Help With Body Mounts (1 Viewer)

[pappy]

After 430K miles my mounts are shot. I have a poly kit, well, I've had the kit for several years now. With the warmer weather I'm finally getting motivated to do the job. I just need some encouragement, and some bubba-engineering.

How the heck do you lift the body off? Instructions say to do one side at a time. I get that. But, how can I get the body off the frame high enough to swap out the bushings? Can it be done by one old fella? Should I go get a case of brew and get help? How many buddies?

The good news is all the bolts come out easy. I've gotten that far.

On a side note. I thought "heck Pappy, you really don't want to do this. Why don'tcha take it to a shop and see how much they want." Well, I'm doing it. I can find lots of other stuff to spend 860 bucks on.

 

[yotadude520]

Here are two really nice writeup's that could give you some ideas.

DIY Body Lift

www.4crawler.com

Body Lift Installation Instructions

Scroll about a quarter down the page and you'll see the writeup on a 1st gen.

Look like a hi-lift & a 2x4 in the fender well is the way to go.

 

[Mudder]

I used a hi-life and a 2x4 to do the ones on my truck. I used the energy suspension kit and was not happy with it as not all the washers worked and the washers that were supplied were just big flat ones.

 

[pappy]

Here are two really nice writeup's that could give you some ideas.

DIY Body Lift

www.4crawler.com

Body Lift Installation Instructions

Scroll about a quarter down the page and you'll see the writeup on a 1st gen.

Look like a hi-lift & a 2x4 in the fender well is the way to go.

Those links were useful. I certainly feel more confidant to do the job … and a little embarrassed asking cuz it's stupid easy.

 

[ferg]

Floor jack and a hunk of 4x4 with a 2x4 'T'.

 

[pappy]

Floor jack and a hunk of 4x4 with a 2x4 'T'.

Yep, the direction I was headed.

 

[yotadude520]

Those links were useful. I certainly feel more confidant to do the job … and a little embarrassed asking cuz it's stupid easy.

No worries - it had me scratching my head too.

 

[pappy]

Well, way too easy. Screw chunk of 2x4 to end of 4x4. Take large lag bolt, slip on nut, screw onto end of 4x4. Take head off floor jack. Drop lag bolt/nut into hole. Jack away. I did get a 1/4" of body lift out of the replacements.

Issues:

• A little rust under the driver's floorboard. I'm guessing from a leaky windshield. As soon as it warms back up I'll wire wheel it and paint with POR.
• It appears the washers on the bottom of the mounts under the core support were integrated into the rubber. Mr. Toy shows they should have been a drop out washer. I will visit the dealer tomorrow and order those two washers, and a fresh set of nuts.
• The only nasty issue was the core support on the passenger's side was broken off. Again, as soon as I get a good day of weather I'll pull the front bumper, jack up that side, clean up the metal as much as I can, and melt it back together.

Local shop said 8 hours. I did it solo in less than 4. So now I need to figure out what I'm going to spend that $860 on that I saved. Isn't that the way it works?

 

[liveoak]

Please let us know how it rides after you get it back on the road. I've been trying to source an aftermarket rubber bushing kit for the 1st gen 4Runner, but haven't found one yet. I'm a little concerned that poly is going to be too stiff for my liking.
This rubber kit seems to have some of the pieces for the 4Runner.
Cabin Mounting Base Support for Toyota RN30 LN40 LN85 Mighty-X | eBay

 

[yotadude520]

Well, way too easy. Screw chunk of 2x4 to end of 4x4. Take large lag bolt, slip on nut, screw onto end of 4x4. Take head off floor jack. Drop lag bolt/nut into hole. Jack away. I did get a 1/4" of body lift out of the replacements.

Issues:

• A little rust under the driver's floorboard. I'm guessing from a leaky windshield. As soon as it warms back up I'll wire wheel it and paint with POR.
• It appears the washers on the bottom of the mounts under the core support were integrated into the rubber. Mr. Toy shows they should have been a drop out washer. I will visit the dealer tomorrow and order those two washers, and a fresh set of nuts.
• The only nasty issue was the core support on the passenger's side was broken off. Again, as soon as I get a good day of weather I'll pull the front bumper, jack up that side, clean up the metal as much as I can, and melt it back together.

