what rear susp is this?

[jsf74]

i have a modified chassis by (????????) and im trying to figure out this hack job of a rear suspension. when i picked it up the guy said he added a j bar which can be seen in the pics but its not right for sure. i would like to know what rear susp is supposed to be in this car so i can get it back to square one. one other thing i have no idea who's chassis this is either. i would have passed on the deal but i could not turn it down for the price.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_5371.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_9107.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_5765.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2212.jpg

[jsf74]

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_1388.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_4689.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_7998.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_7167.jpg

[jsf74]

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2616.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/jsf74/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_1198.jpg

[Egoracing]

4 link, Not sure why he had to add the J bar, looks like someone had a rear mounted unit but it is on the wrong side. Was it an asphalt car??

[TS3g]

Ego and I must be looking at different pictures.

What I see is 2-link for sure on the left (only one trailing arm attached to a clamped bracket on rearend). I really can't tell what is going on with the right side. It appears to be 2-link as well with a brake floater, but I can't tell exactly what the upper bar attaches to. If both the upper and lower bars attach to a floating birdcage, then it is 4-link on the right. The spring is definitely clamped, just can't tell where the trailing arm(s) mount. The J-bar looks fine to me. Also the rear mounted panhard bar mount on the frame would work as well, not backwards like Ego indicated.

My suggestions: Get a birdcage for the left side and 4-link it with the spring behind, shock in front on the birdcage, or if you want to use what you have now, keep the 2-link and put the spring in front and the shock behind. I can't really say in the right side. Need a pull bar as well.

[jsf74]

Pretty sure it was a dirt car. The j bar was added by the last owner who never raced it. I see the top mount on the frame for the 4th bar but it's not on the rear end.

[Egoracing]

If you look at the 7th pick down the RR top arm is on the rear end. I was looking at the grease fitting on the LR birdcage, I see what you are saying about no top link mount. In the 9th pick it looks like they cut the top mount off of the birdcage, you can see where it was ground on. Also you can see in several of the pics that the rear end housing is clean where the birdcages look like they were rotating. I am not sure how it would work as a 2 link if the LR is not welded to the rear.
Lightning chassis did the long panhard bar like that on asphalt but it would be wrong for asphalt is what I ment to say, not that it is wrong for dirt.

Will the LR mount rotate on the housing when you jack it up or is it welded solid?

[rubbinsracin]

its definitely some type of 4 bar car. maybe it has some weird rear axle in it that the guy threw together to get it to "roller" form? is there even a mount for the left upper 4 bar on the axle side?

[dirttrackrocker]

If you look at the 7th pick down the RR top arm is on the rear end. I was looking at the grease fitting on the LR birdcage, I see what you are saying about no top link mount. In the 9th pick it looks like they cut the top mount off of the birdcage, you can see where it was ground on. Also you can see in several of the pics that the rear end housing is clean where the birdcages look like they were rotating. I am not sure how it would work as a 2 link if the LR is not welded to the rear.
Lightning chassis did the long panhard bar like that on asphalt but it would be wrong for asphalt is what I ment to say, not that it is wrong for dirt.

Will the LR mount rotate on the housing when you jack it up or is it welded solid?

It won't work at all as a 2 link if it isn't welded to the housing... The Birdcage would rotate and the LR would move back and forth 5 - 6 inches.

[dirttrackrocker]

Looks like an RC chassis, but, not 100% sure. We have an RC street stock and a lot of the mounts and stuff look the same.

[TS3g]

If you look at the 7th pick down the RR top arm is on the rear end. I was looking at the grease fitting on the LR birdcage, I see what you are saying about no top link mount. In the 9th pick it looks like they cut the top mount off of the birdcage, you can see where it was ground on. Also you can see in several of the pics that the rear end housing is clean where the birdcages look like they were rotating. I am not sure how it would work as a 2 link if the LR is not welded to the rear.
Lightning chassis did the long panhard bar like that on asphalt but it would be wrong for asphalt is what I ment to say, not that it is wrong for dirt.

Will the LR mount rotate on the housing when you jack it up or is it welded solid?

Okay, i see what you are saying. I never even noticed the grease fittings. I don't see any retaining rings though, which makes me think they are locked solid to the tube. I guess we really need to know if the birdcages are actually floating or not as to whether it is a 2-link or 4-link car.

[powerslide]

looks like 2link w/ RR brake floater.

Like others have asked does the clamp the spring is mounted on the rearend rotate when you jack it up? Looks pretty cobbled up. probably an old asphalt car.

[rubbinsracin]

maybe it was ran as a sport mod?

[Egoracing]

maybe it has some weird rear axle in it that the guy threw together to get it to "roller" form? I think you may have hit the nail on the head!

[dirttrackrocker]

The other thing I noticed is, the bracket on top of the rear housing for the pull bar seems to be backwards.. It is leaning toward the rear, it should lean forward so that the pull bar mounts 12" above and 4" ahead of axle center line. With it the way it is, instead of gaining traction as the housing rotates because of increased angle, it will actually lose traction because as it rotates, the angle will decrease. This looks to be a cobbled together mess.

