broken upper link

[Obi..]

[img width=800 height=450]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00657.jpg[/img]

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..

[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

[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

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