12 Valve 2nd Gen Dodge Cummins 94-98 Discussion of 12 Valve 5.9 Liter Dodge Cummins Diesels with P7100 Injection Pumps

front ladder bar

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  #11  
Old 05-24-2010, 04:02 PM
Red_Rattler's Avatar
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Waste of time and where would you mount it to that's lower than the lowest long arm on the 4 link?
 
  #12  
Old 05-24-2010, 06:22 PM
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ok if you REALLY want to do it call top gun customz, they make custom links but honestly to utilize it you would have to have ALOT of lift or just alot of room to flex. frankly the only reason to have longer links is for crawling so it doesnt doesnt mess up the geometry of the front axle under heavy flex.
 
  #13  
Old 05-24-2010, 08:02 PM
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if your comfortable welding, make the upper arm mounts on the axle a inch or two higher with some 1/4 steel and then get some 3/4 heims and build new lowers out of chromely and make the frame mounts for them on the frame back by the tranny cross member, thats what im planning on doing with mine as soon as i can get some heim joints.

i wear the crap out of my lower control arm bushings and the bolts always move back and forth so it makes this god awful clunking sound every one in the parking lot can hear
 
  #14  
Old 06-02-2010, 12:47 PM
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JUST adding another set of arms to the front axle will mess up the suspension geometry so badly that it will hardly move without binding up something. If you want to replace the lower arms with longer arms, fab up custom mounts, etc., so be it, but at least understand what you are trying to do. Doing things on suspension mounts "just for looks" is like ricers running a rear wing on a front-drive car...

In the picture, you can see the long arms I am making for my Ranger off-road build. They are 42" long and have custom mounting points. The suspension is fully compressed (no springs, sitting on the frame rails) in this shot.

The advantage of longer front arms when you are actually doing something with your truck besides posing is to flatten out the angles of the links when really stretching out the suspension. Short arms, with even a 4" lift and some suspension droop will be pointing close to straight up and down, transfering the bumps directly into the suspension mount instead of to the spring (as an example, check the force on your elbow when you either slap the table with your palm or if you punch straight down onto the table with your fist -- that's what short arms do when turned to large angles). If you are not flexing out your suspension, there is no real reason for the long arms.

 

Last edited by glfredrick; 06-02-2010 at 12:53 PM.
  #15  
Old 06-02-2010, 01:06 PM
94 12valve's Avatar
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Originally Posted by glfredrick
JUST adding another set of arms to the front axle will mess up the suspension geometry so badly that it will hardly move without binding up something. If you want to replace the lower arms with longer arms, fab up custom mounts, etc., so be it, but at least understand what you are trying to do. Doing things on suspension mounts "just for looks" is like ricers running a rear wing on a front-drive car...

In the picture, you can see the long arms I am making for my Ranger off-road build. They are 42" long and have custom mounting points. The suspension is fully compressed (no springs, sitting on the frame rails) in this shot.

The advantage of longer front arms when you are actually doing something with your truck besides posing is to flatten out the angles of the links when really stretching out the suspension. Short arms, with even a 4" lift and some suspension droop will be pointing close to straight up and down, transfering the bumps directly into the suspension mount instead of to the spring (as an example, check the force on your elbow when you either slap the table with your palm or if you punch straight down onto the table with your fist -- that's what short arms do when turned to large angles). If you are not flexing out your suspension, there is no real reason for the long arms.


3rd gen control arms are the same length as the 2nd gen. The difference is one is the 3rd gen control arms are fully boxed
 
  #16  
Old 06-02-2010, 02:06 PM
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Originally Posted by 94 12valve
3rd gen control arms are the same length as the 2nd gen. The difference is one is the 3rd gen control arms are fully boxed
That would be helpful, as it adds strength but does not change geometry.
 
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