broken upper link

[20005spd]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00657.jpg
i broke the left side rear link today. anyone ever break one?

[CJM]

Ive heard of it before, either buy new or buy one of those super strong DOM ones/make one yourself.

I honestly would be more worried the reason it broke is the amount of rust there and on the shackle.

[20005spd]

i know its kinda rusty, could be much much worse. i think its mostly from stress of wheeling alot, and the rust isnt helping.

[Scuba]

Ouch

:bling:

[20005spd]

Ive heard of it before, either buy new or buy one of those super strong DOM ones/make one yourself.
you must be thinkn of the lower links...those break all the time unless you beef them up or buy new ones. ive never seen anyone beef the uppers up or make new ones.

[CJM]

Probably, I dont own a 4Runner so its hard for me to help sometimes :P

I personally would tackle that rust, scrape or grind it off and paint it with rustoleum rust reformer. I did my entire trucks frame and NO rust has come back at all in a year. Hell I didnt even clean it well and painted right over dirt in some spots.

[Good Times]

Those uppers rarely encounter any breaking from excessive offroading. Usually the lowers will break first and then cause the uppers to break because the lowers are broken. At any rate, your upper appears to be damaged due to rust taking over the entire area.

I would just replace it with another set that's rust free. Also do some damage control on the mounts.

Good luck

[Seanz0rz]

get some naval jelly in there, clean up that rust, clean the area very well and spray down with some rustoleum stops rust product of your choice. keep an eye on it.

if youre having rust problems that bad, i think you need to spend a few weekends and go through and save your truck before it falls apart.

[20005spd]

i already cleaned and painted the frame with rustoleum, when i did the elocker retrofit i had the axle sandblasted and i painted it. the links arent as rusty as you think, your just not used to seeing rust :flipoff: i already replaced it with another link, ill just go to the junk yards and get some more for spares. easier to replace than a cv. i just was wondering if any of you guys had seen this before. and you can drive home atleast 150 miles with it broken like that :D

[20005spd]

the first bang was the skid plate, the 2nd bang was the link
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/th_MOV00653.jpg (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/?action=view&current=MOV00653.flv)

[Obi..]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00657.jpg

If you look at the pic closely, there is a primary defect/crack on the upper left. Sometimes due to poor factory weld penetration or completion (bead over bead), or from the stress of lifting and not adjusting the panhard length or drop, thus pulling the upper links out of alignment and into a bind situation. It also looks like when it did break, it was along the edge of the bead, correct?

FWIW the DOM links w/ the built in adjusters to correct for pinion angle are the hot ticket.

[20005spd]

i should have took a pic when i replaced it today, but it did snap right after the welds. the welds are still on the bushing side. i have a panhard drop bracket, but i run fj80 coils so im probably exceeding the limit a little bit, but i dont think its as nearly as bad as having no drop or adjustment.

who sells dom links for the uppers? ive thought about just fabbing some dom and using heim joints on the ends to prevent this from ever happening again instead of just carrying spares.

[Seanz0rz]

Did you loosen and retighten the bolts when you lifted? That could cause alot of excess stress on those joints. I retightened mine with the truck at ride height.

[20005spd]

ive always tightened them at ride height

[YotaFun]

FWIW the DOM links w/ the built in adjusters to correct for pinion angle are the hot ticket.




who sells dom links for the uppers? ive thought about just fabbing some dom and using heim joints on the ends to prevent this from ever happening again instead of just carrying spares.


I will be making my own custom to do the same, adjust pinion angle and to just make sure that never happens to me and maybe MAYBE get a little more flex out of the back (though I have so much as is now I don't know what do do anymore, I still haven't been able to do a wheel stand....)

As for the rust, I am not surprised to see it, I am more surprise that you have cleaned it and it still happened...
Gotta love the great north east....

[4x4mike]

it did snap right after the welds.



Stress riser area. Weld was fine, the component just got stressed.

[20005spd]

i never cleaned and painted the links, just the lowers when i welded skids on em

[Obi..]

