Front suspension help

Maybe it has something to do with that diff guard
It does connect to either side of axle

I'd be surprised if the guard had any effect it's only bolted to the axle?

Op,when you say ball joints on the radius arms do you mean proper heim joints, only they aren't going to allow enough movement in the radius arms as they are too rigid to accommodate the twisting movement of the arms as the axle moves. In effect because they have no lateral movement in the joint only two directions of rotation all the lateral movement of the axle as it flexes is being accommodated by the two axle end bushes which are too close together to allow much movement. In order to get big flexibility from a heim jointed axle you need them at both ends of the radius arms which means you need either a 3 or four link suspension not a 2 link and panhard.

Just had a look at the 4xfourart arms and they are heim joints at the chassis end. They are never going to flex like polyurethane or rubber. They will bind up just like what you are experiencing. They with also transmit every shock load directly into the chassis mounting points and in short order fatigue or shear the brackets off the chassis. Heim/rose/spherical joints are for race cars not road cars. Pity cause they look quite cool.

Sorry, Peeps.

My photos are a bit misleading.

Sway Bar / Anti Roll Bar

Please note that I do have a swaybar disconnect installed on the car, I always disconnect it when offroading, (the image with the wheel in the air on the rocks, it was disconnected)

The front photo with the wheel on the jack, I left the sway bar FULLY connected as a TEST to see if it was limiting my flex, however to my amazement, it had no effect. I actually removed the sway bar while the car was jacked up like that, (the bolt on the knuckle came out super easily) (this is what got me curious to explore further. It should have been really tight with a lot of force on it.)

The image with the diff hanging low, had the sway bar fully disconnected.

Please see image below, (after jacking up the right side of the axel, (left side hanging freely) I connected the right side of the sway bar back up, and then photographed the difference of the ASB on the left, it was minimal (~3cm)


The sway bar has been dropped, but only about 2cm. (this was to fit the swaybar disconnect) (I have not extended it further as I have the swaybar disconnect.) From my tests, it does not affect the full compression or full extension. ( I tested this without coils in, put sway bar on, and tested it).

Rose / Heim Joints

First of all, I'm not sure I agree that the poly bushes would flex more, the whole point of the heim / rose joint is so that it can flex like crazy without stressing the material? Before installing them I remember playing with the rose joins and they can twist ALLOT. I highly doubt this is the cause of the bind up. I could be wrong, but I believe the rose joins are superior flexing at the cost of comfort (as mentioned, because they won't absorb any bumps/force)

Please also note my logic, that the rear radial arms have the exact same topology, rose joint at the chassis end and poly bushes on the axel end, and they flex more than enough.

Axel Side Bushes
Please note the bushes bolts go in the middle, the radial arms are already castor corrected, these are NOT the offset ones.


Here are pictures on the Right Hand Side radial arms on how they twisting (or lack of)



You can see here that the rose join is not maxed out in its twist, and its not touching the chassis cup at all.





So long and the short I am very lost. I can only think the polyurethane bushings on the axel in the front are too hard. However again, they the same as the rear ones, So I dono..

I am in no way experienced in Jimny modifications and so am just reading this thread with interest.
Nice set up by the way, looks well made.

But if the front and back configurations are the same, and you have the roll bar disconnected, Sherlock Holmes type logic would only leave the steering drag link bars etc as the difference between the two. Is it possible these are limiting movement?

Also the rose joint will move freely, however the front poly bushes on each arm will still limit twist if tight enough.

I'll shut up now as I don't know what I am talking about, but feel better now I've thrown in my uneducated comments.

Good luck, hope you sort it, great photos of articulation and interesting.
Mike

That picture of old/new arm together
I have +3 arms and when put next to standard arm
They where around an inch longer

Not that this should make any different to your issue