4runner.... rescue? (2 Viewers)

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Front springs I’m doing a RUF pack that’s a mix of fronts/rears and one leaf out of an old Marlin 4” rear pack. I’m not going for a flex monster. Just looking for low height and more articulation than I had with IFS.

For rear springs I have a pack of 57” Allpro rears off a truck I parted out. I’ll mix and match some leaves into it to make it work. If I can keep the front low enough I might be able to get by with my current OME rear springs for a bit.

Steering I’m going to push the IFS box all the way forward and up, rotate the box so it’s “flat”, flat pitman, then notch the frame for the drag link nut. I want the pitman arm swinging juuuusst under the frame rail.

This should give me as low as possible without crazy amounts of fab. Shooting for a frame height of <23” with 35s.
 
Got some RUF packs made. I used the first three leaves of the rear pack and added two leaves from an Allpro lift spring. I may need to add a sixth leaf - these are pretty soft.

Looks like my shackle will touch the frame just before the pack goes flat. I might scoot the front spring hanger forward a smidge, but I’m liking what I see, so far.
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Im at 45 3/8" pin to pin up front.

I’m definitely too short then. I read somewhere that you measure your spring length, subtract shackle length, and add a half inch to get hole placement. Spring measurement gave me 47” along the arch, but I’m reading that it’s actually 48” so I need to scoot my hanger another inch forward. Easy enough. It needed to come back off anyway.
 
Scooted the front hanger forward a bit. Put weight on the springs and rolled a tire under. It moved forward quite a bit with the RUF springs. It’s mocked up at about ride height. I’m hoping these springs settle about an inch. Frame heigh with the ass end hanging down is 24” at the Tcase crossmember.

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Anyone have a good source for JUST Ubolts? Are 5/8" really necessary? or is that Pirate4x4 talking? Everyone sells Ubolt flip kits. I have the plates already from a part-out rig, but maybe buying an entire kit is the way to go.
 
I didn't realize you had a build thread for this. You already know how much I love this thing. I'm bringing a case of beer over just to watch you work.

Got my sliders btw, It will take me longer to paint them and install than it will take you to finish a SAS
 
I didn't realize you had a build thread for this. You already know how much I love this thing. I'm bringing a case of beer over just to watch you work.

Got my sliders btw, It will take me longer to paint them and install than it will take you to finish a SAS

Negative. This is going to take a while.

You can drink beer and watch me. Here's what you'll see: I'll stare at my truck, lose my measuring tape, forget what I was thinking, go back to staring, place a tack weld, lose my marker, go inside for coffee, get distracted, come back out, remember I was looking for my marker and measuring tape, give up, go back inside.

5/8 not necessary. Diamond uses 9/16.
Have you looked at summit, etc?

Ok. 9/16 it is. actually found a good selection of Ubolts on SDtrucksprings.com, but shipping is a bitch. Still looking.
 
I usually go to local spring shop and they make U-bolts while I wait and how I want them. New tall nuts are included.

Spring shops don’t exist within 2 hours of where I live, unfortunately.
 
Small update. Weldapalooza. Ruffstuff frame plates. Nice pieces. Matched up well. Lots of welding with flux core = suck. My diffs are currently being regeared to 5.29s. Sorry, but that’s all for now.

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Nice job. Nothing wrong with flux core.

Except when I stand up and get lost on the thick cloud of smoke swirling around my garage. Then blow out black boogers for two days.
 
Got to work fitting the front elocker to the housing.

Some welding, cutting, and banging got the diff in the axle. Now I need to drill out the 4 stud/bolt holes. Still working on the best way to get them square to the housing.
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I ordered a diff stud replacement kit (uses bolts run through from inside the diff) from Yotamasters and I welded the drain plug shut like a wildman.
 
I used an e-locker housing to guide the drill bits. I started with bits that just fit in the housing to make small conical pilot holes. Then I finished with the bit size that corresponds to the tap for the studs. Can't remember exactly what size that was. Studs went in with some threadlocker. Housing lined up perfectly. Why weld the drain plug?
 
I used an e-locker housing to guide the drill bits. I started with bits that just fit in the housing to make small conical pilot holes. Then I finished with the bit size that corresponds to the tap for the studs. Can't remember exactly what size that was. Studs went in with some threadlocker. Housing lined up perfectly. Why weld the drain plug?

Yup that’s my plan. I’m just not sure I trust myself to “freehand” the stud holes and have them be straight/square to the housing. The diff is already a motherf*Coker to get in place because of alignment issues. Not sure why that is. So, I need to be very sure that everything is as precise as possible. I have a plan now. I will update when it’s done.

Welded the drain plug because it was mangled and the cool kids told me welding it was the thing to do.
 
In the words of McLovin “it’s in”.
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I also took this opportunity to add a bunch of bracing between the frame rails and the front crossmember(s). I read about, and have seen personally, too many cracked frames right between the welded SAS crossmember and the steering box brace. The concentration of weld heat and stress in that area makes it prone to failure.

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