CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

just ordered my heims, misalignments, and tubing inserts. Was $260 shipped with a Bluetorch shirt added on there. 3/4" FK heims, was gonna go with 1" but the guy at the shop talked me out of it, says hes never broken a 3/4 running pretty much the same setup as me. So we shall see, hopefully have that stuff by the end of the week, then I can get some steel and start working on my setup, chopped my frame down a couple feet today, gonna replace it with tubing.

What and how many did you get for $260? I checked their site and couldn't find prices on the heims, ect.

I would be very careful with the 3/4's and carry a few spares with you... I have seen quite a few fail at the shank, they just fold over. And I hope they send you good ones and not some made in Taiwan stuff like PSC did to me /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

They don't have prices for heims listed correct. I got 8 3/4 heims(4 LH, 4 RH), 16 misalignment spacers, and 8 tubing inserts. As well as a Tshirt. I plan to purchase enough stuff to make an extra link or 2 to carry as trail spares but for right now I'm just getting the suspension together.

My understanding is that if the system does not put much (if any) lateral strain on the joints, the 3/4s hold up ok on a full size. Problem is, side impacts or suspension bind which puts lateral loads on the 3/4s cause them to fail at the shank or retainer. This is the reason most full size linkers are tending toward the 1"+ sizes now. You also have much better longevity in the larger joints (primarily due to larger wear surfaces).

it won't be much of a fullsize when the S-10 cab goes on it /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

yea but it will still be a fullsize frame. I chopped the frame off from right in front of the rear bumpstops back, I must say I can see why those frames weigh so damn much.

Exactly. You'll be surprised how close this thing it going to weigh even with the S-body on the frame. Main benefit of the hybrid (at least the full bodied hybrid) is reduced size, not reduced weight (although there is some).

I'd stay away from a 3/4 x 3/4 joint, at least for the lower arms. I've seen more than one broken from rock strikes (bouncing?) on the link arms. I have a 3/4 x 7/8 on my front lowers and they don't really get hit much. I really like the fact that I can bounce all I want on the rear lowers with 1 x 1.25 joints.

I'm beginning to thing there's no such thing as a "cheap, durable" 4 link. I guess that depends on your definition of cheap, but no matter what, you're going to drop a good bit of money doing it. Or you'll be re-doing it later, either way it's expensive.