Builds Ikarus' LX470 Offroad Build and BS (4 Viewers)

[FxFormat]

What do the extended sway bar links do? Will it offer more flex offroad? Mine are fine, i just need a reason to spend my hard earned money.

Ikarus, i was on the fence about an RTT and i ended up building a platform inside and just throw everything imaginable on the roof rack, i like the safety of sleeping inside the vehicle and convenience of not setting it up.

 

[yotasavg]

What do the extended sway bar links do? Will it offer more flex offroad? Mine are fine, i just need a reason to spend my hard earned money.

If you have enough lift you've changed the angle that your sway bar ends sit in relation to the frame/arms. You could space them off the frame (boooo) or extend the links. Neither way would net you more flex, but it will correct your geometry and yield more stock-like handling characteristics.

 

[FxFormat]

If you have enough lift you've changed the angle that your sway bar ends sit in relation to the frame/arms. You could space them off the frame (boooo) or extend the links. Neither way would net you more flex, but it will correct your geometry and yield more stock-like handling characteristics.

That's enough for me, thanks, will order. Sucks that the guy i bought the truck from, just had new bushings installed all around too.

 

[ikarus]

I get the same—very even wear, but the fronts are pretty clearly wearing down faster than the rear. I'm guessing in my case that it has more to do with weight—bumper, sliders, skids in the front, nothing (yet) in the rear. I have a drawer system in the back that's usually loaded, but maybe not enough to match. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I get the same wear up front, and other than a hidden winch (~90lbs w/ mount plate) I have no other weight. Only way I can offset is rotating, but I've been thinking it's time for an alignment too.

Yeah, makes sense. Tons of weight up front compared to the rear, plus it's 4WD and the fronts are turning. I'm going to do part time soon - hoping that will preserve the CVs as well as the tires a little more.

Yeah, my fronts wear a little quicker than the rears. I only have a bullbar on the front with a big battery (no winch yet or dual setup). My rear is loaded with a drawer system, fridge, rooftop tent, BIOR rear bumper with spare/dual cans/60" hi-lift and boards. My most recent alignment readings are as follows:

Left Front:
Camber = -0.1
Caster = 2.4
Toe = -0.1
Right Front:
Camber = 0.2
Caster = 2.4
Toe = -0.1
My total toe is -0.2 and "steer ahead" is 0.00

Left Rear:
Camber = -0.5
Toe = 0.06
Right Rear:
Camber = -0.2
Toe = 0.11
My total toe is 0.17 and thrust angle is -0.03

I have the ToughDog 53mm front/45mm rear on dual rate heavy coils with a total lift of just shy of 2" on 275/70/18 KO2. I rotate every oil change (5k). Mileage at 47k with 8/32nds at last reading (1k ago). I run at 42psi front/45psi rear on pavement and 20psi front/23psi rear off-road.

Awesome, great to know - thanks. I'll have to dig up my alignment numbers. It's been a year plus some suspension tweaking so I might be due for a checkup. I just go for an even 40 on road/8 off road. Maybe I'll have to play with staggering the pressures on road.

This sway bar links are always sitting in my shopping cart... I need to just pull the trigger.

Also after owning a rtt for a year I have some thoughts. They are cool and fun but that’s about it. Real world driving I get a little annoyed with it. Not being able to park where I want in cities get frustrating. Not to mention it’ll make your already terrible gas mileage worse. Are they quick and easy yes but are they worth the cost of entry nope. I love mine but if I did it again I wouldn’t have bought it and will not buy another.

Interesting. Good to know. I was coming to similar conclusions when I started thinking about parking garages and low overhangs. Just not being able to use the garage would be super annoying.

What do the extended sway bar links do? Will it offer more flex offroad? Mine are fine, i just need a reason to spend my hard earned money.

Ikarus, i was on the fence about an RTT and i ended up building a platform inside and just throw everything imaginable on the roof rack, i like the safety of sleeping inside the vehicle and convenience of not setting it up.

Yeah I don't know the science behind the swaybar, but the extendos get it back to stock geometry - maybe the bar flexes best when in the right position. And yeah I slept in the back just the other week in Moab and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

 

[grando]

I did a LSeat recover on my 98 LX. I still have the covers. PM me and pay the shipping and they are yours for free. Love to see what you come up with in your design. Very nice truck. Thanks for sharing the progress.

 

[ikarus]

I did a LSeat recover on my 98 LX. I still have the covers. PM me and pay the shipping and they are yours for free. Love to see what you come up with in your design. Very nice truck. Thanks for sharing the progress.

Awesome, that would be great! PM'd

 

[ikarus]

Got my leaking AC repaired and installed stainless steel brake lines. No pics of that, but here's some from the desert this weekend -

ih8mud, gonna be hanging out in a carwash for the next few days

 

[1973Guppie]

great looking truck......

 

[Kabanstva]

Wow those pics!!!

 

[ikarus]

Added this switch today

 

[MongooseGA]

Are there some other new goodies attached to the back of it?

 

[ikarus]

Are there some other new goodies attached to the back of it?

haha yeah, 4.88s and front and rear ARB lockers. The cruiser drives nice now - great to have the stock gearing back.

 

[Kabanstva]

Did you have the ARB lockers for a while or is this something you just installed? Any reason you went with air lockers vs electric lockers?

I might get this down the line, but still not 100% sure which ones.

 

[ikarus]

Did you have the ARB lockers for a while or is this something you just installed? Any reason you went with air lockers vs electric lockers?

I might get this down the line, but still not 100% sure which ones.

I just got them installed today at Cruiser Outfitters (@cruiseroutfit) - I ordered them a little while ago and they pre-built the diffs so installation only took half a day.

I've never really looked into e-lockers. I had air lockers on my old tacoma and they worked great. I trust Cruiser Outfitters and they've always been stoked on ARBs - plus, I already had a compressor for airing up tires so it's not too hard to add the locker manifold afterward. Plus I know the ARB carrier will strengthen the front diff and make that less of a weak point - I would assume the e-locker would do the same, but not sure.

 

[Kabanstva]

Great, thanks for the response! Cruiser Outfitters are good people!

 

[yotasavg]

but still not 100% sure which ones.

I found this info to be interesting, though the video is annoying...

/hijack

 

[ikarus]

I found this info to be interesting, though the video is annoying...

/hijack

I haven't had a chance to watch the whole video, but another thing I've heard is that e-lockers need a little bit of movement - roll forward or back - to get engaged, while an air locker is instant.

 

[yotasavg]

I haven't had a chance to watch the whole video, but another thing I've heard is that e-lockers need a little bit of movement - roll forward or back - to get engaged, while an air locker is instant.

That's exactly what he shows in the video, as a negative for the Harrop elocker. I think I'll be going with air for my front for that exact reason, especially since I want a compressor anyway. I have to say though, my factory rear locker does not behave the way we see in the video. Mine is quick and responsive, in my experience.

 

[ikarus]

That's exactly what he shows in the video, as a negative for the Harrop elocker. I think I'll be going with air for my front for that exact reason, especially since I want a compressor anyway. I have to say though, my factory rear locker does not behave the way we see in the video. Mine is quick and responsive, in my experience.

Yeah I was just watching that part where it kept unlocking and rolling. Weird. I think OEM must be better. The 80 series I've driven with factory lockers worked great too.

 

[balance156]

Ikarus - just wanted to say how much I appreciate your build thread. Motivated me to finally get going on my 2004: