Finally got my rear hung......

Full travel down...

 

i don't think i'm good enough with words to explain what i mean, and i don't have any capability to sketch something and scan it.

anyway, the short center bar, about 8-10" long, in a hard corner will be pushing on one bar and pulling on the other one. when that happens it will try to twist along it's long axis. that will try to "bend" the bolt holding it in place (or twist the short bar).

i've sort of sketched below with computer characters, getting the center of all three holes lined up exactly in line. this shows the additional bends i mentioned making the forces travel along the axis of the short bar rather than an inch or so below the axis.

the three little plusses represent the centers of the three holes in the bar.

the way i show them here will eliminate the twisting force i'm thinking of.

|\ /|
+ \-----------+----------/ +

here's a sort of representation of the way it is now for comparison:

--------------+-------------
| |
+ +

i realize this isn't very descriptive, so if you want to pm me your phone # i'll call you this evening and maybe i can explain what i mean.

well sh#t. when i hit continue to see what this would look like i see that it totally disregarded all the spaces i had in there. imagine if you will...

oh, hell, i don't think i can even start to describe what i meant for that to look like.

BUT, i'll try anyway. here's a verbal description of what your center link looks like now: a bar that has a hole about an inch from one end, a 90 degree bend about another inch from the end, a hole about 4 inches further along, another 90 degree bend another 4 inches further, a hole after about another inch, and the bar ends about another inch further.

NOW here's a verbal description of what i propose: a steel bar with a hole about an inch from the end, a 135 degree bend an inch further, a 45 degree bend about 2 inches further (which brings the centerline of the remaining bar exactly in line with the center of the first hole), a hole about 3 inches further along, a 45 degree bend up about 3 inches further, a 135 degree bend down 2 inches further, a hole 1 more inch along, and the bar ends after 1 more inch.

if you could line up a string through the center of the end two holes it would run exactly down the center portion of the bar in the exact center of its thickness, and also through the center of the middle hole.

is this any clearer than mud? maybe if i called you i could explain it.

btw; i'm not implying that any of you aren't capable of understanding; what i'm saying is that i'm not explaining very well.

 

that is exactly what I was thinking of!
are you gonna tab/bolt that stiffener?

I think you need a little plexi window
to show it off!!

(i'm cheap about gas sometimes and wasteful at others)

tp

 

Yes, I had to make the "U" shaped stiffener removable to be able to remove the bell crank.......

I hope to post some more pics latter.

I also boxed the bell crank different, I did not like the arched boxing.......

Atch, I think I know what you are saying. If one of the belcrank ends bend up and the other one bend down so that a line through the center of these holes would run through the center pivot hole on the bell crank......

As you can see I have a tendency to over engineer things.......

Thanks for the great input guys..........

 

Here is the final product.... I hope

 

One more pic......

 

Very cool!

 

Hotrodder, you have some awesome fab skills. Your work is awesome!!! I do have to say that I understand what Atch is talking about.

If you look at your well crafted center pivot and imagine taking a corner, the forces on that center mount will be a pretty tremendous tortional(twist) force. This force of course will try to twist the center mount from the top of the rearend. Your bracing around the center bolt will help by speading this tortional force over the top of the rearend. It will probably never fail, but the force is still there.

Now, the only reason for this force is because of the two 90 degree bends in the center pivot arm. If the pivot arm was straight, then the force would remain a lateral force. Which means that the force from one bar would be transferred in a straight line thru the straight center pivot to the other bar and into the frame rail. It would not try to twist the center pivot. As it is now, the force from one bar will try and twist the center mount as it tries to transfer the force to the other bar.

I like Atch's solution to the problem, but another way is to use 1 inch or 1.5 inch rectagular bar stock as your center pivot. Drill your center hole as you have it now, and drill and tap the ends of the bar to mount your heim joints.


Hope you don't mind my critique 'cause I think your craftsmanship is as good as I've ever seen. I just want to make sure you have a bunch of reliable years in that truck.

Later,
Reggie

 

I don't see a problem...
A straight line drawn thru the Heim joints shows that the force passes thru the actual threaded plate that the center pivot screws into instead of higher up on the attachment bolt were it could bend the bolt. I think the center bellcrank is more than strong enough to withstand the twisting force it will see during use.

I don't see much to worry about at all...but I don't consider myself an expert or anything either so I could be wrong I guess!
One thing IS certain....
NICE fabrication work Hotroddder!

Bill

 

i also have to add that your fab work is excellent. hope i can make my stuff look that good.