The Perfect Link Kit?

[-Jake-]

It should be called the MarlinK or Marlink or MarLink.  Surely I'm not the only poor dude on here but I'd like to see it sub-$1000 and that is even pushing the out of reach area for me.  I think you should offer an entire kit and also be able to buy piece-by-piece for those of us that can't save money.  It'd be nice not to have to move my gas tank either.  Thats all I have for now.   

[joey0712]

I run X joints.. They are really easy to put together and so far work great.

[IronClad]

Is cut to fit links going to be offered? as every truck is different and requires different speration link lengths blahblahblah i could go on forever

[zippo]

I would say write a simple program that the "customer" enters some simple truck specs, tires, height, wheel base, wheeling habbits, weight, and let it spit out the links lenghts, joints and price. No reason to waist money on crazy joints when it mostly a DD. Then cut/tap the links, box the prefabbed hangers and mail her. Their is no one size fits all 4link for offroad. way to many varibles. But with this everyone is happy.

Then have different stages for spring/shocks to coilovers, to airshocks, to coiledairshocks.

You could even set it up to handle "low riders"? not really sure why, but people would buy it and money is money.

[TacoRunner]

Is cut to fit links going to be offered? as every truck is different and requires different speration link lengths blahblahblah i could go on forever

I would say write a simple program that the "customer" enters some simple truck specs, tires, height, wheeling habbits, weight, and let it spit out the links lenghts, joints and price. No reason to waist money on crazy joints when it mostly a DD. Then cut/tap the links, box the prefabbed hangers and mail her. Their is no one size fits all 4link for offroad. way to many varibles. But with this everyone is happy.

Then have different stages for spring/shocks to coilovers, to airshocks, to coiledairshocks.

You could even set it up to handle "low riders"? not really sure why, but people would buy it and money is money.

Sounds more custom than kit.

[zippo]

Only link lenght is changed. Everything elses is prefabbed. hell even on side of the link is. Then cut/tap the other end and p00f!. I would think its as close to "kit" as your going to get and keep everyone happy.

OR

Just have different kits for different tire sizes? I just dont see it working if you try and sell the same kit to a guy running 33's and another running 40's

[IronClad]

pretty much what zippo said.. thats why the TG link kit is so awful

[TacoRunner]

There are many reason's why that kit sucks, but thats not one of them. The geometry on that this blows, You'd have to run about 2" lift or less for it to work well, plus that kit was NOT designed with manual steering inmind. So you have to put on Full Hydo.

[IronClad]

the geometry blows because its made for one specific setup you basicly said it yourself

You'd have to run about 2" lift or less for it to work well

How would this kit be any different?

[TacoRunner]

I dont know just thought it would be nice if someone built a kit that would allow for more normal amounts of lift. Like say 4-6 but still had good high speed manners.

[crawlerdan]

I dont know just thought it would be nice if someone built a kit that would allow for more normal amounts of lift. Like say 4-6 but still had good high speed manners.

this is what i stated earier in the thread, we need a "utilitarian" kit that is designed to do everything well, not just rock crawl, not just street.

everyones "wish list" seems to be geared towards hardcore use, and while the kit i refer to may be a great basis for such, i believe it will yield a more broad interest if its geared towards the daily driver/weekend warrior

[crawlerdan]

my idea of a perfect kit is this.

a stock pickup or 4runner has decent road manners for what it is, but yeilds very little performance off road due to limited travel, ect.

the TG kit, and ORS kit offer what apears to be great articulation....but that about it, in refering to conversations with a few ORS kit owners, they leave alot to be desired, and are "scary" and "unpredictable"

UNPREDICTABLE is my key word here, for a car driven on road, safety is left to hit and miss at best-IF THE HANDELING IS UNPREDICTABLE.  in my book that is not ok, i have a 1 year old and a 7 year old that i purcharsed my 4 door runner to kart around.
what i want is something that seamlessly blends on road stability and drivabilty, with characteristics that make it decent off road, im not talking about WEROCK flex, im talking about throwing the family in the runner and doing the rubicon, or moab-safely

with proper geometry, and stout components, this can be achieved. and like i have indicated in previous posts, i believe this kit i speak of will be availiable to us soon, dont know when, but sooner then later.



IS WHAT I DESCRIBED SOMETHING YOU WOULD BUY?

[TacoRunner]

the geometry blows because its made for one specific setup you basicly said it yourself

While I totally agree with you, I will have to add that the TG kit resembles the Status Quo of do it yourselfers designs on PBB and here. It resembles the same regurgitated design that everyone else builds. I think we need some thing new.

[-Matt-]

i like the whole customization idea.. but i think that's going a little to far, realistically if it were to be like that, the price wouldn't be worth it to most people looking for a simple kit.

how i look at it is, if your all about doing a link suspension and want to do it best as possible to fit your vehicle then you need to research and do it yourself.. and in my opinion its a lot more fun and accomplishing to design your own suspension, but that's coming from someone that likes a challenge, has tools and likes to fabricate.

but, if your someone that wants a reasonably priced kit, and isn't looking for a custom job then i think a kit that was designed for a few different models would be awesome. also i think doing an average on each kit would be the best way. (for example most people run from 35s-40s tires. so design the length and triangulation of the links for a 38" tire and call it good) you have to keep in mind that the whole purpose of this is to be cost affective, easy to install, and still perform well.

i know everyone will agree on making it road worthy/predictable. in other words its reassuring to have a setup that allows you to let your wife/gf drive your truck from time to time without it feeling completely aftermarket.

as far as designing one that's truly road worthy, one of the main problems that you would run into would be the link location to the frame. the easiest way would be to mount them to the frame but by doing that you dont have enough triangulation so weird happens (wouldn't be that great for something that gets driven daily). marlin would have to design some sort of a bolt-able sub frame section where the links could attach closer together on the frame side, but it would have to unbolt so you could still get the transmission out.

i think its a win loose situation.. if i was into buying a kit i personally would go for a nicer ride and better quality and be willing to pay more for that than simple and cheap (if not then just stick with springs). who knows.. it might be able to be done vary well and really cheap but from what i know about making a link suspension ride closer to a stock vehicle there has to be more done so its probably gonna cost a little more than tg's 1K kit.

i honestly think you get what you pay for with the tg kit. and i also think they did a decent job. but if another company wants to do something that's gonna set the standards for a link suspension as far as performance and ride them im just gonna use common sense and say that its probable gonna cost more money. but i also think it would be worth it. after all..that is why most of us by from MC than other company's.

[Steve_925]

i agree with Matt's above post. some things to keep in mind, everyone wants a perfect marlin approved setup. if they make it so you can get different link lengths then its not going to be the perfect approved link set up anymore. by making the linx longer or shorter your changing alot. the best thing to do is research your ass off and build it your self. i would be shocked if marlin EVER came out with a link kit, he seems to be about upgrading stock components than eliminating those components completely and putting something else in.