Quigley Susp.

pathfinder4x4vans@gmail.com

Joseph Samson of Carson City, NV  has provided some great pictures and information showing suspension repairs on his Quigley 4x4 van chassis. The drivetrain is destined for re-installation  into a newer E150 van. The frame and axle brackets holding the trailing arms had some serious issues and were in need of repair.

BRACKET(LH)

Side view, left

Quigley Hole

Bolt and bracket damage
Bracket(fa), quigley
BRACKET(RH) quigley

Side view, right

Since the suspension will be installed on another van frame, the brackets were removed by cutting the old frame. Joseph noted that the metal of the bracket was only 3/16 and made plans to increase the thickness around the bolt holes when he made his repair. He also noted that the threads of the bolts were riding on the bracket itself, and once the treads were crushed, the bolt began to move around beating the hole larger as well as wearing a groove into the bolt itself.
Bolt repair, quigley

Damage to bolt
Bracket(RB) quigley

After cleaning up the holes, Joseph installed repair sleeves he machined on his lathe. The repair sleeve has a shoulder added to increase the thickness of the bracket beyond it’s original 3/16 in. Now the bolt holes are approx 1/4. He stressed the importance of installing new bolts whose shoulder spans the entire width of the bracket, so the threads of the bolt begin just as the bolts clears the bracket.

Quigley,left control links

Rear view of left side control links, shock mount and suspension.
quigley TRACKING

Forward  view of left side suspension
TRACKING(LH)

Close-up of forward upper control link mount with bolt hole damage
 (notice gap above bolt)

   Joseph pointed out that the bracket most severely damaged was the axle bracket that accepted the forward end of the upper control link.  Notice that the lower shock mount is attached to the outboard side of the upper control link via a piece of channel. ( upper pic) The added leverage of the channel and shock absorber will increase the stress on the upper link, forcing it to twist outward at the top.

   Joseph plans to relocate the lower shock mount and eliminate the shocks influence on the upper link. We look forward to seeing the finished product.   

Questions on parts or need to place an order? Call Gordon @ 801-915-1402 anytime from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM mountain time. Monday-Saturday

(Sunday is OK if you have no other time to call )