We made Scott's out of the DOM Chaos ones: http://www.chaosfab.com/toyaccess_05taco.html
Technically '03+ and we only had to get slightly longer heims w/ more thread to them, and what I plan on using when the time comes..

http://www.chaosfab.com/product/accessories/05tacoma/86400.jpg

[20005spd]

holy shit $625 for upper links, that would have to be modified? i could buy materials and probably make a bunch for all you guys to buy for that price :flipoff:

[YotaFun]

holy shizzle $625 for upper links, that would have to be modified? i could buy materials and probably make a bunch for all you guys to buy for that price :flipoff:


Uh yeah.....
Mine will be about $50 and majority of that is the joints alone....

[4runfun]

you could buy 50 spare links from the junkyard, with money to spare for that price. probably takes 5 minutes to replace one :D

[benp]

4runfun thats a sick picture. it appears you 20005spd are from the same photographer??

[4runfun]

same trail run last saturday, and it is by far one of my favorite pics :thumbup:

[20005spd]

4runfun thats a sick picture. it appears you 20005spd are from the same photographer??
we roll together, only IFS 3rd gens still in the club IIRC :thumbup:

[YotaFun]

you could buy 50 spare links from the junkyard, with money to spare for that price. probably takes 5 minutes to replace one :D


for the amount of aggravation to have to crawl under there while on the trails, I will spend the 50 and not have to worry about it again....

[20005spd]

i called on some upper links today. around here they will be rusty like mine, and the place i called didnt even wanna sell me the ones they had, y list them on car-part.com then :screwy:. then i called a place in cali, they had them rust free shipped to RI for $117. toyota wanted $180 each. im just gonna make my own. look out for some DOM links soon :thumbup:






you could buy 50 spare links from the junkyard, with money to spare for that price. probably takes 5 minutes to replace one :D


for the amount of aggravation to have to crawl under there while on the trails, I will spend the 50 and not have to worry about it again....
what r u doin for $50?

[YotaFun]

you could buy 50 spare links from the junkyard, with money to spare for that price. probably takes 5 minutes to replace one :D


for the amount of aggravation to have to crawl under there while on the trails, I will spend the 50 and not have to worry about it again....
what r u doin for $50?


making up links
it costs about 30 total for the joints
and another 20 maybe 25 for the DOM piping,
I do love the metal supplier by me :D

[20005spd]

idk where ur getting ur heims from but $30 for 4 heims seems like your creating a weak link with cheap parts rather than fixing them :P

[benp]

same trail run last saturday, and it is by far one of my favorite pics :thumbup:




4runfun thats a sick picture. it appears you 20005spd are from the same photographer??
we roll together, only IFS 3rd gens still in the club IIRC :thumbup:


haha thats awesome, yall keep on tearin it up! :clap:

[YotaFun]

idk where ur getting ur heims from but $30 for 4 heims seems like your creating a weak link with cheap parts rather than fixing them :P


Friend of mine has them on his land rover and he wheeled harder then me
and he bent the dom piping:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/Nighthief/4Runner/Rausch%20Creek%2003-07-09/DSC04345.jpg

its hard to tell but it is bent up.

I will only putting the joints on one side and leaving the other stock like Sonoran has done with his Lower links he is selling now.
I could do both sides but then that would bring the cost from 50 to 70 which is not bad.

EDIT: excuse teh first Image, my photobucket has been hacked...

[20005spd]

WTF GUY? you posted porn at first in that link dude? wtf?

[YotaFun]

WTF GUY? you posted porn at first in that link dude? wtf?


READ MY EDIT I WAS HACKED!

[20005spd]

:rofl: :rofl: wow dude gave me a good laugh though


i dont see a link similar to ours in that pic though, or am i blind, and will find it after i post this

[YotaFun]

I don't have a pick of the joints, but he is using the same joints on his drag link as I will be using on my upper links.

He really screwed up the stock one on the comp course at Rausch,
So he built a new one and did the same spot again and again dented it lol!

First time was worse then the second but still he must have it it hard!

[20005spd]

if u have DOM upper links you will not bend them. they dont hit rocks

[YotaFun]

if u have DOM upper links you will not bend them. they dont hit rocks


Oh I know lol
I am just saying I would make them like that so I know I wouldn't have to replace them while on the trails all the time....
I have just as bad rust as you do, well pretty damn close at least so...

[20005spd]

the thing with keeping the stock bushing on one side of the link is when you weld the DOM to it, you will melt the bushing, and when i called toyota for price on a link today for shits n giggles, they said the bushings come in it, cant get them separate.

[YotaFun]

i will see
if thats teh case then i will link both sides

[20005spd]

you can copy my design :D i wanna get them done before april 11th, our next trail run. need to take a look at my stupid elocker wiring too :shake:

[SD4runner]

I've wanted to get beefed up upper links for quite some time. Also wanted to get them about a half inch longer to make up for the offset pinion angle from a large lift (FJ80 coils here too).

As far as loosening and re-tightening the bolts on the control arms after lift... I've never heard of this? Makes sense, I guess I never thought about it though. I've always had major creeks and squeeks, especially offroading. I may try this. :)

[20005spd]

should have these on shortly :D
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00688.jpg

[YotaFun]

were did you get the joints from?

[20005spd]

ruff stuff

[NakSuKow]

We made Scott's out of the DOM Chaos ones: http://www.chaosfab.com/toyaccess_05taco.html
Technically '03+ and we only had to get slightly longer heims w/ more thread to them, and what I plan on using when the time comes..

http://www.chaosfab.com/product/accessories/05tacoma/86400.jpg



Do you have any pics of the finished ones on the vehicle? I would love to do this as well.

[20005spd]

make your own, the chaos ones arent made for our trucks and your gonna modify them anyway. i havent welded mine up yet. maybe this weekend i will.

[NakSuKow]

make your own, the chaos ones arent made for our trucks and your gonna modify them anyway. i havent welded mine up yet. maybe this weekend i will.


LOL I would if I could. I am gone 90% of the time and struggle just to get time to do basic maintenance on my vehicles. I need something off the shelf that will work with minimal mods.

[20005spd]

its easier to cut a peice of tubing to length then weld the inserts for the heims in than buy something over priced that wont fit, then cut and weld extra parts that cost more money on to it. just make your own i spent like $100 on the materials

[SD4runner]

So what are the specs on your heim joints and tubing? Are you going to have to modify the mounts at all?

[20005spd]

the heims are 3/4", the threaded inserts are meant for 1" ID tube. the only modification of the mounts was drilling the holes for bigger bolts.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/IMG_0075.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/IMG_0076.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/IMG_0078.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/IMG_0079.jpg

[YotaFun]

how does your pinion angle look now?

[20005spd]

i left it stock, maybe 1/8th" over stock

[Seanz0rz]

I was just going to press out the bushings, cut and weld some angle to it to beef it up. Maybe cut and lengthen slightly, but no more than 3/16 inch

[benp]

Gahh the width of that new upper link completely dwarfs the stock one hahaha
What kind of muffler are you running there 20005spd?

[20005spd]

Gahh the width of that new upper link completely dwarfs the stock one hahaha
that was the goal hahah, magnaflow muffler :thumbup:

[Jerm]

This is what I did for my upper and lower links.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk262/jbplace1/toyota/100_0806.jpg
The old one on top, new one on bottom.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk262/jbplace1/toyota/100_0804.jpg
They are 3/16 DOM with threaded ends welded in, 2 inch bushings and a machined sleeve inside for the extra 1/8 inch width needed and to take it down to a 12mm bolt. I set them a one inch longer so I could correct the pinion angle because I had vibration.

[SD4runner]

So which one of you want to make me a set?! :D

[Crinale]

haha, seriously... hey 20005spd, where did you get those heims from? they look really good, and i wouldnt mind some new (much stronger) upper links that would allow a little better flex...

[20005spd]

i got the heims from ruff stuff

now that i fixed the weak upper link issue, i found the next issue :shake:

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00763.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00759.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00760.jpg

[slosurfer]

damn!! How the hell did you do that?!!

[20005spd]

wheeling yesterday..it must have happened while going up a hard ledge. the truck started hopping which is unusual with the rear 4 linked, it hopped a few times till i let off, wheeled the rest of the day then realized it before the long drive home :shake:

[YotaFun]

Dude? how the....
I guess its time to start beefing up other parts...

[benp]

Damn dude. Its always something isn't it?

[20005spd]

it is and its getting annoying. i already tore a sidewall this year too :shake:

here is a pic of the ledge i think it happened on
http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv52/plfj40/DSC02252.jpg

[slosurfer]

Do you have a locker in the rear?

