Thanks, gonna get over there and check on that. Also, do you think it would hurt to put a 3/8" on top of a 1/4" or vice versa if I wanted to get a little extra height. I know you have 2 spacers stacked on yours, you noticing any odd?
98 4runner... slowest build thread ever (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mr Chuck Norris
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- Thread starter
- #182
I don't see a problem with stacking them, Wheeler's agrees and says you can stack as well. Like I've said before as long as you keep the spacer total at 1" or less you will be good.
For the swaybar links and disconnects:
Bought a bunch of hardware today so I'll start building them tomorrow.
And I've had a suspicion that I confirmed today... I can run the front links on the rear as they are 1" longer than the rear links. No need to extend the rear links now!
Mr.Chuck would you happen to be a member of T4R.org too? I'm on there as well since it is one of the largest 4runner forum.I do use the same name but different avatar.
- Thread starter
- #184
Haha yep, that's me. I try to lend a helping opinion over there when I see the need, but I prefer it over here.
Got my swaybars situated today. Fabbed/assembled the disconnects for the front, and swapped the OE fronts into the rear with poly bushings.
While I had all the end links off I drove it around the block. Holy s*** this rig definitely needs the swaybars, especially the rear. My dog was in the passenger seat and didn't have a good time with the rig tipping sideways through every turn.
Left to right:
OE rear, OE fronts with poly bushings (now used in the rear), front disconnects.
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More please.
Are you going to make more of these links?i would be interested.I like Mud better too.
Are you going to make more of these links?i would be interested.I like Mud better too.
- Thread starter
- #186
Are you going to make more of these links?i would be interested.I like Mud better too.
I'm flattered that you like them enough to buy them... but I'm not sure about selling any of them. I cobbled these together with hardware store parts using a hand drill and angle grinder so the minor details aren't nice enough to sell. I probably spent close to $50 in parts too, not really conducive to making a profit from my labor.
I'd be glad to help/walk you through building some though.
I'm flattered that you like them enough to buy them... but I'm not sure about selling any of them. I cobbled these together with hardware store parts using a hand drill and angle grinder so the minor details aren't nice enough to sell. I probably spent close to $50 in parts too, not really conducive to making a profit from my labor.
I'd be glad to help/walk you through building some though.
I'd be interested in details as well!
-Daniel Kent
- Thread starter
- #188
Alright, my [not so] quick advice on disconnects:
I mainly used ideas from here:
http://67.122.16.100/larsdennert/4runner/swaybar/build.html
Then changed things around to improve them:
I used the highest grade 7/16"-20 threaded rod that I could find for strength and then used a thin aluminum tube to cover the threads. Skip the cheap galvanized all-thread, it is weak. I chose 7/16"-20 for all my material, since 1/2" requires you to drill out your control arms as mentioned in the previous link. Instead of welding the rod end to the threaded rod, I used a lot of loctite and jam-nutted it. It will hold just fine.
Something to note about wing nuts... 7/16"-20 wing nuts are unobtainium. I had to get creative and drill out some 3/8" wing nuts and tap them for 7/16"-20. The wing nuts I have are temporary though, I'd recommend something larger that you can get more leverage on to tighten by hand. I'll be welding some "wings" onto some large 7/16"-20 nuts that I have here to make my own wing nuts.
Drilling through grade 8 bolts isn't easy. Use lots of oil, drill a 1/8" pilot hole first, and then run the 3/16" through.
There will be a need to thread on nyloc nuts backward (aka plastic lock side first). Thread them on regularly first so you get threads worked into the plastic, then take them off and thread them on backward.
Lars went a bit cheap on these and spent $40. I used some higher quality stuff and spent about $50 in parts.
As far as dimensions go:
If you're stock height, make them stock length (duh).
If you're lifted, you have to account for where the lower end link mount is on the control arm. I have 3/4" spacers (1.25/1.5"ish lift), and the end link mount is about 1" farther out on the control arm than the lower shock mount is. So the end links need to be longer than 3/4". I went 1" longer to make it a nice easy number to work with. I referenced the end link measurements from the center pivot of the rod end (or stock end link ball joint) to the bottom of where the bushing sits.
If you have a 3" lift at the wheels I'd probably go 2" longer for the end links.
Hope this all helps!
