Hook and rod

[dirtkeeper]

I approve.
That's how I set mine.

I didn't use a hook and rod. I used some angle metal. First front end I had stops, similar to what I have now. The contact point was a single spot and it took about 50k miles, ...1/4 off road before it started to crack..I think you will be fine

This is current. Not as pretty as yours

[DirtDgr]

Typically for a class 11 we use used, but not too used, ball joints to set the stops. But we are after MAX travel and replace ball joints quiet often. Upper stop I set so the tires will only slightly bend the body while bottoming out. Little different on your car.

Those are good ball joints. Fibi Bilstein are what I use and are also very good.

If you do not gusset the hooks you risk bending them. They can deflect and bend. Probably less likely in your car but why chance it? Same with the little half piece of pipe. Gives it more surface area and insures that the hook is hitting flat and wont deflect and bend. Do it right and do it once.

Like a hammer hitting a nail. Hit flat part of hammer nice and flat on nail head and your good. But just a small angle of the hammer or the nail head and something will eventually bend.

But if your never going to drive your car hard it might be overkill, might not. Time will tell!

Also spread out the impact area at the rod as much as you can or your beam will eventually start to crack. Or tear away like the post above.

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Meek Racing would like to thank Two Larry's Racing, Baja Designs, Rugged Radios, Racer Decal, Optima Batteries, and Lakeport Tire for continued support throughout our racing adventures! You make it possible!

www.twolarrysracing.com

[Cortland15B]

So I welded everything up. Some of the welds might not be very pretty though. Let me know how I did!

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Multi-year baja project that seems to never end
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=498587&highlight=budget+baja

[thesatelliteguy]

[thesatelliteguy]

Here's something i just discovered:
Dont drill your hole for the rod right in the center of the beam tube supports!
I did back when i was going to make my own rod and hook set up. I bought the kit later on from mckenzies and when installing it today i found that:
1) the hooks will need some material taken off the surface that welds to the trailing arms
2) the tips of the hooks will hit each other

I bent the hooks away from each other and i think it will work. I also plan on adding some gussets to the hooks to keep them from bending.

I have some other questions.
4 inches of travel? Is that really it for a ball joint beam?
I had 5 inch total but noticed that when i turned the spindle when in full drop, that would cause binding and cause the suspension assemble to move upwards. Same when in full compression. So i subtracted 1/2 inch from each direction. But dam, thinking about my wheel only being able to move 4 inches is.....dissatisfying.
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Toyotas are so bumpy it makes me sick, literally.

My build Page http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=383878

[baja jerry]

The tips shouldn't hit each other if set up correct

[Brian]

[Sandbar Norm]

Maybe a different option would be to mount the upper hook on the back side of the lower arm.
Norm

[dirtkeeper]

What's binding and limiting the suspension? I have about 6.5" travel at my shock post and I don't see anything binding.

I also don't think the hooks should be hitting. As one is hitting the stop the other should be moving in th other direction

[thesatelliteguy]

[thesatelliteguy]

looks like my shocks only have 4" of travel too.
_________________
Toyotas are so bumpy it makes me sick, literally.

My build Page http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=383878

[dirtkeeper]

I have thing spindles but i dont think the travel or shock location is different from the bug. these pictures are full travel . I put my stops in a tad short of this. The bilstein shocks was the the only shock i could find that was the proper size and travel.