[Dr_Snapid]

I have seen some people undoing a radius arm bolt to help flex up onto ramps etc

Does anyone drive like this? Is it safe? Pros and cons?

[zooky08]

when i did it i couldnt really drive with out my unis binding

[Mike57]

No you cannot drive it like that. The axle will twist as zooky08 said.

[SierraDan]

Depends on the car. But apparently on a jimny it's a no no, as above

[monley]

I have lost a radius a bolt over 100km's from home out on a night trip before and apart from the extra body roll ( not much roll stiffness with a bolt pulled) it drove fine. The axle will twist if you have 2 bolt's pulled on the same axle, but it shouldn't twist with only one bolt pulled. I don't recommend pulling a bolt if you are driving on road tho....

Here's a few pics of the amount of flex to be had with a bolt pulled...



That was one rear bolt pulled...



And that's a front bolt pulled...



And that's not bolt pulled.

I noticed alot more flex was gained in the rear by having a bolt pulled over the front, and it felt more stable having a rear bolt pulled over the front. Not much gain in having a front bolt pulled IMO

[Reubs]

Dr_Snapid wrote:

Does anyone drive like this? Is it safe? Pros and cons?

With the number of Suzuki Jimny's and coil Sierras that break radius arm mounts on the diff, i'd never want to remove any radius arm bolt to 'increase flex' ever.

Does anyone drive like this? NO. Is it safe. Hell no.

[Dr_Snapid]

Thx everyone

Monley are you using standard arms? Do you think releasing a rear bolt is worthwhile? (Would you bother doing it for a 4x4 trip)

[SierraDan]

Lockers are more worthwhile than the flex you'll get from pulling a bolt.

[Dr_Snapid]

SierraDan wrote:

Lockers are more worthwhile than the flex you'll get from pulling a bolt.

No doubt. At $1000s of bucks it had wanna be!

I'm not saying i'll pull a bolt, was just interested when I saw others taking photos of flex with it out

[zooky08]

Worse is reversing with to bolts pulled, unis go clunk clunk.
Here is a pic of just the rear bolts pull. Doing this doesn't let the front suspension work

[SierraDan]

You pulled BOTH?

[zooky08]

1 bolt either side is pulled in the rear, none in the front

[Gwagensteve]

I'd be very careful about pulling bolts - Its murder on mounts, and it does nasty things to handling.



Monley has been running bolts pulled for a while AFAIK, and this is what one of his mounts look like. With one rear bolt pulled, you are doubling the drive load on the mount that doesn't have a bolt pulled.

Also, depending on what side has been pulled and which way your car is leaning when you try to drive something, you can have the suspension go to full droop on one side under light throttle and a small side angle. I've experienced this when I was experimenting with pulled bolts. I lost lots of capability on hill climbs because the car just flopped over really severely under power, far worse than with a three link, because the drive load is trying to open the suspension up with a radius arm, and once all that force is applied to only one side of the car, things get out of hand.

Pulled bolts are fine for posing, or for ramping your car to check clearances etc, but it's not for driving obstacles.

Steve

[monley]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I'd be very careful about pulling bolts - Its murder on mounts, and it does nasty things to handling.


Monley has been running bolts pulled for a while AFAIK, and this is what one of his mounts look like. With one rear bolt pulled, you are doubling the drive load on the mount that doesn't have a bolt pulled.


Steve

That damage was caused by a flogged out bush and a LOOSE bolt (2-3 days of with a loose bolt in fact ) . Not from having a bolt pulled. I have not ran for longer than 1 day with having a bolt pulled

I have only ran for one trip with a front bolt pulled (just to see how much flex was gained) and no time's in the rear on purpose. When i don't have a bolt in the rear it's always been from vibration's making the bolt loose and coming out it's self .

[SierraDan]

zooky08 wrote:

1 bolt either side is pulled in the rear, none in the front

Yeah, that's retarded.

[Gwagensteve]

I stand corrected, but I'll stand by my comments. Run with a bolt pulled for long and that's what the mounts will look like. They're not strong enough stock, let alone with twice the force going through them. The floggedness of the bush has nothing to do with it.

Steve.

[zooky08]

SierraDan wrote:

zooky08 wrote:

1 bolt either side is pulled in the rear, none in the front

Yeah, that's retarded.

was on my property and was getting dark so i only did the rear and drove 10 metres up a dirt pile. not retarded
if i had more day light of course i would do the front as well and before you ask was geting dark, but that photo is edited.

[SierraDan]

zooky08 wrote:

SierraDan wrote:

zooky08 wrote:

1 bolt either side is pulled in the rear, none in the front

Yeah, that's retarded.

was on my property and was getting dark so i only did the rear and drove 10 metres up a dirt pile. not retarded
if i had more day light of course i would do the front as well and before you ask was geting dark, but that photo is edited.

None of that made it any less retarded..

[Dr_Snapid]

Pulling a bolt either side... What's stopping the diff from twisting under power and brake? I wouldn't be doing that...

[JrZook]

Lol probs the panhard trying to hold everything in place

[zooky08]

I thought I did what monley said to do, maybe I mis read what he said
I still had two other radius arm bolts in plus shocks and panhard, and drove 10 meters max very slowly.

[got_bar_work]

Only one bolt each end so 2 in total not 4 out of 8

[SierraDan]

Yeah. Usually you do one long side bolt.

[zooky08]

Oh I see oops I only pulled two in rear not 4, but I did drive slowly so I didnt do any damage. Was only once for a poser shot .

[got_bar_work]

Ur so lucky
If u put any power into it it would have shattered ur tail shaft as the diff would have just spun backwards

[zooky08]

If I gave it alot of power it would have but for me to get up the dirt pile the shocks and panhard rod held it from turning to much

[KEENSY85]

monley wrote:

I have lost a radius a bolt over 100km's from home out on a night trip before and apart from the extra body roll ( not much roll stiffness with a bolt pulled) it drove fine. The axle will twist if you have 2 bolt's pulled on the same axle, but it shouldn't twist with only one bolt pulled. I don't recommend pulling a bolt if you are driving on road tho....

Here's a few pics of the amount of flex to be had with a bolt pulled...



That was one rear bolt pulled...



And that's a front bolt pulled...



And that's not bolt pulled.

I noticed alot more flex was gained in the rear by having a bolt pulled over the front, and it felt more stable having a rear bolt pulled over the front. Not much gain in having a front bolt pulled IMO

did u just try it for arguments sake or do u drive it like that?