I mainly used ideas from here:
http://67.122.16.100/larsdennert/4runner/swaybar/build.html
Then changed things around to improve them:
I used the highest grade 7/16"-20 threaded rod that I could find for strength and then used a thin aluminum tube to cover the threads. Skip the cheap galvanized all-thread, it is weak. I chose 7/16"-20 for all my material, since 1/2" requires you to drill out your control arms as mentioned in the previous link. Instead of welding the rod end to the threaded rod, I used a lot of loctite and jam-nutted it. It will hold just fine.
Something to note about wing nuts... 7/16"-20 wing nuts are unobtainium. I had to get creative and drill out some 3/8" wing nuts and tap them for 7/16"-20. The wing nuts I have are temporary though, I'd recommend something larger that you can get more leverage on to tighten by hand. I'll be welding some "wings" onto some large 7/16"-20 nuts that I have here to make my own wing nuts.
Drilling through grade 8 bolts isn't easy. Use lots of oil, drill a 1/8" pilot hole first, and then run the 3/16" through.
There will be a need to thread on nyloc nuts backward (aka plastic lock side first). Thread them on regularly first so you get threads worked into the plastic, then take them off and thread them on backward.
Lars went a bit cheap on these and spent $40. I used some higher quality stuff and spent about $50 in parts.
As far as dimensions go:
If you're stock height, make them stock length (duh).
If you're lifted, you have to account for where the lower end link mount is on the control arm. I have 3/4" spacers (1.25/1.5"ish lift), and the end link mount is about 1" farther out on the control arm than the lower shock mount is. So the end links need to be longer than 3/4". I went 1" longer to make it a nice easy number to work with. I referenced the end link measurements from the center pivot of the rod end (or stock end link ball joint) to the bottom of where the bushing sits.
If you have a 3" lift at the wheels I'd probably go 2" longer for the end links.
Hope this all helps!
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Thanks for the info man, I'm not so much after the quick disconect part as I am lengthening the links and this will be a great source of info.
Sent from my detachment from reality.
Sent from my detachment from reality.
Great info, thank you for taking the time to write that up!
-Daniel Kent
-Daniel Kent
- Thread starter
- #191
Gotcha, to do that I would just use a shorter bolt (2 1/4" maybe) and leave the head on it instead of cutting it off where the disconnect pin goes. It would be a lot easier too, the only cutting would be cutting the threaded rod to length.
Glad I could help!
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I see a few mentions of the swaybar being disconnected. I have run mine with no rear bar for over a year now. You can run the 2nd gen links in the rear to extended them, but when I started pricing them they were $, even from Advance with a discount I could no tjustify it. Maybe I will try to swap the front to rear and finally install my front disconnects.
My ride feels as stable as a lifted vehicle is, maybe I'm just used to it?
My ride feels as stable as a lifted vehicle is, maybe I'm just used to it?
- Thread starter
- #193
The swaybar dilemma probably depends on your spring rates as well. In the car world, which I am applying here since we're talking about on-road manners, there is usually a tradeoff for performance between stiff springs and stiff swaybars. If you run stiff springs you can get away with soft (or no) bars, and you can run softer springs with stiff bars and still have good turning performance but with more brake dive.
Some of the OME springs are quite stiff, especially when unloaded as they were meant for heavy expedition loads.
I was running 80 series coils and 80 series shocks. Just switched to 890 on 5125 Bilsteins. The new setup is much more controlled with no rear sway. If swapping the links works I may try to get the rear back on. Sure flexes like mad without it though.
- Thread starter
- #195
So, quick update...
I cleaned the MAF last week and ran a bottle of Redine fuel system cleaner through the 4runner. It seemed to add a little response and the mileage seems to have improved slightly, but it was on a long trip through mountain roads so that's not a very good baseline.
We took the 4runner camping at the beach for a couple nights and slept in it.
I made some magnetic screens for the rear windows, they worked great for ventilation... until I took them off and realized that the saltwater air corroded the magnets and rust stained my white paint. Luckily a claybar took off the stains with some vigorous rubbing.
We had a rubber cargo area mat and some foam mattress pads, which made it not very soft to sleep in. Definitely not going to use that setup again.
Didn't get to do any sand wheeling but did blast through one sand area on my way out. That's about it.