[4x4mike]

Looks like it from this pic


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00763.jpg


Could this have happened because of the longer and stiffer link?

[slosurfer]

Ahhh, I see it. :)

[YotaFun]

At this point I think you should just remove the links and do leafs lol.
Your gonna SAS eventually right?
Were you going to keep the rear link or swap to leaf?

[4runfun]

when i do mine i plan on using the stock link setup, everyones always so quick to swap to leafs. the link setup flexes so well i see no reason at the moment to swap the rear.

[20005spd]

the links are not longer than stock, but them being a ton stronger could have played a part in this. but im pretty sure i would have broken a stock upper link instead of the link mounts.

4runfun is so right. im not swapping to leafs when i sas. im sticking with 4 link and keeping it low. im gonna sas hopefully this fall. ill be linking the front as well, i bought an fj80 elocked front axle :D

[YotaFun]

I agree gentlemen, I just can't remember what he said his plans were for the rear when he SAS'd.

I plan on doing the same, keeping the stock linked rear and linking the front and keeping the ride low.

What case you plan on running or do you not know yet?

end Hijack

[20005spd]

single case with 4.7 gears

[YotaFun]

single case with 4.7 gears


So I am guessing an adapter from inchworm to run a older gear style case so you have the right drop?
Or maybe a t100 case?

I was thinking the same thing, doing single case low gears.
Gear driven out of the older pickups and 4Runners...

[4runfun]

i plan on using the big pedal and skinny pedal for my crawl box :D

[20005spd]

either marlin or inchworm adapter, 4.7s from marlin, and i have a top shift case from an 88 pickup already



i plan on using the big pedal and skinny pedal for my crawl box :D
shouldnt be to bad with an auto

[SOAZ]

I just broke my third, yes THIRD upper rear link on my 2001 4runner. It always happens at the weld. The weld always breaks off pretty clean. Like it was said before it always appears to be a lack of penetration.
This is getting old... I can't even find anymore upper links in Phoenix, AZ!!

I off-road a lot, but come on links. Hold it together!

[CJM]

Heres an idea, where they break if its on the weld-why not weld a sleeve over it?

[SOAZ]

Heres an idea, where they break if its on the weld-why not weld a sleeve over it?

How would you sleeve it? A break in the center of a tube I'm familiar with sleeving, but not at the contact point.

Honestly, the only reason I didn't do something on the first two breaks is because I assumed that when my truck was made I got some bad welds that didn't penetrate. When I replaced them with earlier year links from a junk yard I thought I was in the clear.

Not sure if leaving the rear sway bar off helped to torque the metal. I was offroading 1 to 2 hundred miles a day over the last 10 months though while working for the forest service so I know that would have put more wear on them than most folks.

No worry though. I'm going to take some 1 inch chromoly and reuse the bushings/housing to make some stronger fellas.





I guess I should have bought a hummer for real offroading.






just kidding

[CJM]

Hmm, maybe do this. Sleeve them as close as you can near the end then weld a whole bit at the end onto the sleeve? I dunno tbh what else to do.

[20005spd]

hey SOAZ, just make up some brand new links. copy my design it works fine. just beef up your upper link mounts on the axle so you dont bend them like i did. the stock links are completely inadequate for wheeling. if you choose to weld new tube or something to the old links, just remember your bushing is going to melt while welding unless you replace them or take them out if its easily possible.

[SOAZ]

Thanks. I was worried about it melting. I'll see if I can get my hands on some heims locally.
Did you replace the tabs on the housing or just beef them up with a bit of plate??

[20005spd]

i got my heims from ruffstuffspecialties.com

i just beefed up the link mounts with 3/16th on 3 sides

[Chaplain]

Ive heard of it before, either buy new or buy one of those super strong DOM ones/make one yourself.
you must be thinkn of the lower links...those break all the time unless you beef them up or buy new ones. ive never seen anyone beef the uppers up or make new ones.

I beefed mine up (CM 1.125"od x..625"id. Probably overkill, but while making the lower links it just made since to make matching uppers. Besides I wanted to add heims on axle end to free up the suspension and keep the pinion angle correct.
http://a480.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/112/l_03714411fd556b1bf333f8b4b45824e7.jpg