trying to adjust the track rod with the sleeved protector guard which was integrated into the design. If a commercial option became available again and eliminated these shortcomings i would be interested.

 

[Landy_Andy]

Expanse nice work improving old design and attempting to beef it up. Andy did you design the 3 link that later became the qt? version. Nice fab work. I ran a $G 3 link on the front of the 90 for a few years but went back to the radius arm design. The primary issue appeared to be the center link/bushing design. My brackets bent and definitely showed a source of binding. Your design with the large heim would eliminate that. More articulation and similar road manners with newer bushings. The part i disliked the most was trying to adjust the track rod with the sleeved protector guard which was integrated into the design. If a commercial option became available again and eliminated these shortcomings i would be interested.

Hi, yes my project morphed into the QT one, I worked with Dave to make it more small batch production producible and they sold quite a few before he retired & sold the business on.

The centre link used the same radius arm bushes for simplicity & strength with shims added behind the mount to adjust the pinion angle. Gotta remember it was all designed using CAD aka cardboard aided engineering.

You’ll not get away from the cross tube as it’s integral to the bolt-on design. When I build my new 609 front axle I’ll be going for an all welded setup using similar geometry and Johnny Joints as per my rear 4 link setup.