I know Redline doesn't recommend drop brackets or plates for caster correction (they recommend the washer mod and bushings). Is there a particular reason for this, or is it just loss of ground clearance?
Builds GW Nugget's Family Haulin Lx450 build (5 Viewers)
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- #522
Redline Cruisers @RLMS follows Darren with @AutoCraft Aus recomendation for the fact that AC uses the 3° caster bearings to also roll in a bit of camber at the same time as caster. The rest of correction is like 1.5" & can be corrected by bushings or the old school washer mod.
Where does that leave the stricly bolt on guys like me....? Nowhere.
There are plates for the 4" lift & more plate style options coming out for the 2" or 3" crowd as I type by @NLXTACY via landtank & I here there also is another adjustable version in the works coming soon. The MAF type drop brackets are great also. I really like mine a lot.
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So a question, please forgive the long-windedness. I am putting a new Slinky Stage 1 on a fresh 80 (bone stock atm) and will be going to 37's immediately. To give an idea of the plan/scope, Slinky 75mm heavy with the Stage 1 Icons, axle - OEM seal/bearing rebuild, 5.29 with harrop e-lockers, nitro axle shafts/birfields, 1" roger brown body lift, metaltech rear control arms, adj panhards). So the goal is to fit the 37's with minimal chopping and just rely on the Slinky for suspension lift. All I find are the 4 degree caster plates, no 3 degree. I have the caster bushing but I don't want to go that route as I already have new OEM bushings ready to install. Sounds like you are happy with the MAF 3" drop bracket. Based on what is available RIGHT NOW, would your choice be to simply use the 3" MAF bracket with OEM bushings and no other corrections? Looking at starting this build as soon and my adj panhard bars come in and I don't want to wait on vaporware. =) But, if landtank had another option available almost immediately, I would consider it...
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- #524
37"s out of the gate... right on, your going to love them.
My 75mm lift is landing at a solid 3.5" of lift. It sits at 23.5" center hub to bottom of flare plus 1" for body lift. 24.5" total. 4" plates will correct the caster perfectly, but with the 28.25" Icon shocks you will have tie rod bind at full articulation while fully turned. To fix that, one must grind material from the top of the control arms. With 3" MAF brackets (I have 2") it will get your caster very close to spec & will still need metal removed from top of control arms but not as much. My 2" MAF bracket don't hang down as much as the 3" ones & seem to work OK as far as steering for now. I'm still searching for a better way to correct more caster.
If you are doing a full axle rebuild, you might look into those caster bearings Slee has to turn in some camber at the same time like Darren with AutoCraft likes to do. I'm wanting to do this.
Don't worry about installing panhards for right now... putting them on later will help you understand how & what they do to your driver rear & pass front tires while fully stuffed.
As far as running 37s with a 1" body lift you will still need to add bumpstops. 1.5" front & rear.
To really know how this will fit I would suggest to put your 37s on then remove your coils & shocks then cycle the axle up & down. You will learn a great deal about how things move under there. Pay attention to the brakes lines... you will need to loosen the mounts to give slack.
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Excellent info, thanks so much. It gives me a much better idea what to expect versus the setup I have on my current rig. And tbh, I am just going from a built and locked 1993 on 35's to a 1997 and building for 37's. I will have both during the 1997 build then will sell the 1993 when its done. 
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- #526
Don't forget to loosen up all your control arm & panhard bushing so to reset for new ride height.Excellent info, thanks so much. It gives me a much better idea what to expect versus the setup I have on my current rig. And tbh, I am just going from a built and locked 1993 on 35's to a 1997 and building for 37's. I will have both during the 1997 build then will sell the 1993 when its done.
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- #527
Control arm bushing update.
I really didn't realize how shot my yellow caster bushings where until I took the arms off (They fell out). I also didn't think or know how badly it was affecting the handling of the rig. Near the end it felt like I was sort of driving on top of a ball. The used stock bushings felt 400% for the better. In fact so much better I took off the fj80 sway bar I had put on. I realize the sway bar was compensating for the busted yellows... Shhhhh don't tell @Nay he was right....
Now that I have good suspension & bushings it has a solid enough handling that I no longer need the sway bar. Yes it would be more streetable if I did have it on but I find myself driving faster with it on any ways.
In fact my wife was driving us there other day & I asked why are you driving so fast. She said because it's fun to drive now.
I really didn't realize how shot my yellow caster bushings where until I took the arms off (They fell out). I also didn't think or know how badly it was affecting the handling of the rig. Near the end it felt like I was sort of driving on top of a ball. The used stock bushings felt 400% for the better. In fact so much better I took off the fj80 sway bar I had put on. I realize the sway bar was compensating for the busted yellows... Shhhhh don't tell @Nay he was right....
Now that I have good suspension & bushings it has a solid enough handling that I no longer need the sway bar. Yes it would be more streetable if I did have it on but I find myself driving faster with it on any ways.
In fact my wife was driving us there other day & I asked why are you driving so fast. She said because it's fun to drive now.
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malteserunner
Dr Evil
We too have had zero issues with handling, since I removed that sway bar. Glad you found the problem.
ToyotaDon
I am here
I just noticed a squeaky movement when coming to a stop yesterday. I'm thinking this is something I need to address soon, though mine are OEM, not OME.
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- #530
Grats on the new boy Adam.We too have had zero issues with handling, since I removed that sway bar. Glad you found the problem.
What caster correction do you have Don?
Hey @GW Nugget !
Are these the Land Tank Caster Plates you were referring to?
80 Series Caster Correction Plates
How do you ensure that you dial in the right amount of caster with these? They look like you weld them in then drill?
Are these the Land Tank Caster Plates you were referring to?
80 Series Caster Correction Plates
How do you ensure that you dial in the right amount of caster with these? They look like you weld them in then drill?
ToyotaDon
I am here
I'd ask that question to a general audience. I have some of the originals that were predrilled to the FOR Gen II kit, and I ended up a bit off in pinion angle (you're aligning pinion here for a CV shaft, caster increase follows). So I have one OEM and one OME bushing in each arm, the OME to dial it in.
The OMEs have been in there for years and have put up with some serious abuse, and I wonder if having rubber on one bushing doesn't help keep a bit of stress off them. Although that makes no sense at all. They probably have lasted because I removed the swaybar
.
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- #535
Last few winter trips
This winter we made a couple snow day runs, a couple beach day runs also.... simply my Lx450 has been a wonderful family rig. Here is a few pics at random.
This winter we made a couple snow day runs, a couple beach day runs also.... simply my Lx450 has been a wonderful family rig. Here is a few pics at random.
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- #536
Hollister Hills SVRA Day Run
I convinced a fellow 80 series friend @baldilocks from up North to meet me at the Hollister Hills SVRA Park for a few hours on a Monday. The park was all ours for the short time we were there....... I learned a lot about what these 80 series rigs can & can't do. These rigs are definitely not ROCK DONKEY's, but rather very capable trail rigs. In fact this was a 250 mile round trip to get there & back. I'm very happy I came across this Lx450, it's a great off-road family wagon.
I convinced a fellow 80 series friend @baldilocks from up North to meet me at the Hollister Hills SVRA Park for a few hours on a Monday. The park was all ours for the short time we were there....... I learned a lot about what these 80 series rigs can & can't do. These rigs are definitely not ROCK DONKEY's, but rather very capable trail rigs. In fact this was a 250 mile round trip to get there & back. I'm very happy I came across this Lx450, it's a great off-road family wagon.
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Looks pretty rock donkey-y to me!
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- #538
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- #540
Those pics would need to come from @jcardona1Dont hold out I want to see the pics of the 80 on the Tank Trap
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