I am just wondering, what are the benefits and differences of running an A-Arm front suspension..

I can see how the A-Arm suspension could give you some additional travel but it looks like it could be a rougher ride in the woods. The VW trailing arms moves up and "back" when you hit a bump where an A-Arm suspension can only go up and down. I would think that the backwards movement would help absorb bumps in the trail.

What are your thoughts?

_________________
Woodsbuggy forum is now on the Tapatalk Mobile app... (iPhone, iPad and Android devices)

Well, you don't have to mount your a-arms to where they move straight up an down. They only have to move same direction of your shock. U can turn the assembly clockwise if your looking at the hub. Which will be like the vw with moving up and back. If you notice sport quads have a slight on the back side of the arms to the rear of the machine. You get more travel with them straight up. Bout you can mount them to do what you want.


Posted using the WoodsBuggy Mobile App

I think honestly people use vw cause it's easier to mount an less welding and fab work. Most of all vw works and takes a hell of a beating. King pins have to take a hard lick to break an not get you out of the woods.


Posted using the WoodsBuggy Mobile App

i would like to try a a-arm setup on one of mine for the reason that i cant kingpins tight and the bearings or bushings in the front tubes.they get alot of slop then the steering gets alot of slop,but i question if they will hold up in a turnover.

I don't think a-arms will hold up in a roll over. Or even on a tree impact for that matter. Bout the only I see a advantage at is ground clearance.


Posted using the WoodsBuggy Mobile App

Well you ask passat on here he build an a-arm on front of his sons buggy it has great ground clearance and climbs pretty damn good too. It's builded out of 1 1/2 angle iron I never seen it roll over but I think it would hold up


Posted using the WoodsBuggy Mobile App iPhone

_________________
if you cant run with the big dogs than slow down and make fun of the little ones

My son Harry 89 absolutely loves his as well. He hit a tree at Chocollocco with an A arm and it bent his frame. Back in '04 he took out a stop sign with an A arm running from the cops. Spray paint fixed it but if it had of failed he would have been put in jail. They float nicely over rocks and ruts with NO bumpsteer until they are at an extreme angle.

Upload some pics of a-arm designs? I'd like to see a cpl myself.


Posted using the WoodsBuggy Mobile App

You can make a double wishbone system move backwards as well to reduce some of the shock loadings, just incline the mountings.

The first 2 pics show damage from an airborne head on collision in the dunes, with another buggy.

_________________
A good friend will bail you out of jail. A best friend will be sitting next to you saying: "Damn that was fun!"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5wGMaUMXUQ

_________________
Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

Nice! How well does it steer?

it steers great. Kevin spent some time getting the front spring rates dialed in. It wasnt very easy to get it to sit low and still use the entire shock. rides like a dream! We have had to replace a few arms and heims, but i cant say even the big front end of my race buggy would have not bent considering some of the impacts the a-arms have seen. Suprisingly it isnt any lighter in the front than my king pin on the race buggy.

_________________
Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

hey racebugg what kind of bushings do you use in your front beam ,the white ones from drews or do use bearings?

I use blue bushings. I cant remember who makes them, but i got them from McKenzies. The white ones are good as long as you cut the collar off and make a spacer, which you would have to do with any of them if you want them to hold up. You can make them with a few hole saws and a piece of 1/4"-3/8" piece of flat aluminum.

_________________
Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

To make mine steer great , the measurement from hinge to hinge on both upper and lower arms and tie rod has to be the same. The slightest difference makes disasterous bad steering as it flexed.

It is difficult to see if the pictures. Are any of these A-Arm setups angled back to have some backwards motion when hitting bumps. If so, what is a good angle?

_________________
Woodsbuggy forum is now on the Tapatalk Mobile app... (iPhone, iPad and Android devices)

if you look at the frame here on my jig table, you can see the front is up a little. I cant remember off the top of my head what we set it at, but I think I was leaning towards 7* while kevin was thinking 4*, so I would say it is someware around there. As for what passat is saying, I know there are a few ways to make it steer great, but there are a thousand ways to make it steer horrible. The top arms are shorter than the bottoms. That is how you get the camber change. You can also angle the top arm back to change caster through the travel. you want the inner steering pivot to be on a plane with the upper and lower pivot to reduce bump steer. the pivots dont have to be the same, just on a plane.

_________________
Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

either way, no matter how much angle you put the arms at, if you whack a tree, you will bend things. In that aspect, I think a beam front end is much more fitted for the woods.

_________________
Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

I've straightened a beam out enough times!

The trick is, stop running into the trees.