Watts link

[DHPmike]

By the way, the one in the pics at the top, the crossbars are way short and if you have alot of lift you may max them out.

You can make the bars longer and go across the center with them. many stock vehicles that use a watts have the bars crossing the center.

[ruffrida2005]

Welcome over DHP.

[DHPmike]

thanks man. Ive already posted in some other threads as well. Man Ive done so many things to these GM trucks over the years.. hopefully I can help.

[fletch4x4]

Just thought I should make a comment about the bars being too shot. Your right if I had too much lift they would max out. The bags are right over the axle, and with all the lift I can get outta them they don't get close to maxing out.

I designed it to have the bars level at ride height(ish) and still have all the travel they need.

Im not trying to be an expert or anything, but I would have defiantly been an idiot to weld everything up without at least cycling it through the suspension and making sure it actually works

edit... and it was done that way all for looks if you were wondering, just happens to work as well

[DHPmike]

great, and ill add that a watts will let the axle go side to side if the bars go past the useable point. cycle any watts past the useable limit and you will see the axle go to one side.

also as I said, you can add travel by making the bars go across the centerline. like this...




im not dissing your project but rather adding tips to make ANY watts a better install. Ive made many many watts in kits and also many different variations in custom design form and there are little things that make them better.

Im also used to seeing bag setups with lots of lift and usually base bag opinions on that.

[fletch4x4]

I hear ya- hell I was just copying pictures of what I had seen and reading some suspension articles. It was just luck that this all ended up working! lol. that and a lack of travel helps.

[DHPmike]

Ive seen some pretty short bars work on drag cars and such. trucks with bags need quite a bit of travel. post some more pics of your setup plz..

[fletch4x4]

I wish I could right now, I think ive posted up all I have. I just moved to TN and the truck is still sitting in CT at my parents house.

I think I only have about 8 in of travel in rear from laying on the ground, to completely aired up.

when I get home (November) for a weekend ill get some pics and you can let me know what ya thing.

thanks for the help!

[DHPmike]

deffinitely post some pics as soon as you have some. anyone else with a watts please post some pics and tell us a little more about yours.

[jmlcolorado]

Originally Posted by DHPmike

great, and ill add that a watts will let the axle go side to side if the bars go past the useable point. cycle any watts past the useable limit and you will see the axle go to one side.

also as I said, you can add travel by making the bars go across the centerline. like this...




I'm not dissing your project but rather adding tips to make ANY watts a better install. Ive made many many watts in kits and also many different variations in custom design form and there are little things that make them better.

I'm also used to seeing bag setups with lots of lift and usually base bag opinions on that.

Bringing up an old thread but is this picture showing the links past center line (vertical line at least) at ride height?
it looks as though when the axle travels through its articulation, the center line of the three points on the watts link will travel closer to vertical? Is this right?

[DHPmike]

Originally Posted by jmlcolorado

Bringing up an old thread but is this picture showing the links past center line (vertical line at least) at ride height?
it looks as though when the axle travels through its articulation, the center line of the three points on the watts link will travel closer to vertical? Is this right?

The watts stays in the middle like any other watts with the exception that it stays in the middle farther up and down the travel.

Yes the crank turns toward the vertical.

The difference here is that the bars have more length and that creates more up and down travel before the axle goes to one side.

[67cheby]

mine is a KP one just thought i would throw some pics of it on for reference

[jmlcolorado]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

mine is a KP one just thought i would throw some pics of it on for reference

That's a good lookin setup. I like the idea of mounting the watts using a separate ring on the diff rather then hard welding the pivot point.
Who makes that?
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[jmlcolorado]

Originally Posted by jmlcolorado

Bringing up an old thread but is this picture showing the links past center line (vertical line at least) at ride height?
it looks as though when the axle travels through its articulation, the center line of the three points on the watts link will travel closer to vertical? Is this right?

That sounds like a good advantage to me. Why doesn't everyone do that? Is there a disadvantage to it?
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[jmlcolorado]

So I've heard that using a watts link is highly beneficial cause you can adjust instant center. I assume this is more for drag racing but what exactly IS instant center?
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[67cheby]

it is made by KP COMPONENTS

[layingC10nK5]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

mine is a KP one just thought i would throw some pics of it on for reference

Nice gas tank, will that work without raising the floor? Who makes it? Thanks
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[67cheby]

it would if you let it hang below the frame some , i have it so it doesnt hang below the frame at all, it is an RCI tank from Summit

[hotrodhomi]

I love the looks of the Watts. I have the KP watts on my blazer.

[DHPmike]

Originally Posted by jmlcolorado

That sounds like a good advantage to me. Why doesn't everyone do that? Is there a disadvantage to it?
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The benefit is that the axle stays in the middle for more travel plus the bars look cool going across the center especially with the cool looking center crank. the crank also rotates more which also looks cool with the right shape crank.

the only down side is the bars make odd angles as they go up and down. looks funny way up or way down..

The rear cover mount is a good way to go on a 10 bolt or 12 bolt. The axle mounts look pretty cool too tho...

[ruffrida2005]

Mike that setup looks good. S10 i'm guessing? Can you show me some more pics of the rear set up.

[DHPmike]

That's on a Nissan Frontier. I will find more pics of this one plus this same one is going on a Nissan 720 this weekend.

Kinds depends on the style you want. You can mount to the axle and several people make nice setups. rear cover mount, I think only two companies make that style and then there's the frame mounted pivot where only the parallel bars themselves are mounted to the axle and everything else mounts to the frame.

[Mechanic77]

Kind of like what I did on my truck



I need to post up some more current pics, I've cleaned things up a bit and upgraded the rod ends and links to 5/8"....if anyone's interested, I'll try to post some tonight

[DHPmike]

yep, chassis mounted pivot, I made one of those also.