Questions we’ve been asked about rear suspension- parallel vs. triangulated, leaf springs, air ride, etc.
Dear Welder Series…
Hello, I’m looking to purchase your triangulated 4 link for my 52 Pontiac. I will need to install the coil overs in front of the axle, do you have an axle mount to accomplish this?
Thanks.
Dear Joe…
Joe, if there is room, you could use the coil-over bracket shown here:Let me know if you feel this will, or won’t, work in your application.
Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Dear Welder Series…
I recently purchased a triangulated 4 link universal kit. I’m putting it in my 69 F100 swb. I have a couple ?s. If the horizontal angles on the upper and lower bars are the same will it have adverse effects if the sitting ride height angles are at 10 deg higher on the front? I’m thinking of raising the front frame mounts up to 10 deg so they won’t be so close to the ground. Also, is there an optimum angle for the triangle? As in looking down on it. I’m pretty close to the angle on the upper frame brackets but was wondering if any +/- is OK?
Dear Kevin…
Kevin, a 10 degree angle on the bars would put the front about 4-1/4″ higher than the rear. This would cause the rear end to “walk” as the truck leans in a corner. This “walking” will make the truck steer from the back end and could be dangerous. I’m o.k. with the front of the bar about 1″ higher than the rear. The angle of the upper bars relative to frame center line can be changed slightly. I don’t have a maximum spec to give you because we haven’t tried to see when it becomes unsafe. Thanks for these questions.
Paul Horton
Dear Welder Series…
I have a 1951 Chevrolet truck 1/2 ton putting a 2002 Chevy S10 4×4 Blazer 8.5 ring gear rear w/disc brakes in. I want to use the 4 link system, which one of yours will work easiest and best?
Thank you!
Dear Don…
Don, the decision regarding a parallel or a triangulated rear 4-link (both shown below) is somewhat philosophical. Here is my explanation:Both kits do a good job of locating the rear end, holding it in place, and letting the suspension work.
The triangulated kit costs less than the parallel kit because a Panhard bar is not required.
The parallel kit does require a Panhard kit (about $100.00). The parallel kit is easier to adjust for squaring the rear axle to the frame center line, and centering the frame left-to-right.
The Panhard bar does move the frame left-to-right as the frame goes up and down, but if a straight Panhard bar is installed level, this amount is insignificant (about 1/8″ with a 19″ bar) for normal suspension travel.
I hope this helps you decide. Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Paul Horton
Dear Welder Series…
Hello, I’m looking to purchase your triangulated 4 link for my 52 Pontiac. I will need to install the coilovers in front of the axle, do you have a axle mount to accomplish this?
Thanks.
Dear Joe…
Joe, if there is room, you could us the coil-over bracket shown below, mounted on the front side of the axle.Let me know if you feel this will, or won’t, work in your application.
Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Paul Horton
Dear Welder Series…
Hi Paul I am in the middle of installing one of your triangulated four links. How much angle do I need on the upper part? (angle from frame rail to rear housing if looking from top). If I have to shorten the upper bars what would you suggest the min. length be? Thanks
Dear Derek…
Derek, the upper bar frame bracket is designed to mount the bar at 27 degrees off of the frame. It might be hard to reduce this angle very much and still put a wrench on the nut, if the nut will even go on. Another option might be to mount the axle end of the upper bars just inside the frame rails and angle them towards the frame centerline. Then add a new crossmember and mount the frame brackets to it. This way the bars can stay at their original length. As the bars get shorter, the pinion angle changes more dramatically as the suspension works.I hope this helps.
Paul
Dear Welder Series…
I am looking for help with my 1953 Ford build.
I have purchased a 1993 LS1 motor, a 700 trans and a 12 bolt rear end I am trying to fit in the truck. The wheels I will be running are 30″ on the outside, 10 3/4″ wide with a 6 7/8 offset from the back of the rim. My goal is to set the bumpers and running boards on the ground with a full air ride. Is there a chance you could specify what I will need to purchase from your catalog to get all my frame welding going? As it stands right know I have pulled all the suspension out of the truck and it is just sitting on the frame now. Would love to order everything for Christmas. Thank you for your time and please feel free to call with any other questions you might have.
Keith
Dear Keith…
Keith, here are some links to kits for this build:
Choose a 60″ track width kit for your F100.
If you will use conventional air springs:
If you plan to use ShockWaves:If you will use a power rack from a 79-92 T-Bird, order the relocation kit:
There are several different LS engine mount kits. They are shown at
For your 700 R4 transmission, here are 2 options:
A simple crosmember and drop-out saddle (check out the “welded” version):Or a tubular center section (with the 700R4 trans mount option):
For either of the above, use transmission mount insulator
If your 12 bolt rear end has the ears for the triangulated GM links, you could use our rear kit:
We would add brackets if you will use conventional air springs.
The crossmember shown below can be used to mount the upper end of the ShockWave (with 5/8″ hardware), or shocks with 7/16″ upper eyes.
If you plan to use a parallel rear 4-link, here are the kit pages:
For ShockWaves:
Use the rear crossmember with 5/8″ bolts.
With shockWaves on either the triangulated or the parallel kit, use the bolt kit here:I hope this list helps. Please write or call on our toll-free line, 1-888-648-2150, if you want more details.
Dear Welder Series…
I have your Sept. 2011 catalog and I am going to order a rear 4-bar; but I have a question on the 1-3/8 wide urethane bushings. Are these bushings 1-3/8″ in between the brackets?
Dear James…
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James, the dimension (1-3/8″ or 1-3/4″) is between the sides of the brackets. You might want to check our web store for current details on the rear 4-link kits shown here:The 1-3/8″ and the 1-3/4″ bushing kits are now the same price. (The 1-3/4″ kits have become much more popular and the 1-3/8″ kits have become less popular. We are making so many more 1-3/4″ than 1-3/8″ that the prices have evened out.) The 1-3/8″ kits are only available as welded kits. The 1-3/4″ kits are available welded or ready-to-weld.
I hope this helps with your ordering decision. Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Dear Welder Series…
Hello, I am looking at your triangulated 4 link kits and I am going to put a 4 link in my Nova. My question is will your kits work in my 72 Nova that has been mini tubbed? If so which kit do I need? Thank you very much for your help and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks,
Tim
Dear Tim…
Tim, our triangulated rear kit (shown below) has been used in lots of different applications. We put the instruction sheets on the website so you can check the dimensions against your frame and possible interference items.I hope this helps… Let me know if you have other questions after looking at the drawings.
Dear Welder Series…
I have a quick question relating to the rear axle/ triangulated four-link:
Will I need a rear sway bar in addition to the triangulated four-link set-up? I see conflicting responses online, and figured you may have the best answer.
Dear A…
Depending on who is doing the defining, a sway bar might refer to an anti-roll bar (shown below):or a Panhard bar (shown below):Our sway bar/anti-roll bar is designed to resist the tendency to lean when in a turn. A Panhard bar keeps the frame centered, with some tolerance, between the tires and has a minimal effect on the tendency to lean in a turn.A Panhard bar, or some other location device, is necessary when a parallel rear 4-link is used because the bars themselves don’t offer much resistance to left-right chassis movement. (Left-right movement is different from leaning or rolling left to right.)
The triangulation of the bars resists the left-right movement when a triangulated rear 4-link is used so a Panhard bar is not required.
I hope this is clear.
Thanks for asking.
Dear Welder Series…
Hello I’m a returning customer. I have 50 Plymouth coupe that has a 600hp supercharged motor in it. I’m wanting to know which triangulated kit would be ideal (small or big bushing). It is a street rod but occasionally run at nostalgia drags.
And the other bit of advice or confirming what you said about 120 v welders. My Lincoln 140 hd 120v welder shouldn’t be used to do the final welding?
Thanks for the info
Thomas
Dear Thomas…
Thomas, I’d use the big bushing rear kit. We never had any problems with the small bushing kit but the large bushing kit is stronger and the same price. With 600 HP I’d add some support to the lower bar frame bracket.I’d only use the 110V welder to tack parts in place for final welding by a heavier machine.
Thanks for using Welder Series parts.
Dear Welder Series…
Hi recieved your catalog building a 1935 Chev pickup streetrod just getting an order together need some measurements before hand. Kit #WS24806 booster bracket and pedal kit what is distance off frame to center of booster? On your offset pedal how much offset center pin to center of pedal mount? Also kit #2220 four link kit axle center to center of front bushing mount? thanks so much Tony
Dear Tony…
Here are some links to expand on my answers, Tony…
The booster center is 4-1/4″ off of the boxing plate. The pedal pad mounting hole is 2-1/4″ towards the center of the frame from the booster center. (I hope that’s the answer to your question.)
The pedal arm comes through the floor 1″ towards the center of the frame from the booster center and the arm is 3/8″ thick. The floor slot should have clearance around the 1″ – 1-3/8″ pedal.
On our rear 4-link kit 2220 (and 222501), the center of the front bushing will be about 27-5/8″ to 28″ ahead of axle center.
Click here for installation instructions.
Thanks for these questions.
Dear Welder Series…
I’m looking to install a triangulated 4-link on my 51 Chevy 3100 street rod project using a GM 12-bolt posi-rear out of a 71 Monte Carlo. Can your kit be modified to connect the upper bars to the dog ears on top of the housing instead of to your upper axle tabs? Thank you!
Dear Charlie…
Charlie, we recently developed a kit so builders can use either a Mustang 8.8 or a GM rear end with the ears on the center section. Here it is:I hope this will help with your project.
Dear Welder Series…
I’m just getting started on a frame-off resto for a 1951 Ford F1 Pickup. What do you have available for a Mustang-2 IFS Kit and a 4-Link Rear Kit.
Thanks, Jay
Dear Jay…
Jay, we have two Mustang II kits that you could consider. Here they are:You will need the 58″ model of these kits.
At the back, we have parallel and triangulated rear 4-link kits (shown below)
A Panhard kit (shown below), should be used with the parallel kit.
We also have engine & transmission mounts and brake pedal assemblies that would be great on your F-1.
Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.
Dear Welder Series…
Can the upper arms on your triangulated 4 link be used to centre the rear housing? After installing mine is out by about 1/4″ so I was wondering what limitations are on the upper links for that type of adjustment.
Regards to all,
Doug
Dear Doug…
Doug, if the frame is out by 1/4″, it will only be necessary to move it 1/8″ to get it centered. This can be done with the upper bars without causing any other problems.
I hope everything else is going well for you.
Dear Welder Series…
I have a few questions on the parallel rear 4 link kits. Wondering what the measurement is between the two bars, C-C. Also what size tubing is used? I would like 1″ or 1 1/4″ if possible.
I have purchased and installed the notch kit with great results, thank you for offering these products at affordable prices.
Dan
Dear Dan…
Dan, the bars on the parallel kit are 5-1/2″ c-c. They are 1″ diameter seamless tubing with a 3/16″ wall thickness.Thanks for your order and support.