chevy 63 swap on an 80? (1 Viewer)

[Nay]

Axle wrap, anti-squat, roll axis....etc. Don't think some leaf spring from a 3/4 ton pickup are going to address those things as well as that link setup. Plus...it's a FACT that your Lexus will no longer ride like a Lexus. And there is great potential for less flex. All of this because you don't like how the shocks hang so low, you have a worn out control arm bushing, and a bent arm.

Well.....move the damn shocks, sounds like you're going to move them anyways. Pretty sure you're going to be replacing all the bushings in your 'new' 63s, is that any harder than replacing the bushings on those factory control arms? So you bent an arm....sleeve it. Pretty sure it'll be a lot easier to sleeve two control arms then it will be to chop off all the factory stuff and mount up some spring hangers and mounts.

And I REALLY doubt that this is going to be anymore stable than Slee 6" coils and a factory sway bar.

But I'd love to see you prove us all wrong, because then you won't have to deal with the feeling of failure, wasted time, and wasted money.

I'm always down for new, cool, creative, out of the box thinking for an 80.....but this is like going from an iPhone to a 1930s telephone.

How is roll axis on a steeply angled panhard better than a flat leaf spring?

You guys continue to forget that he has 3-linked the front and removed the factory designed stability (flex restriction) of the front end.

What he is doing is inverting the design of the 80 suspension, which is to have a very flexible rear that is stabilized by the front end to a very flexible front that is stabilized by the rear suspension. In this re-design, he has eliminated the inflexibility of one end without ditching a naturally stabilizing suspension design at tall lift heights. This is pretty smart design thinking.

The 80 needs this stabilization to be useful as a dual purpose vehicle. It is much easier to run a tall lift on leaf springs than it is on coils when talking about the rear suspension. This is so well documented over the past 15 years that literally millions of dollars have gone into redesigning factory rear coil suspensions to have good bolt-on dynamics at taller lift heights.

Even so, most of these suspensions stop at 4" because of the limitations of any bolt on conversion. Yes, you can as a fabricator redesign a tall lift for proper suspension dynamics in a link system, but not many people fit this bill and will be successful and many choose to stay lower even with those skills.

The notion that a rear leaf sprung truck will ride poorly is bull****. The 80 has a basic load bearing problem in the rear suspension that you either have to use a very stiff coil and overly valved shock or have a compliant and potentially squishy suspension (I have argued that FOR Gen II finds a middle ground, but to say it isn't soft simply would not be accurate). People talk all the time here about how they don't like the ride of their rig unless it is loaded down with a half ton of crap. Show me any OME suspension that rides like a Lexus.

Leaf springs are a natural solution to this because they have an inherent progressive load bearing design. You don't need ridiculous shock valving, stinkbug spring rate coils, or any of this other crap. Most of the comments being made here have little to do with a strong knowledge of suspension design. It is a link/coil superiority bias at best, not a ground up design for intended usage discussion.

Leafs have their drawbacks, and I personally think that the 80's suspension doesn't crack the top 5 in the major issues with the rig because it is too big to take anywhere that I can't already go without beating it to s***. And who cares how it rides if the fawking doors barely close?

The good news is we will see.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I tend to agree with Nay, but I have waaaaaaay less knowledge. I do know that there are a few 60's that have a coils up front, 63" chevy springs in the rear and flex very, very well.

 

[alkaline747trio]

I never said it will ride like s***, I only said that it wont ride like the Lexus. But I've driven plenty of mixed offroad in both leaves and coils...and every time at the end of a long day of wheeling I always prefer the coils.

And maybe you're right about roll axis...but compare all the other numbers and get back to me. For example, coils vs leafs on washboards. My 80 just soaks the bumps up and cruises along straight as an arrow, while a leaf spring suspension might soak up the bumps (kinda) the rear end is always trying to pass the front.

Nay...I agree with most of what you say. And I can see your side of the story especially considering how many times you've posted that flexy pic of that horrid XJ you once had. But this is reverse engineering, Toyota engineering...and the only thing I can think of that leafs have over coils, is simplicity. Beyond that, coils will win every time.

 

[jynx]

Well, based on the 3-link that he has completed on the front then I would say that fabrication is not a limiting factor here. And as it has been said before, his truck = his decision. As Nay has stated, coil front/leaf rears have proven to work very well for a wide variety of vehicles and while I would not claim to have the skills to build a custom suspension myself (yet), I am interested to see how it turns out. And as far as reverse engineering a Toyota design, while I currently own 4 Toyota's, I can honestly say that not all of their decisions have been without question. If their designs are so flawless, then why do you see so many '86+ trucks and 4runners "reverse engineering" the Toyota Design to get a Solid front axle, and don't get me started on the 3.0 (just finished a rebuild on one) and the list goes on.

Looking forward to the write-up.

 

[yoopercharged]

Please get this done(with photos). I think it will work well. Please post lots of flex pictures when you're done so Nay can 86 that XJ photo.

 

[wayneosan]

subscribed.


Are you going to start a new thread, or post here? I miss good threads sometimes cause I'm really busy.

 

[sask70]

Glad someone is brave enough to post his out of the box thinking. js93cruiser may have made a mistake with his first link suspension (bolt issue). What we and he has learned from that is correct the problem and move on. I like the idea of changing the suspension on an 80 series. Why not try it. Thats how things evolve.
I don't share to much information on the build of my 80 on this forum because of the unproductive preaching of some.

 

[TCH2FLY]

so...i've been thinking, the bushings in my rear lca's are going bad, and i hate it how my shocks hang so low....the rocks love them, anyway thinking about putting 3/4 ton chevy leafs in the back of my lx, it would make the rear axle look like way less of a cluster fxxx, and i would have more stability and more flex. opinions???..

