- Thread starter
- #41
I can't for the life of me remember if they're 1.25" or 1.5". It'll be a bit before I do the PS and the rear and figure out if I need them or not - might be a month or more.
Cutting Fenders - What to do with edge.
- Thread starter Walking Eagle
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I can't for the life of me remember if they're 1.25" or 1.5". It'll be a bit before I do the PS and the rear and figure out if I need them or not - might be a month or more.
- Thread starter
- #42
Looks pretty good! Just don't dent it!
Thanks guys. I'm sure I'll dent it - it was dented before I did this! Pretty rigid now, so dents will be bigger. Other side has a dent I'm going to fix while doing this too.
Not that patient. Probably spent more time lamenting about how to do it than doing it. We'll see how quick the passenger side goes friday - if nothing else pops up to delay me. I'm guessing 4 hours if I start in the AM when it's cool and work straight through rathter than bit by bit, listening to the baby monitor to see if they kids are up from their naps (never been right on one of my guesses yet, but it could happen)
sorry, I havent read the whole thread but if youre left with a sharp edged cut, try some door edge moulding, the kind with a bead of glue in the middle. Slide it on and hammer it in place. Might be a good solution if you dont want to buy flares and just want it cleaned up and looking decent. A roll of that stuff is cheap...
- Thread starter
- #44
The issue is two fold - 1. Sharp edge after the cut and 2. How to hold the inner fender. The solutions to part 2 so far are
1. Cut out the whole inner fender
2. Press the inner fender up against the fender and let friction hold it there
3. Weld on an 'L' shape to the fender to clean the edge and screw the inner fender to.
So far it seems I'm the only one to go with option 3, and so far am pleased with it, should look indestinguishable once Durabaked again.
Bear with please, since I'm trying to understand before I chop mine.
Why not cut the outer with a 1" tab (overage). Then every inch, cut up the 1" that was over, bend to the inner at a 90, and weld the 1" cuts together?
It may be possible to cut the fender itself with shears, then snip the 1" tabs to minimize the kerf.
Suggestions?
Why not cut the outer with a 1" tab (overage). Then every inch, cut up the 1" that was over, bend to the inner at a 90, and weld the 1" cuts together?
It may be possible to cut the fender itself with shears, then snip the 1" tabs to minimize the kerf.
Suggestions?
Maximum travel compared to what?
Your coil height matters, even with flexi coils. Once your spring leaves its perch and there is no more down force. Any extra travel is for photo's only and wont help in any way. Where a truck with 33's and exact same set up (apart from big restrictions under compression to help 37's clear) will walk all over the same terrain. Its all relative to eachother.
- Thread starter
- #49
I thought about that, the problem is being consitant with how you cut the slits. It's also harder to weld up the slits in sheetmetal than you might think, at least for me. I was afraid I'd end up with a bunch of little straight lines where-ever I folded. It's possible to do it the way you're talking about. I just chose this way and it worked for me.
- Thread starter
- #50
Smaller tires? Actually not an option. I put 4 -37's on for less money than a single 35. Bigger lift you raise center of gravity. You also can't correct the caster easily / properly without flipping arms or expensive aftermarket arms, then either way you get into needing a DC shaft. I don't see how moving the housing forward is easier than "chopping into your truck". This really wasn't that hard once I decided how to do it. Couple hours each side, and that counts fixing pre-existing dents. More tire with less lift is definately the way to go.
Spoken like someone who's never wheeled an 80 with 37's. I've wheeled with stock tires, I've wheeled with 315's (about 34.5" on the ones I had). And I've wheeled with 37's. I've wheeled with stock shocks, L'shocks, L's with J's, J's with 14" travel ranchos, J's with front spacers and 14" travel shocks. With rear swaybar, without rear swaybar, with and without front bar, lots of different ways. Same suspension with 315's and 37's, the truck was more capable with 37's Period. It was also more comfortable on the easier stuff. Bigger sidewall, more cushion, bigger radius to roll over bumps, ect. ect. It's not a unique observation either.
Oh, and just because you're springs are unseated (something I've never had an issue with on the front) doesn't mean there is no force down on that tire and that it isn't helping with motivation.
Actually Ive wheeled 37 and 36's. Ive settled on 35's for my tuned suspesion. Its purely personal choice to chop or not. But here. You would be hard put ever selling it with chopped out flares. But you could always roll another diff housing under it at sale time. Again purely personal choice.
