Four link?

So I have been working on a 69 valiant and feel it is time to finish up the suspension. In the rear I have mini tubed the car and moved the leafs in. I found a narrowed rear to put in her but the narrowed rear is set up for the old school leaf link. If I am at it I would like to convert this to a four link or even the triangulated four link. I am set up with fuel cell so exhaust and fuel tank clearances are not a problem.

I found this forum via google search for triangulated rear with a tread by Mad Dart. I understand this fella has now done another car but with a four link system.

Stock frame rails mini tubed big block conversion with 74 duster K member.

Cheers Don.

RMS makes a pretty much bolt in triangulated 4 link

Hey Don from Dorchester. I’ve got the leaf link in my unfinished car. Spoke to Herb Mc Candless and he said why, he would bend the front of the spring 90 degrees on launch. Well for nostalgia reasons and I’m not doing 800 hp clutch launches I’m still going to try it.

Look up Bear’s Performance Canada in Windsor I’ve bought tons of stuff from them and Dave is great. Any bit or piece or complete kits with reasonable shipping. If you have Welding/Fab skill it would save a lot of money.

roccodart440 said:

RMS makes a pretty much bolt in triangulated 4 link

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Well our good brother to the south has made things a little interesting importing goods from the US right now. Shipping, dutes, taxes, and exchange rate are 75 cents puts Reilly's system out of the question. I am a handy welder guy and this is a project my son and I are working on together.

Coronet 500 said:

Hey Don from Dorchester. I’ve got the leaf link in my unfinished car. Spoke to Herb Mc Candless and he said why, he would bend the front of the spring 90 degrees on launch. Well for nostalgia reasons and I’m not doing 800 hp clutch launches I’m still going to try it.

Look up Bear’s Performance Canada in Windsor I’ve bought tons of stuff from them and Dave is great. Any bit or piece or complete kits with reasonable shipping. If you have Welding/Fab skill it would save a lot of money.

Click to expand...

Yes speaking at Lane performance in our area and they seem to be the best for affordability and quality. Need some Dzus fasteners to clip in my inner fenders and my carbon fiber truck lid we built. Might fasten the glass hood on this way too and not use the pins. Never liked what the wire did to the paint job.

Just wondering if there is an easy way to use the leaf link mounts or just torch them off and start new. I guess this Mad Dart sold that dart and built another project A body that he did some type of a four link conversion. I have tried the search on this forum and find nothing on his four link system. My son and I can handle some fab work and are not afraid of a challenge. What is crazy I was going to sell all my old parts, big blocks, 67 cuda, two mid 80's trucks, 89 ramchanger, AAR cuda original hood, and buy a hellcat. My son said to me..... NO lets finish the 69... soooo. Here I am.

With a leaf spring it would create bind. A floating mount with slider would be needed.

4 Link Rear Suspensions are fantastic but not all are created the same. A parallel link system is designed for straight line of travel, drag strips. A triangulated 4 link is designed to be reactive around corners, road courses. The trouble is 1 design is not good for both applications so that is where the we must figure out what we will settle for, pretty good across the board or car specific. If you are building a drag racer, you will want a 4 link parallel kit that is adjustable . My 2 cents

Once a four link is installed and adjusted 95% of the people never adjust it again . They are terrible on the street because the rod ends are constantly being pounded out and they are noisy . the same goes for ladder bars . Today leaf springs and/or Cal-tracs can perform the same function without cutting the crap out of the car . Consider NHRA, A/Stock stick or automatic that are in the 9 second time slot with leaf springs . I you want to hook hard at the track with leafs add a pinion snubber . Still works great after 50 years .

I'm using a triangulated 4 bar (Control Freak), 2" per side narrowed rear and mini tubs. The Reilly kit is nice but still has a bar (going to the OE hanger) using wheel space.Mine mount under and inside the frame rails. I have about 3000 street miles and 17 , 1/4 mile passes. The trick is initial set up. As Scampman stated , most drivers never readjust once set up correctly. With poly bushed rod ends, correct length shocks (based on actual desired ride height)with adjustable valving, and the correct springs (also based on ride height,weight and stroke length) i can tell you it'll ride great, handle well and makes no noise. The only track adjustments I make are air pressure and set the rear shock compression to 0 and rebound to 16. Concerning the Duty and tax fees,the brackets they use are ingenuous but can be replicated. Here's an install pic during install

Well it looks like the trilink will be best. It is a four speed car and mostly street.

Still looking at maybe doing the leaflink system. It should do the trick too for a street rod. I wish I could find some leafs that were just a smidge narrower then stock.