Local shop said 8 hours. I did it solo in less than 4. So now I need to figure out what I'm going to spend that $860 on that I saved. Isn't that the way it works?

You mind posting a picture of your floor jack attachment?

 

[pappy]

You mind posting a picture of your floor jack attachment?

Certainly.

Pic of the jack before.

Pic of the jack pedestal removed. Pedestal has a post on it that fits into the jack head.

Lag bolt with nut on the bottom of the 4x4 post. The lag bolt/nut fits in the hole on the jack head to keep it from moving or sliding off.

 

[yotadude520]

Very cool, gotta love the homemade SST!

 

[pappy]

Very cool, gotta love the homemade SST!

Like I said, bubba-engineering.

 

[pappy]

Please let us know how it rides after you get it back on the road.

I took the 4R out this morning for breakfast. Ya, I'm a cheap date. Anyways, impressions from this short trip, which involved one speed bump, a few miles of freeway, and local driving.

• Loud. Lots of road noise now. I think this is a known issue of poly body mounts.
• Much firmer handling. Not as much slop in the steering. Not as much bump steer.
• Ride, I noticed a difference, but I don't think it was a negative. The truck seemed planted better on the road. Hard to describe.
• Fewer squeaks and groans. Body panels in the front didn't protest like they used to.
• Didn't seem to sway as much with the rtt.
• First thing I noticed was how much higher I had to hike into the cab. Officially, based on the wheel well skirts, it lifted the body 1/4". Getting into the truck it seemed more than that.

I've been planning on getting some sound deadener sheets for inside anyways. This just escalated the project. I also have a different muffler in the garage to install. The muffler shop talked me into a Magnaflow and I haven't liked it. Going back to a Flowmasteer (Super 50).

 

[liveoak]

I took the 4R out this morning for breakfast. Ya, I'm a cheap date. Anyways, impressions from this short trip, which involved one speed bump, a few miles of freeway, and local driving.

• Loud. Lots of road noise now. I think this is a known issue of poly body mounts.
• Much firmer handling. Not as much slop in the steering. Not as much bump steer.
• Ride, I noticed a difference, but I don't think it was a negative. The truck seemed planted better on the road. Hard to describe.
• Fewer squeaks and groans. Body panels in the front didn't protest like they used to.
• Didn't seem to sway as much with the rtt.
• First thing I noticed was how much higher I had to hike into the cab. Officially, based on the wheel well skirts, it lifted the body 1/4". Getting into the truck it seemed more than that.

I've been planning on getting some sound deadener sheets for inside anyways. This just escalated the project. I also have a different muffler in the garage to install. The muffler shop talked me into a Magnaflow and I haven't like it. Going back to a Flowmasteer (Super 50).

Thanks for the update. I was afraid it was going to be noisy. I'm going to continue to try to source a rubber body kit. It looks like there is a factory in Thailand making truck kits, I just have to try to get them to make a 4Runner/Surf RN60 kit.

 

[liveoak]

well, I got my rubber body mount kit after convincing a seller in Thailand to put a kit together for me. cost was $55 including shipping which was nice. I was surprised at the quality as they all had steel washers molded into them like the factory. They were, however solid rubber unlike the factory mounts that were shaped more like a yoyo and were softer. Got them installed using the existing bolts and spacers and they feel great. I can definitely feel the difference

.

 

[pappy]

Dig the Toyota part number.

 

[pappy]

I'm counting 20 bushings. Don't you need 24?

 

[liveoak]

No, it's 20 like the poly kit. 5 on each side. There are 2 pads that I didn't replace but those don't come with the poly kit either.
Here's the poly kit for reference. puck foly

 

[pappy]

No, it's 20 like the poly kit. 5 on each side.

Geez, I can't count. For some reason I had 12 stuck in my head. That picture looks like my kit.