100 series Long travel IFS anyone?

[dieselbigot]

Have you ever dreamed of turning your 100 series Cruiser into a Baja racer? Do you long to have the ability to nail wash-board at break-neck speeds? Imagine your hundy with this suspension

http://www.chaosfab.com/projects/tundra.html

I bring this up because I just talked to the guys at total chaos...since there is a limited market for this type of suspension on a 100, they would only consider looking at development if they had 5 or 6 committed orders. I know this is kind of a pipe-dream but I've thought about the kind of wheeling I do with my 100 and the IFS really does suit my needs. It'd sure be nice however to gain the clearance to run up to 37's and still maintain the benefits of the IFS.

I know some guys here fancy thier hundy's as rock crawlers and if they were going to spend the money on a major suspension mod, most would opt for a SAS like Christo's. As much as I drooled over Christo's creation at Moab this year, I still like the idea of a long-travel IFS.

So am I the only one here who's thought about this? (It wouldn't be the first time )...Anyone else want a monster IFS suspension?

 

[Snook]

I'm in.

 

[spressomon]

I spent some time with Sam at Samco here in Reno discussing this (per Harry's urging ). It would be $15,000-$17,000+/- for: Custom upper and lower control arms with large/HD uni-ball or HD ball joint; 4-Fox 2.5" remote with bypass shocks (front coil-overs); eliminate the t-bars; caster correction; extended cv shafts (assuming longer than stock...I think +1"-1.5" per side would be good); custom upper shock mounts front and rear; R&D; prototyping; etc. That's assuming utilization of the factory knuckle and spindle.

The next 6 would be less costly...but there is still a fair amount of custom fab work that would not be cost reduced...


For me? I'll be runnin' the stock set-up for the foreseeable future . Although Sam's getting my hundy tomorrow to install custo upper shock mounts and 2" Fox shocks with remotes at each corner...hopefully to better control this beast!

 

[dieselbigot]

I spent some time with Sam at Samco here in Reno discussing this (per Harry's urging ). It would be $15,000-$17,000+/-

Yikes! If this idea really comes out to those kinda bucks, I'm with you on sticking with the stock suspension.

I really just wanted to bring this up for discussion because my spidey senses tell me there may be more of a market for this that these guys think. 100 series owners (I think) tend to have good disposable incomes & would likely not shy away from the cost of this type of set-up (post R&D of course). Personally I'd be willing to pay a premium if it were doable....I'm thinking $4k maybe (The Tundra kit is about $2,500 bucks FYI). But $15-17k is way outta my disposable income zone

I guess the question is this...what would you think is a resonable cost for this type of suspension? IE If this were doable as a group buy, what's the most you'de be willing to part with?

 

[jccruiser78]

I would give up $2300!

 

[spressomon]

I would give up $2300!

Sorry...but that wouldn't even be a down payment even if someone were to crank out 100 sets...it just doesn't pencil on the 100's! And if you want to push 37's then you're gonna have some serious coin cutting the front fenders (the rear side!)...unless you're going to go for a big body lift. I might be proven wrong someday...but the IFS Hundy is stuck in the 2.75" lift with 35" for a long time!

 

[bjowett]

If you're serious about doing this, find a small shop/fabricator willing to do custom stuff. Bring along some stock 100 control arms from a salvage yard and have them extended by X amount. X will depend on what you can find for replacement shafts, it is possible another Toyota will have something 2, 3, or 4" inches longer, a Tundra, Taco, Supra? If not, you are in custom land. The stock ball joints will limit travel a bit, but at least they will last a long time. You may even cant them forward and gain an inch or two of wheel base and more tire clearance.

I built custom arms for my 4WD Suzuki ATV this way. No one (there's a couple)builds much in the way of long arms or long travel stuff for "utility" ATV's yet. They work great....

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hoser]

Dieselbigot, can you get a ballpark cost from your fabricator (assuming 5 sets) and what would be included?

 

[Letsgomoreplaces]

100 series upper a-arms

I am working with a desert race fabricator on these for my 100. The goal is to run a slightly longer shock. Not super travel, but hopefully smooth out the washboard a bit. I will be installing the sample soon, just need to get all the adaptors and the time lined up. When it has been tested, we will sell them. 4130 chromoly with 1" uniball. Should be bolt-on or close to it.

