I have a basic stock 87 Toyota 4X4 DD that isn't used as a hardcore 4X4, however, whenever I do go on rough roads with lots of washboards, I get lots of axle wrap. I would like to put a 4 link system in. Any suggestions on where to obtain one? I don't have any wielding skills. Thanks

Try here:
- http://www.trail-gear.com/suspension.html
or here:
- http://offroadsolutions.com/suspension.html

Not going to find anything bolted on, though.

Generally washboard road will not induce axle wrap, it is typically caused when starting out and the extreme torque on the rear axle causes the springs to twist upin front and down in back:



You can get a bolt-on anti-wrap bar from Bud Built:
- http://www.budbuilt.com/new/traction_bars.html

Thanks Roger, I just found someone who does wielding (used to wield submarines}. Anyways, I have to slow down to like 2-3 mph over washboard roads so I am suspecting axle wrap. If I am wrong please correct me. Thanks!

Washboard makes the suspension go up and down over the bumps. What you are probably seeing is a rough ride, not axle wrap. Axle wrap happens when you have tons of traction and tons of torque applied to the wheels. You know those traction bars on cars that are drag raced. That is to control axle wrap. You can identify if axle wrap is going on by watching the rear driveshaft when the torque is applied, it and the pinion on the differential will tilt way upward as torque builds then it'll snap downward as the leaf springs release and the tires slip. That cycle will repeat and case "wheel hop" as the rear axle alternately twists upward under load then snaps downward as the tires slip.

For washboard, several things can be done to help smooth out the ride. Airing down the tires helps a whole lot. I'll usually run 15-20 psi on gravel roads. In fact one time I drove all the way from eastern California to Wyoming, mostly on gravel and dirt roads, and was aired down in that pressure range for 5 days that took:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/Nevada/MN_Trip_2004/

2nd thing is to make sure your suspension has enough up and down travel to let the tires move up and down freely to float over the bumps. If you have stock springs, it is likely that the leaves have sagged to the point they are riding on the stiff overload leaf and you may only have an inch or two of uptravel before hitting the bumpstops. Installing some new springs can really help, especially something with a little lift over stock to give the suspension more up and down travel. For an IFS truck, setting the torsion bars so you have decent up and down travel works well. IFS is probably better at washboard than a solid axle due to much less unsprung weight.

3rd thing is good shocks. For washboard, a decent gas pressure shock works well. I used to run some KYB GasAdjust shocks and those were very good on the bumpy roads, I just found they were a little too soft in slow rock crawling for my liking. Now I run Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks. They are not the greatest shock in the world by any means, but with the in-cab adjuster, I can dial in the shock damping as I drive for the smoothest ride.

4th, for washboard, you can either drive really slow or really fast and almost no speed in between. Slow is like 5-10 MPH and fast is like 40-45MPH or faster. At speed, you keep the tires up on top of the washboard bumps and sort of float over them. You do need to find a happy medium between a smoother ride and sufficient control to not slide off the road and also to be able to slow down if you come up on a bigger hole or bump in the road.

Absent running a "Trophy Truck" suspension, no shock adjustable or not is going to soften the washboard ride. Your only real solution(absent very deep pockets) is to pick up a good set of shocks that are more street biased(since that is where you spend most of your time), a 12volt comnpressor and storage tank(under $100 at Pepboys )and lower the psi to 12-15 depending on the type of tire you are running. The lower psi allows the sidewalls of the tire to absorb the bumps instead of the shocks, reducing the effects of thewashboards. I run my AT's at 15, and my MT's at 12. With these psi's I get as smooth of a ride as when I am on the highway, whether going slow behind trailered traffic or wide open on a long straight away "Ivan Stewart" style.

With speed the main thing is being able to slow down in time, which is a lot easier when running a lower psi. I usually always run in 4low when aired down, the higher drive ratio allows for good engine breaking, and 4wd allows for better traction.