Ok, here's the deal...
Bought a 95 couple weeks back. A guy from Long Island was selling it. Got what I think is a great price and has been great for the few weeks I've had it, very happy with it. Runs good, but handles just fair and I think I discovered part of the reason why just fair, but I need some opinions here as this is my first 80.
Suspension seems really soft, squishy soft. Not sure how normal this is. The 80's I've been in(only a handful), I don't recall them being this squishy, but all have had lifts.... The truck rolls into corners some but not terrible. I noted that some see-saw rocking on bridges also occurs. I was rather surprised by this and expected a much stiffer suspension. Even in my driveway, I can grab the rain gutters and get the truck rocking pretty easily(not a small guy here, I will admit..). This especially true on the driver's rear corner to front passenger corner...rocks pretty easily, My 4runner or the 45, I can not produce this action by shaking it like I can with the 80.
Ok, I start poking around the front and rear suspension components to make sure things are tight and such. Front seems fine other than the passenger side(US passenger) spring seems to give easier than the driver's side. Components in the front seems tight and bushing seem ok. I go to the rear and notice that the rear sway bar is mia, gone... Never really thought to look for it before I bought it and honestly would not have changed my mind. Front one was there and in fine shape. I then notice all the links to the rear axle are newer. All have toyota stickers on them, all of them, and all are cleaner than the rest of the stuff underneath. Nothing seems out of place, everything seems tight and it does not appear the axle has been apart or removed from the truck...that I noticed.(no new brake lines or tubing, all looks original) I'm wondering if the trucks been lifted before and they had aftermarket links in...maybe? I'm trying to understand why someone would replace all, not some, but all the links to the axle. It also does not look like the truck is from the northeast coast....no rust, I mean at all(good thing don't get me wrong, but makes this rust belt new englander wonder, something tells me it wasn't on Long Island long...)
For most of the suspension stuff I plan to replace very soon, OME/FOR/Slee going through all those options for that stuff. Did the search thing here and research for the sway bar and whether I should replace it or not and I'm still on the fence. Any added opinion here would be welcome, on any of this...
Bought a 95 couple weeks back. A guy from Long Island was selling it. Got what I think is a great price and has been great for the few weeks I've had it, very happy with it. Runs good, but handles just fair and I think I discovered part of the reason why just fair, but I need some opinions here as this is my first 80.
Suspension seems really soft, squishy soft. Not sure how normal this is. The 80's I've been in(only a handful), I don't recall them being this squishy, but all have had lifts.... The truck rolls into corners some but not terrible. I noted that some see-saw rocking on bridges also occurs. I was rather surprised by this and expected a much stiffer suspension. Even in my driveway, I can grab the rain gutters and get the truck rocking pretty easily(not a small guy here, I will admit..). This especially true on the driver's rear corner to front passenger corner...rocks pretty easily, My 4runner or the 45, I can not produce this action by shaking it like I can with the 80.
Ok, I start poking around the front and rear suspension components to make sure things are tight and such. Front seems fine other than the passenger side(US passenger) spring seems to give easier than the driver's side. Components in the front seems tight and bushing seem ok. I go to the rear and notice that the rear sway bar is mia, gone... Never really thought to look for it before I bought it and honestly would not have changed my mind. Front one was there and in fine shape. I then notice all the links to the rear axle are newer. All have toyota stickers on them, all of them, and all are cleaner than the rest of the stuff underneath. Nothing seems out of place, everything seems tight and it does not appear the axle has been apart or removed from the truck...that I noticed.(no new brake lines or tubing, all looks original) I'm wondering if the trucks been lifted before and they had aftermarket links in...maybe? I'm trying to understand why someone would replace all, not some, but all the links to the axle. It also does not look like the truck is from the northeast coast....no rust, I mean at all(good thing don't get me wrong, but makes this rust belt new englander wonder, something tells me it wasn't on Long Island long...)
For most of the suspension stuff I plan to replace very soon, OME/FOR/Slee going through all those options for that stuff. Did the search thing here and research for the sway bar and whether I should replace it or not and I'm still on the fence. Any added opinion here would be welcome, on any of this...