You asked for opinions so when somebody bashes your idea don't F'n whine about it.

... I personally think that the 80's suspension doesn't crack the top 5 in the major issues with the rig because it is too big to take anywhere that I can't already go without beating it to s***. And who cares how it rides if the fawking doors barely close?

This ^ x a zillion.

 

[js93cruiser]

You asked for opinions so when somebody bashes your idea don't F'n whine about it.



This ^ x a zillion.

i wanted productive opinions you tard!, not stupid opinions putting down my idea, and telling me i'm an idiot.

 

[js93cruiser]

subscribed.


Are you going to start a new thread, or post here? I miss good threads sometimes cause I'm really busy.

yes i will be making a new thread called "offical 63 chevy swap under an 80 thread"

 

[wayneosan]

yes i will be making a new thread called "offical 63 chevy swap under an 80 thread"

awesome. have you started it yet?

 

[js93cruiser]

awesome. have you started it yet?

not yet sir, i'm on the hunt for springs as we speak, i get paid on monday, so if i can find springs by then ill start on it next wednesday

 

[TCH2FLY]

i wanted productive opinions you tard!, not stupid opinions putting down my idea, and telling me i'm an idiot.

I just re-read the thread and other than one person say he thinks "it's nuts" I don't see anybody call you an idiot so let me be the first .... You are an idiot to post on an internet website and think that you will get nothing but productive opinions. (and you call me a tard? whatever )


Good luck with project "turn a LX-450 into a Suburban"

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I just re-read the thread and other than one person say he thinks "it's nuts" I don't see anybody call you an idiot so let me be the first .... You are an idiot to post on an internet website and think that you will get nothing but productive opinions. (and you call me a tard? whatever )


Good luck with project "turn a LX-450 into a Suburban"

Holy s*** people in the 80 section are harsh

Let the man do what he wants with his truck. Have you done anything innovative with your truck? OME and ARB? I could have guessed with my eyes closed.

Applaud his willingness to think outside of the box.

 

[js93cruiser]

Holy **** people in the 80 section are harsh

Let the man do what he wants with his truck. Have you done anything innovative with your truck? OME and ARB? I could have guessed with my eyes closed.

Applaud his willingness to think outside of the box.

yes... i bought this lexus in the trms that :it would never see an arb bumper, 315's, or a 4 inch lift lol, ita all original....i bet no one on here has a cherokee front drive shaft... this truck is going to b all original....i'm even going to do the quad light conversion, i dont wand my truck to look like anyone elses

 

[GLTHFJ60]

yes... i bought this lexus in the trms that :it would never see an arb bumper, 315's, or a 4 inch lift lol, ita all original....i bet no one on here has a cherokee front drive shaft... this truck is going to b all original....i'm even going to do the quad light conversion, i dont wand my truck to look like anyone elses

I'm right there with you man. Being unique is the only way to go.

Post up here when you start up your other thread so I can subscribe to that one as well. I don't come into the 80 section too often

 

[alkaline747trio]

Well, based on the 3-link that he has completed on the front then I would say that fabrication is not a limiting factor here. And as it has been said before, his truck = his decision. As Nay has stated, coil front/leaf rears have proven to work very well for a wide variety of vehicles and while I would not claim to have the skills to build a custom suspension myself (yet), I am interested to see how it turns out. And as far as reverse engineering a Toyota design, while I currently own 4 Toyota's, I can honestly say that not all of their decisions have been without question. If their designs are so flawless, then why do you see so many '86+ trucks and 4runners "reverse engineering" the Toyota Design to get a Solid front axle, and don't get me started on the 3.0 (just finished a rebuild on one) and the list goes on.

Looking forward to the write-up.

I cannot argue with anything that you said. The man has skills with metal, he can do whatever he wants with his truck, the suspension design he is creating has proven itself as reliable and capable.

Those '86+ minis with their IFS ride and handle at speeds 100x better than a leafsprung SFA mini does by far. But think about this....Toyota has been using that rear 5 link design for 20 years. 80 series, 100 series, and 200 series all share the same design (parallel 4-link w. panhard). Do you think they would do that if it wasn't one they weren't proud of and had spent a pretty penny designing?

I can think of a solution to all the issues he has with the rear of this thing, and it wouldn't be anymore fab work than what he is undertaking...if not less. So really, and this is borderline fact, he is downgrading his rear suspension in every way possible other than simplicity (possibly cost, but that depends on too many variables to bring into play here).

 

[TCH2FLY]

Holy s*** people in the 80 section are harsh

Let the man do what he wants with his truck. Have you done anything innovative with your truck? OME and ARB? I could have guessed with my eyes closed.

Applaud his willingness to think outside of the box.

I don't feel the need to get particularly "innovative" with an 80 series because as Nay pointed out they work very well and it is hard to overcome the biggest shortcoming .. it's size. My truck works great for the way I use it (btw it has been through the Rubicon with it's arb and OME and at no point did I wish I had chevy springs) I'm fine being part of the flock of 80 series sheeple.

Thinking outside the box is great and I really don't care what he does one way or the other ( didn't I say good luck ) but from time to time I can't help but come down on people when they cry over negative feedback, especially when they asked for comments.

 

[Brunt Force Trauma]

Have fun and do what you want. Looking forward to the progress.

 

[lt1fire]

i wanted productive opinions you tard!, not stupid opinions putting down my idea, and telling me i'm an idiot.

Maybe you should have put that in there then. When you ask for opions people will put it down if they disagree with you, that's the nature of debate and new ideas.

As for what you do with your truck I don't really care as others have pointed out it is your truck. Personally I wouldn't do it but it isn't my truck. I do hope it all works out well for you though and does work as well as you want it to.