I'll post some of my hardcore non-wheeling pics tomorrow.
I cleaned the MAF last week and ran a bottle of Redine fuel system cleaner through the 4runner. It seemed to add a little response and the mileage seems to have improved slightly, but it was on a long trip through mountain roads so that's not a very good baseline.
We took the 4runner camping at the beach for a couple nights and slept in it.
I made some magnetic screens for the rear windows, they worked great for ventilation... until I took them off and realized that the saltwater air corroded the magnets and rust stained my white paint. Luckily a claybar took off the stains with some vigorous rubbing.
We had a rubber cargo area mat and some foam mattress pads, which made it not very soft to sleep in. Definitely not going to use that setup again.
Didn't get to do any sand wheeling but did blast through one sand area on my way out. That's about it.
I'll post some of my hardcore non-wheeling pics tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #196
Finally uploaded a few pics...
Poser pic in a covered bridge (you know you're getting old when you think things like this are cool).
Window screens of paint staining doom.
And I finally picked up a full size spare tire. It's a 25% 265/75r16 Toyo MT... anything bigger than a 265/75r16 and it probably won't fit. It's close to the panhard bar and almost touching the hitch.
Poser pic in a covered bridge (you know you're getting old when you think things like this are cool).
Window screens of paint staining doom.
And I finally picked up a full size spare tire. It's a 25% 265/75r16 Toyo MT... anything bigger than a 265/75r16 and it probably won't fit. It's close to the panhard bar and almost touching the hitch.
Rig is looking great, and I completely understand the what you think is a "cool" picture.
Quick question, your spring compressors are the kind that are just 2 long bolts with hooks on each end, right? I was gonna try and swap my top plate studs tonight and found out that my big jaw compressor won't fit between the wraps so I can't do anything right now. I guess I could grind the lips down a little to fit in between the coils.
Quick question, your spring compressors are the kind that are just 2 long bolts with hooks on each end, right? I was gonna try and swap my top plate studs tonight and found out that my big jaw compressor won't fit between the wraps so I can't do anything right now. I guess I could grind the lips down a little to fit in between the coils.
- Thread starter
- #198
I have the same style, these are the exact ones I use: http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...00947057000P?sLevel=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL
Like I mentioned in an earlier post... I had to take the compressors apart by completely unscrewing the long bolt, then slide the hooks into the middle of the spring, then rotate the hooks to the ends of the spring. Otherwise the spring gaps were too narrow to just hook them in. You also need to rotate both upper and lower hooks in the spring at the same time as they can't rotate past each other. You'll see what I mean when you give it a try.
And yeah... when I was younger I saw a covered bridge and didn't think twice. Now I think things like this are interesting to see and the history behind them is really interesting. I guess this is a part of getting older. I like it.
- Thread starter
- #199
- Thread starter
- #200
Minor pic updates...
I've had these sitting around for a bit, I need to jump on the diff swap soon and get it done by the time it snows. I'm ready to go with seals for the rear axle housing and front differential housing, and some longer e-lock diff studs (I'm trying to keep it as stock as possible):
Also, since I need to weld a new shock mount onto the E-lock housing I needed to get my welder up and running. I picked this 1960s beast up from the original owner's daughter, it still works perfectly and after a lot of cleaning looks really good:
I'm working on a cart for it now so I can move it around easier.
And now that I don't have to go bum welders from friends I can burn some steel here at home. I added the brace to my CB antenna mount to stop it from flexing. I was using old rods so the inner welds are boogery, but used better rod for the outside and ground it smooth.
I've had these sitting around for a bit, I need to jump on the diff swap soon and get it done by the time it snows. I'm ready to go with seals for the rear axle housing and front differential housing, and some longer e-lock diff studs (I'm trying to keep it as stock as possible):
Also, since I need to weld a new shock mount onto the E-lock housing I needed to get my welder up and running. I picked this 1960s beast up from the original owner's daughter, it still works perfectly and after a lot of cleaning looks really good:
I'm working on a cart for it now so I can move it around easier.
And now that I don't have to go bum welders from friends I can burn some steel here at home. I added the brace to my CB antenna mount to stop it from flexing. I was using old rods so the inner welds are boogery, but used better rod for the outside and ground it smooth.