 

[spressomon]

I am working with a desert race fabricator on these for my 100. The goal is to run a slightly longer shock. Not super travel, but hopefully smooth out the washboard a bit. I will be installing the sample soon, just need to get all the adaptors and the time lined up. When it has been tested, we will sell them. 4130 chromoly with 1" uniball. Should be bolt-on or close to it.

Is a 1" uniball going to be durable enough for a 3T+ rig? Have you calculated the additional down travel to be obtained with the new upper control arm?

 

[Letsgomoreplaces]

Yes and yes

The 1" uniball are very strong, plenty for the lc100. These will be used by other mfg's in arms available for the massive '07 tundra as well. We are still in early stages of development on the a-arms, and actual stats on droop are not determined yet. This will depend on a number of factors including steering, cv angle, shock clearence and more importantly end cost based on how many components will be replaced. Our goal is to keep it fairly simple.

 

[hoser]

Great! So the upper arm length/specs will be similiar as OEM but with the uniball to allow more downtravel. Will you be mounting the uni-ball back (rearward) some to allow a bit more caster?

 

[Letsgomoreplaces]

upper a-arms

Yes, similar to what is available for tacoma, tundra etc. The goal is to gain a little bit more down travel than the stock upper arms allow and still stay reasonably priced, easy to install, good driveability, etc.

Great! So the upper arm length/specs will be similiar as OEM but with the uniball to allow more downtravel. Will you be mounting the uni-ball back (rearward) some to allow a bit more caster?

 

[dieselbigot]

Dieselbigot, can you get a ballpark cost from your fabricator (assuming 5 sets) and what would be included?

Les,

I have no clue...never talked price w/ the guys at total chaos at all. Just trying to gauge interest here....looks like we have a few for sure if a reasonably priced solution can be found

 

[calamaridog]

I bet if you could get 10 customers together that a shop like Camburg could do something for about 12k each. You would be looking at around 11-12" of travel perhaps? Not sure about ABS, TRAC, etc. In other words, keep dreaming

While I think the addition of 2" rebuildable shocks would be a vast improvement I'd love to fit some 2.5" shocks instead.

I'll wait for these UCA's to come out then determine my next course of action.

T H A N K S for working on this Carl. I can hardly wait to see the results.

 

[rusty_tlc]

If you're serious about doing this, find a small shop/fabricator willing to do custom stuff. Bring along some stock 100 control arms from a salvage yard and have them extended by X amount. X will depend on what you can find for replacement shafts, it is possible another Toyota will have something 2, 3, or 4" inches longer, a Tundra, Taco, Supra? If not, you are in custom land. The stock ball joints will limit travel a bit, but at least they will last a long time. You may even cant them forward and gain an inch or two of wheel base and more tire clearance.

I built custom arms for my 4WD Suzuki ATV this way. No one (there's a couple)builds much in the way of long arms or long travel stuff for "utility" ATV's yet. They work great....

<image snipped>

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!

See post number three. Sam is a small fab shop, but he specializes in off road racing suspensions. I would bet if he did a 100 long travel suspension it would be done right. If you go to the local fab guy you might something cheaper, but it probalby wouldn't work as well.

 

[rusty_tlc]

... extended cv shafts (assuming longer than stock...I think +1"-1.5" per side would be good);

Custom CV's? You would need to build four so you had spares.

This is the problem with custom work, you have a spares problem. Real scary with something like axels that tend to get broken when used hard.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

What will doing this very expensive mod accomplish?

 

[Colicious]

I bet if you could get 10 customers together that a shop like Camburg could do something for about 12k each. You would be looking at around 11-12" of travel perhaps? Not sure about ABS, TRAC, etc. In other words, keep dreaming

While I think the addition of 2" rebuildable shocks would be a vast improvement I'd love to fit some 2.5" shocks instead.

I'll wait for these UCA's to come out then determine my next course of action.

T H A N K S for working on this Carl. I can hardly wait to see the results.

for 12k, why not go SAS?

 

[calamaridog]

for 12k, why not go SAS?

Because you can't desert race with SAS