Out of paranoia and boredom, I was searching the site for my name, and found this thread...
Yes, the vehicle that I now call 'Classic Tippy' had, for a brief period of time (about 6 months), an 80 series rear axle, on coils, using the stock 5 link mounts on the 80 series axle.
The donor axle still had all the links. We (marc Ritchie and I) lengthened them. The bottom links are now 1m, and the tops are 70 cm. That's the ratio that Toyota used. The pan-hard was also lengthened to attach below the frame.
The project involved reinforcing the frame with several scab plates for new cross members. One new cross member was added for the top links to attach, and another was added above the axle for spring mounts, and pan hard bar support.
The pan hard support was dropped so the pan hard was horizontal. This meant that there was significant gusseting of the pan-hard support.
I started with a set of E-150 coils, but they were too harsh. I then went with Belton's 80 series front coils (medium duty), they were too long, but not quite firm enough for a loaded truck. Empty, they were fine.
In fact, the coils were the only part that I did not get tuend in right. The rest of the suspension worked awesome. I took it through Moab, and on ACT2002, and it really kicked ass. I used to think that the ride was awesome sprung over on Emu's, but the comparision between the front, still sprung over on emu's, and the rear on that 80 axle with coils, was amazing. And jolt or bump the front axle would hit would be barely noticable by the rear.
At the same time as this project, I trimmed the rear rockers, and fixed the body work around the tail lights. (The article in the trails is called how to change your tail lights, or something like that). The suspension actually took the 2 of us about 1.5 weeks and 2 weekends of hard work.
In the end, I was saving for a front 80 series axle to match, but it turned out tha the donor axle was from a burn victim, and the axle housing was bent. This precipitated the infamous 'three axle break' at the foot of glacier 13 in ACT2002 and lead to the naming of that event the Great Alaska Camping Trip and Birfield Exchange!. The poor 80 axle bent so bad, that I couldn't keep one axle shaft in the housing, and had to drive home from Alaska with the rear locker on in 1 wheel drive. That had me shopping for new axles, and when I came across a set of Mog Axles for $1,500, and a set of 53" tires for $200, well, the rest is history.
I uploaded all the project pics for y'all.
http://pdp2.prairiedogparts.com/gallery/
BTW... I still have those 5 modified 80 series links, if someone needs them for this project.
Peter Straub
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