On a four wheeling outing in Lefthand Canyon in Colorado, we had an opportunity to test the Safari Gard 3-link suspension side-by-side with a conventional Land Rover radius arm front-end setup. Both NAS Defender 90s were equipped with 3" lifts and extended travel drop kits in the rear axle, however the front of Pangaea's 90 (picture on top) had the 3-link suspension and external shock mounts, while the second vehicle featured a traditional set-up with standard long travel shocks and factory radius arms.

The difference in performance between the two vehicles was significant. Both pictures were taken while taking the same line on the same obstacle within a few inches of each other. The 3-link front suspension is clearly much more compliant, allowing all four wheels to touch the ground (the bottom truck's front driver side wheel was almost two feet off the ground). Notice also how much more level the 3-link truck sits, this definitely seems to translate into more stability on the trail.

In early iterations of the 3-link suspension, there were legitimate concerns expressed by users over the safety and reliability of the Safari Gard front end. These concerns related largely to the strength of the 3rd link connector, the angle of the third link and its ability to provide torsional stability under heavy braking (ie the axles tendency to roll over forward as force is placed on it). It appears as though these issues have been addressed in the most recent (post-prototype) production iteration of the 3-link, including a strengthened cross-member and third link attachment.

WIth that in mind, we probably would not equip a 3-link front end to an expedition equipped vehicle. The extra articulation would not be necessary in 99.9% of all overland driving situations. Likewise, the additional forces of a heavy Defender 110 or Discovery loaded to (or perhaps even beyond) GWV may also put undue strain on the suspension over extended expedition driving conditions.

The Rock Crawler D90 with the 3-link suspension equipped up front
(and 12" travel front shocks).

A similarly equipped Defender 90 on the same section of trail, with the stock radius arms equipped up front.