Welcome here anytime with or without the springs. Let me know if I can help.
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Welcome here anytime with or without the springs. Let me know if I can help.
RUSH55
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #742
Thanks Jim!
I’ve heard a story or two where guys have had some issues getting the custom spring dimensions correct with Alcan (they nailed mine on the first try, go figure). If I have to drive my old springs up there and draw a picture on the sidewalk of what the new ones need to look like, then so be it.
Still need to work out my outboard hanger design, but the ordering of the springs will be soon. Thinking sometime in March.
I’ve heard a story or two where guys have had some issues getting the custom spring dimensions correct with Alcan (they nailed mine on the first try, go figure). If I have to drive my old springs up there and draw a picture on the sidewalk of what the new ones need to look like, then so be it.
Still need to work out my outboard hanger design, but the ordering of the springs will be soon. Thinking sometime in March.
Charles sold Alcan several years ago to retire. Now his successors have it up for sale again. My only interaction with them has been buying shackle/spring bushings.
A couple things to think about, I lengthened my front springs about 1.5 to 2 inches from memory and moved my axle forward about an inch, I was trying to use aftermarket Toyota longer shackles and no combination worked for both drooped and compressed so after several attempts of trial and error I finally sat down and did the math.
Again all this is from memory but I believe the ideal shackle length was going to be around 7” eye to eye with my springs at my travel and the Toyota aftermarket “longer” shackles were around 3” to 3.5”, I spent way too much time and money fighting this combination trying to make off the shelf parts work that mutable guys told me would work.
A fast, easy, good, option is the Liquid Iron Industries slider kit, had I been smart I would have just added a set of these and save a bunch of time and money but I had some unfounded concerns and went down a different path.
Liquid Iron Industries Universal Slider Box Kit
***** Current Lead Time is 2-3 Weeks Until Stock Is Rebuilt*****The Liquid Iron Industries Universal Slider Box Kits are designed to significantly stabilize long travel leaf spring suspensions on practically any vehicle. These slider boxes completely replace the standard shackle configuration...liquidironindustries.com
If you want to follow my path and abandon the Toyota guy network and jump over to the off-road racing guy forums and study what they do to make leaf springs work in off road racing applications, I not saying I have a racing pig now nor am I implying you are building one either but they know how to get the most out of a set of springs and I learned quite a bit from them. I’m getting right around the full 10” of travel at my shocks, shackles are never close to inverting and my Pig has a great off & on road manners.
Yeah one of the coolest builds in my club had these shackles and they are legit.
not some goofy 90s hinge shackle. Good stuff.
@jrob could chime in but he’s too cool for Mud
RUSH55
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #747
Rained most of the weekend, pretty much throwing a wrench in the works of my plans. Made some headway today finally getting the new rear cross-member/receiver tacked together, an idea stolen from the Scrapdaddy book of Landcruiser building. Do have a line on some variation, we’ll see how that pans out later on.
That baby will be good and strong!
RUSH55
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #749
Yaay! Parts delivery for me today too! Oh boy - shackles
Along with a note from the US Postal Service saying the contents broke free from the packaging. No worries - don’t think you’re gonna hurt shackles too much. But c’mon CCOT shipping department, really?
Lower pic a comparison to what was formerly on the rig. Rear lengths are the same. The new fronts are only slightly longer, not enough to change much.
Along with a note from the US Postal Service saying the contents broke free from the packaging. No worries - don’t think you’re gonna hurt shackles too much. But c’mon CCOT shipping department, really? Lower pic a comparison to what was formerly on the rig. Rear lengths are the same. The new fronts are only slightly longer, not enough to change much.
Everybody's getting parts, nice.
Say hello to Dave. Body for my Pig came from a roller bought out of his yard circa 2008. Went for a hood for my first 55. Ended up with the ‘73 roller and all his Pig parts he could ram inside and into the bed of my pickup. Stopped by to show him the result in person after we completed the build. Think he was a little surprised.
RUSH55
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #755
No, really, there’s been quite a bit of planning stage “work” been going on, just nothing to really show.
Had a bit of a breakthrough in the design department, concerning the new outboarded spring and shackle hangers. It’s definitely raised the bar beyond what I’ve been originally planning and trying to work out. Funny how this has become a reoccurring theme throughout this process. Unfortunately, this also means that the reworked OEM spring hangers are out. For a couple reasons.
First is that all bushings are going to a 3-3/16” width, and stock hangers are 3” inside width.
Second, this “new” design negates the plan of welding a hanger to a platform on the bottom side of the frame rail.
Third, I’ve decided all of these Homebrew hangers will be made of 1/4” plate and rectangular tubing.
The only current downside is there are some bends required in the plate steel, and I don’t have any means of bending 1/4” plate. I may have to cut the pieces I need and have someone make the bends for me. Takes a little of the DIY out of it, but better all around in the end.
In other news, made the drive out to Miami, AZ, to go visit my original Landcruiser idol, Dave G. at 4Plus. I got the replacement U-bolts for my flip-kits, and some extra stuff too. We yakked Cruisers, wheeling, fabbing, lore, and everything in between for two hours straight. Can’t wait to get back out there again!
Had a bit of a breakthrough in the design department, concerning the new outboarded spring and shackle hangers. It’s definitely raised the bar beyond what I’ve been originally planning and trying to work out. Funny how this has become a reoccurring theme throughout this process. Unfortunately, this also means that the reworked OEM spring hangers are out. For a couple reasons.
First is that all bushings are going to a 3-3/16” width, and stock hangers are 3” inside width.
Second, this “new” design negates the plan of welding a hanger to a platform on the bottom side of the frame rail.
Third, I’ve decided all of these Homebrew hangers will be made of 1/4” plate and rectangular tubing.
The only current downside is there are some bends required in the plate steel, and I don’t have any means of bending 1/4” plate. I may have to cut the pieces I need and have someone make the bends for me. Takes a little of the DIY out of it, but better all around in the end.
In other news, made the drive out to Miami, AZ, to go visit my original Landcruiser idol, Dave G. at 4Plus. I got the replacement U-bolts for my flip-kits, and some extra stuff too. We yakked Cruisers, wheeling, fabbing, lore, and everything in between for two hours straight. Can’t wait to get back out there again!
If you send them to me I'll bend them and send them back.
He’s a god of the Cruiser
RUSH55
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #760
So nice to get rolling on some Cruiser work today. Put some end caps on the rear crossmember/receiver that will bolt through the closest holes in the webbing. Have always had fitment issues with pieces like this, so this time shimmed it out ~1/16”, bolted it tight then tacked.
Also tacked on the new passenger front scab plate.
Also tacked on the new passenger front scab plate.