Not knocking 37's. And if your happy with the rolling diametre for the small bumps, thats fine. But 35's on 15" wheels running 20psi, will have the same footprint as 37's on 17" wheels running 15psi. Due to the sidewall, unless ofcourse its bias or 8 ply etc.
A tuned suspension with 33's or 35's will go more places than a small lift and 37's. But yes, some $$ need to be spent to correct caster and bring the numbers down on the anti sqaut and anti roll axis.
Not knocking 37's. And if your happy with the rolling diametre for the small bumps, thats fine. But 35's on 15" wheels running 20psi, will have the same footprint as 37's on 17" wheels running 15psi. Due to the sidewall, unless ofcourse its bias or 8 ply etc.
A tuned suspension with 33's or 35's will go more places than a small lift and 37's. But yes, some $$ need to be spent to correct caster and bring the numbers down on the anti sqaut and anti roll axis.
Mine dont unseat mate. If your running 37's, a 1" lift, and 14" shocks. And they dont unseat. You must have some super super super super soft coils.
And yes. An unseated coil means exactly that. Not enough weight/force to the ground. Your locker and the wheel taking all the weight is what gives you drive.
- Thread starter
- #53
Well, the truck is sold now.....
Can't run 15" rims on this truck - won't clear the rear calipers. So it's 37's on 16.5" or 34.5" on 16's. As I said the real imputus to run 37's, these 37's in paticular was a set of 4 for $300 vs. $300 a piece for 35's.
Here's what it ended up looking like in the end - Most people wouldn't even pick up the fact that the wheel openings are opened up.
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- Thread starter
- #55
1" body lift, The J spring are more 3-4". I said I didn't unseat the fronts. The radius arm doesn't allow enough flex to unseat them. In the front the 14" travel shocks won't go through their whole travel, but I fitted them anyway cause they cost the same as 10's or 12's and it set me up for running different arms and bags in a future state that never came. Rear is a different story if I ran without swaybar.
No, you still have force on that tire - assuming it's touching. The force on the compressed side pushes the extended side down using the bumpstop as a fulcrum point. That's how the springs unseat in the first place, otherwise the axle would just stop moving down once the spring is unseated. Heck, even if all you had was the weight of the tire and the axle, there is still some force there. Not a lot, sure, but sometimes just a little more is just enough.
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Ok, didnt know your J springs are 3-4. Just saw the 1" body lift in your write up at the bottom. I run a 5" also. Ive heard the fulcrum pivot point stuff before. But from all tests with propperly tuned shock lengths. There wasnt enough force to push the truck. There is a certain weight x grip for that to happen.
- Thread starter
- #57
You did a pretty good job of your gaurds (better than me). Why did you sell it? Getting another I hope.
Guards?
Put it up for sale thinking I wanted a first gen 4runner or a 60 and I was tired of working on the same truck for 6 or 7 years. Then lost my job and a decient offer for it came through so it seemed the responsible thing to do. Now I got a new job and I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
The irrony is I doubt I'd go 37's on a 4runner or 60. Smaller trucks and a change from more rock crawling to more expidition. Though when we had 2 feet of snow in 24 hours and no snow removal equipment, the 37's sure were nice for busting 4' drifts.
TheBigBoy said:
Primary reason for a not-to-chop position?
I'd rather not, if it's unnecessary.
As for resale value, my wife can worry about when I'm dead, I could care less.
TheBigBoy said:
In my case, the 37s are for clearance at the diff. I've ran 35s (35x12.5x17 BFG KM2s on Trail Ready's which measure ~34" at the crown) on the FJC, which by all appearances has more ground clearance at the rear differential in stock form (3/4" at least) and still drag.
37" BFG KM2s on the same wheel affords at least another inch, but still a far cry from a true 37".
Issue with 15" wheels, besides clearance at caliper (I'm betting a 15" TR, or other, in a 3.5" BS and a little grinding would clear) is tire availability.
37s in a 15" flavor are limited to Pitbull Rockers and Toyo's. The first is great in the rocks, but at the expense of longevity, and the latter is heavy.
TheBigBoy said:
To eliminate straying too far from the thread topic, but in line with discussions elsewhere, in using the same formula, concept, design, a 6" lift should clearance 37s, without cutting fenders, and still afford the same travel, correct?
I'm not opposed to cutting, but considering the 162 holes I have to weld, the energy could be allocated elsewhere.