Carli 6" Radius Arm System

This is something completely new and a unique option for 3 Gen Dodge Ram owners. A completely bolt-on, radius arm system for Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4's. This project wasn't easy, there's a lot to be taken into account.

Sage engineered this system with the customer in mind:

• 100% Bolt-on DIY kit
• No cutting off factory brackets
• No welding
• Return to stock at any time
• The kit can be transferred/sold complete
• Crossmember designed for easy transmission removal

These were the goals on Sage's plate when he embarked on this project. Before he even got to dimensions, the requirements were to offer a customer-oriented kit. This system was designed for our customers who don't want to cut their chassis, that will take their suspension system with them when they upgrade their truck, install it themselves on their driveway and/or need access their transmission - and wants a great riding, hard working and proven radius arm system.

Once Sage was able to figure out how he was going to pull it off, things went to the computer. Back in April, the crossmember and brackets were designed and then it was onto the arms. This is where things got tricky... This system is capable of 13+ inches of wheel travel (more than the stock driveline will allow) and is also capable of full bump to full droop articulation with precise geometry. Any other radius arm system will bind when articulated, one angle has to change in order for everything to be perfectly happy.... and Sage found a way.

Shown above is the Driver's side radius arm, looking just like a radius arm. Internally, this design has eight separate triangles running the length of the lower arm. The lower arm is where all of the front to back strength comes from.

The lower part of the arm has a full-length internal gusset, shown here creating 4 triangles inside the arm. Above and below are full length external gussets. 

You can see the top piece clamped to the arm. This is key set with a plate that is connected to the main box. This creates 2 more triangles on top and 2 more on the bottom.

When this was designed, it was laser cut so that the welds will tie every plate together. First the internal X is welded up on a jig and then the box is added with the external gussets. 

This is the strongest thing to ever come out of this shop.

The arms bolted up to the axle and drop bracket on the first try. All of this was done on the computer and the tools and jigs to assemble the system were created at the same time. The biggest factor that set the design apart is that before anything got cut, all of the factory parameters were used in the modeling process.

This system's true engineering feat comes in the form of overcoming articulation bind. The engineering that went into this is where the innovation is truly demonstrated. Over engineered; these photos would be impossible with coil springs in the bucket, shown below is the axle at max articulation, one shock at full bump and the other at full droop. No castor change bind.

Completed Dodge Ram Driver's Side Radius Arm

Completed Passenger Side Dodge Ram Radius Arm

Sage engineered a solution that offers harmonious axle geometry throughout the entire motion range. Ask anyone who has built radius arms and they will talk about castor change bind, it's nothing new. The Carli engineering approach is, however, something new in a production bolt-on radius arm system for Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4's.

This project was modeled on a computer using factory chassis parameters to ensure precision before plates even hit a laser table. The answer was +/- 3" of upper arm deflection to accommodate travel and articulation specs that exceed the chassis. This component is finished off in classic Carli style using chromoly tube, a billet stainless steel shaft and hard ball center joints. All that was left, was to prove this concept...

Proving the Dodge Ram Radius Arm 6" Lift System

Four Carli equipped Ram's headed out of Ensenada for a week of evaluating the performance of new products, shock tunes and setups. Here's the lineup of some of the strongest Dodge Ram's being exercised at the far end of the daily driver bell curve as far as off road performance goes. From left to right, my Megacab, Sage's Hemi, Ian's 6.7L and Travis's 2500. Every one of these trucks is running something in Development. I'm running new shim techniques in my 3.0 Kings, Sage has King adjustable clicker reservoirs, Ian with the 6" Radius Arm System and Travis with new Bilstein ACV shock and reservoir tune.

The only condition we didn't drive through was snow/ice. Driving down the peninsula on race course means hard pack dirt roads, sand washes, whoop sections that lead to the horizon, rock gardens that are 20 miles long, cobblestones, washboard, silt beds, beach sand, rutted hill climbs - and the best parts are the combos; such as "rock whoops", "cobblestone whoops" or "rock washboard". Baja is just it's own thing and the terrain can change from sand to rock to silt to mud within the same hundred yards... and there isn't anything harder on a vehicle.

These trucks went 1000+ miles in Baja, then drove to work on Monday - Carli Suspension's performance signature.

This is Ian blasting the Gonzaga Bay ramp. This is what you see when we are in the dirt, one truck in the air and another behind it whipped out sideways lining up his next run on the ramp.

The Radius Arm system is delivering incredible performance and proving to be worthy of Sage's quality guarantee. It survived a "day ender" incident; Ian dropped a wheel into a rut that was deep enough to stop the truck in it's tracks - an impact so violent, it caused his tires to turn so fast that he twisted the splines on his sector shaft with the pitman arm. Only the tie rods and steering box took a hit, the passenger side arm didn't know anything happened... stronger than the rest of the truck.

This is daily-driver suspension performance with the brawn to withstand whatever the party requires.

Brute strength was built into this design, including dragging the arms and drop brackets through rock on steep break-overs. Ian wasn't happy about me guiding him onto this line, but it had to be done. Go ahead and wheel, it'll take it. Sage designed this package to take the weight of the truck over whatever you want to drive through and it has been properly abused for your piece of mind -thanks Ian.

Passenger Side Plunge System Demonstration

Shown here is how the Carli Radius Arm System works. This is the passenger side arm with the plunge system; this is how the radius arms articulate while keeping the castor angle and controlling bind. This design offers more articulation and travel than the chassis will allow. In the video clip below, you can see the link in action, allowing the axle to move while maintaining proper geometry.

Direct link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RersTUXbgCI

The full hotlap started in Ensenada and went to San Felipe to Bahia De Los Angeles to Loreto to San Ignacio to Guerro Negro to El Rosario to San Quintin to Colonet and back to Ensenada (pretty much).

Before the Carli Radius Arm system is "done", it had to do this.

The whole week's mission was to put these products through worse conditions and speeds that borderline on abuse... then hold it there for a thousand miles.

This is how we know that the product is ready for our customers.