[jsf74]

The lr birdcage was welded to the rear but the previous owner cut it and added the grease zerk. Their is no mount for the upper bar on that side. It would
make a lot more sense to me if the cage was welded. the weird part is with the j bar where it's at the pinion seems pointed to the ground. It would be nice to find a front wrecked chassis and start over with the rear of this one. Anyone have one cheap near southern mi?

[racin6mod]

to me this chassis looks like an older shaw late model chassis given the 90/10 shock mounts on the frame and the 5th arm shock mounts also the battery box location.most likely the lm was clipped to get a mod. I've seen those 3 link clamp on brackets before with grease zerks but never understood way.this car has shock mounts for swingarm also or at least mounts straight above the lower bars it looks like some one has tried just about everything to get it to go.as for the pull bars mount on the axle some maybe most still like the top mount being behind center on the rearend so thats not wrong just dated for some. I'd say about a 95 shaw chassis with a home clip job.

[jsf74]

Might be wasting my time then.

[Egoracing]

In pic #3 there is a shock mount on the inside of the frame at an angle to the rearend on the chassis?????? Never seen that before that I can remember!@#

[dirttrackrocker]

Here is what I would do if you like the car. Looks like the mounts are all there on the frame to make it 4 bar. Get those old brackets off the rear and grind it smooth so you can put a good set of birdcages on it. Put a pull bar on it and you're ready to go. There is nothing wrong with the way the J bar is mounted. That has nothing to do with the pinion angle. The pinion angle is set with the pull bar.

[powerslide]

In pic #3 there is a shock mount on the inside of the frame at an angle to the rearend on the chassis?????? Never seen that before that I can remember!@#

That one threw me for a loop as well...
It looks like the rearend and frame both have liftarm mounts i would try that if you are doing the 4bar deal.

[dualdj1]

It's definitely a 4 bar chassis that was setup to run 2 bar, and i'd also agree should be lift arm. Either weld the clamp brackets back down, or get birdcages put on it and go 4 bar.

[PIERCE3J]

Looks like it used to have a swing arm type suspension which would have had coil over eliminators in front of the rear end hooked to the swing arm and the shocks mounted behind the rear on clamp mounts using brake floaters on both sides and a long panhard bar mounted behind the rear. That's the set up like Ohio's Laser chassis used to run. After that it must have undergone changes from a rookie racer with access to a stick welder and some scrap steel. JMO.

[racin6mod]

I wouldn't say your wasting time with this chassis just decide which way to go and get started.but from what I can see the cheepest way would be a 3 link with a 5th arm set up. we ran this a few years ago when we were first getting started in a lm. very easy to set up and fewer adjustement to get f'd up with. us a chain on the 5th arm to set the pinion angle at 6 to 8 degrees. if you decide to go 4 bar you'll need birdcages,5th arm or add pullbar and brackets plus do something with the lower bar mounts on the frame or build custom bolt in mounts to get the lower bars to a length that will work with the top bars. I like the upper bars tobe 1 inch to 2 inches longer than the lower bars.

[jsf74]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I guess I'm going to make it a 4 bar car. I have the pull bar for it already but I'm just going to have to buy a set of bird cages. The right side caliper mount floats on the rear housing and the left caliper mount is welded to the axle tube. I'm think I'm going to just add two new bird cages and go from there. Not going to be perfect but it should get me around the track for a starter car.

[dualdj1]

not to dissuade you from 4 bar, but I kinda agree with racing6mod here. it's already pretty close to race ready right now, why don't you just reweld that left clamp bracket and race it and see what you think, rather than adding extra expense right away? The 3 link setup is very simple, whereas 4 bar you can adjust yourself out of the game pretty quick if you don't know what you're doing. I'd probably keep it as is for a few races, see what you think, and go from there.

[jsf74]

So to make it a 3 bar car all I need to do is reweld the lr bracket clamped around the rear. I'm assuming that is what keeps the rear from rotating so the pull bar is not used. Any suggestions on shock and spring placement and pinion angle?

[jsf74]

Nevermind I see that 1blacksheep answered those questions already. So just so I'm clear. All three bars that are in the car are going to stay. Set pinion angle and weld left cage. Add pull bar and leave the j bar. Mount the springs foward of the axle and the shocks rear of the axle.

[dirttrackrocker]

If you do that it, you will have a 2 link LR, 4 bar RR. If you want to go 3 link take the top bar off the RR and weld both sides up. Put a bull bar in it and put the springs on top of the axle tube.

[racin6mod]

in the 26th post he said the rr was a brake floater not a 4 bar birdcage like some thought so yes easy 3 link set up as well as on the cheap to get started.

[1Blacksheep]

PM sent, dont weld nothing yet.:confused: