Stuffing 35” tires

[mudgudgeon]

No idea, from the rust on the springs and shocks, it looks pretty old to be honest.
If I do a full refresh I'd probably go Dobinson, OME or Ironman. From what I've gathered they all offer quality entry level kits. I don't need rebuildable Kings or anything fancy.
Please correct me Mud, but at a basic bitch 2" lift, we don't need to worry about much, castor might not be perfect but we're far from aftermarket arms, castor plate territory, or even offset bushings. Maybe bump stops at worst?

2" lift will put your caster right around zero, or in the negative range. It absolutely changes the way they drive.
I've or v2" springs under mine, but not corrected caster. It went from an easy relaxed car to drive, to paying full attention the whole time.

Bumpstops maybe. My previous 105 series cruiser, I added 2" springs, then altered the shock mounts so I could run shocks made for a 4-5" lift with stock bumps tops.
This gives you more travel, and lets you stuff a 35" tire fully into the fenders. Caveat being, i had to "create" some clearance in the front wheel well area, but i don't think an 80 would have clearance issues in the same place due to differences in the floor pan

 

[mudgudgeon]

I have the Snap-on 14.4 hackzall do you think that would be sufficient

BFH might be sufficient . . .

 

[MissahPapaJ]

BFH might be sufficient . . .

This is what I got not sure if it will be sufficient…. I’m new at this

 

[BucketEighty]

If I were putting together my own suspension kit for wheeling on 35's primarily from the Dobinsons catalog it would look something like this:

Front Springs: Dobinsons C97-146VT – 2.5″ Lift with 200LBS Constant Load, Dual Rate Long Travel
Front Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS45-912 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (670/390)
Front Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA45-A912 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (667/401)
Front Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Front Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Front Brake Line Extension: Toyota PNs 90947-A2016 and 96940-34605
Front Caster Correction: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Radius Arm Mounts (RAM)
Front Sway bar Disconnects: LCP Sway Bar Disconnects or remove front sway bar entirely.

Rear Springs: Dobinsons C97-147VT – 2.5″ lift with 440lbs constant load (lifts more with less weight), (variable dual rate long travel)
Rear Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS59-687 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (680/407)
Rear Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA59-A687 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (674/420)
Rear Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Rear Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Rear Brake Line Extension: Toyota PN 96940-34705
Rear Panhard Correction Bracket: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Panhard Correction Kit (PCK)
Keep factory rear sway bar to balance the flex / drive more flex into the front radius arms.

I'd run stock rubber bushings everywhere and stock length arms everywhere. You can reinforce your rear lower arms for bend-resistance or purchase upgraded lower arms that take the stock bushings depending on your personal preference.

I'm excited to see what you choose to build!

 

[AN470]

Lift or no lift, you will have to do very minor trimming, or increase bump stop height for 35s if you want to actually use them off pavement. I am very happy with my setup. Comfortable on and off road with the adjustable MRA shocks. Dobinsons 222/223, advertised as a 1.75" lift, got me close to 3" up front and 2.5" on the rear end, but that's coming from OEM old saggy springs. I have a winch in the OEM bumper, and a swing out on the OEM rear bumper, so I anticipated 2-3" which is what I wanted.

Caster is -0.8 now. Getting delta arms soon. Drives ok in a straight line at 60-70mph, unless I hit a bump, or brake, or turn! Requires a lot of focus compared to pre-lift behavior which gets tiring on long drives. Attached photos are with the springs removed, axle fully stuffed using a floor jack. OEM bumstops up front with a little flare trimming, perry parts bumps in the rear, and a little flare and rear mudflap trimming. Hopefully I can get a little more up travel with the Delta arms, I wonder if the old bushings are binding and limiting up travel? We'll see. Wheels are 16x8 -12.

 

[Marvelicious]

If I were putting together my own suspension kit for wheeling on 35's primarily from the Dobinsons catalog it would look something like this:

Front Springs: Dobinsons C97-146VT – 2.5″ Lift with 200LBS Constant Load, Dual Rate Long Travel
Front Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS45-912 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (670/390)
Front Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA45-A912 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (667/401)
Front Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Front Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Front Brake Line Extension: Toyota PNs 90947-A2016 and 96940-34605
Front Caster Correction: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Radius Arm Mounts (RAM)
Front Sway bar Disconnects: LCP Sway Bar Disconnects or remove front sway bar entirely.

Rear Springs: Dobinsons C97-147VT – 2.5″ lift with 440lbs constant load (lifts more with less weight), (variable dual rate long travel)
Rear Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS59-687 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (680/407)
Rear Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA59-A687 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (674/420)
Rear Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Rear Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Rear Brake Line Extension: Toyota PN 96940-34705
Rear Panhard Correction Bracket: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Panhard Correction Kit (PCK)
Keep factory rear sway bar to balance the flex / drive more flex into the front radius arms.

I'd run stock rubber bushings everywhere and stock length arms everywhere. You can reinforce your rear lower arms for bend-resistance or purchase upgraded lower arms that take the stock bushings depending on your personal preference.

I'm excited to see what you choose to build!

This seems like a well thought out list to me. I think the Eimkeith drop brackets are a great choice, and the potential for getting hung up on them is overstated. They're right next to the tire, and the radius arm acts as a big slider on the one forward side, so backing up is the only place they're really going to get hit. If you're wheeling hard enough to hammer those, you probably need the fab skills necessary to build a little extra protection for them, but I think you would find that out with use.

 

[MissahPapaJ]

If I were putting together my own suspension kit for wheeling on 35's primarily from the Dobinsons catalog it would look something like this:

Front Springs: Dobinsons C97-146VT – 2.5″ Lift with 200LBS Constant Load, Dual Rate Long Travel
Front Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS45-912 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (670/390)
Front Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA45-A912 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (667/401)
Front Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Front Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Front Brake Line Extension: Toyota PNs 90947-A2016 and 96940-34605
Front Caster Correction: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Radius Arm Mounts (RAM)
Front Sway bar Disconnects: LCP Sway Bar Disconnects or remove front sway bar entirely.

Rear Springs: Dobinsons C97-147VT – 2.5″ lift with 440lbs constant load (lifts more with less weight), (variable dual rate long travel)
Rear Shocks (budget option): Dobinsons GS59-687 - 4" Long Travel Twin Tube Shocks (680/407)
Rear Shocks (premium option): Dobinsons MRA59-A687 - 4" Long Travel 3-Way Adjustable Monotube Shocks w/resi (674/420)
Rear Bump Stop Extensions: Dobinsons 80 Series Rear Bump Stop Extensions Kit (1.0-2.0 in) 1990-1997
Rear Brake Line Extension: Toyota PN 96940-34705
Rear Panhard Correction Bracket: Eimkeith 80 Series Landcruiser Panhard Correction Kit (PCK)
Keep factory rear sway bar to balance the flex / drive more flex into the front radius arms.

I'd run stock rubber bushings everywhere and stock length arms everywhere. You can reinforce your rear lower arms for bend-resistance or purchase upgraded lower arms that take the stock bushings depending on your personal preference.

I'm excited to see what you choose to build!

Your a prince amongst commoners sir thanks.

 

[MissahPapaJ]

This seems like a well thought out list to me. I think the Eimkeith drop brackets are a great choice, and the potential for getting hung up on them is overstated. They're right next to the tire, and the radius arm acts as a big slider on the one forward side, so backing up is the only place they're really going to get hit. If you're wheeling hard enough to hammer those, you probably need the fab skills necessary to build a little extra protection for them, but I think you would find that out with use.

I wanna hit the rubicon and Moab so I don’t want to be lacking im gonna try to get it dialed in and safe cause I’ll likely drag my wife and daughter along and if it feels sketchy to me Imagine how they’ll feel. Gonna do what needs to be done and not cut corners I’m a 20 year open shop tech and seens and done about all of it I’m fairly well rounded. I cringe at the thought of paying someone to do the work I’ve done so far and what I’m about to do. Anytime I see a post where someone is asking if a shops quote is on the button or wondering if they’re getting screwed I’m like “buddy you may have purchased the wrong type of vehicle”. At my shop I call them pleasure crafts and the rate go’s up and labor times go up. I work on a lot of defenders and first gen broncos, K series chevys, jeeps etc. they’re all garbage. The hack ass work I see from these D bags selling these vehicles to rich D bags and the hack work I’ve seen would burn your eyes.

 

[efjayatee]

I'd rather get either trail tailor radius arms or Delta Arms and Delta panhard bracket mated to whiteline swarbar with either LCP HD swaybar mounts or Landtank.
The whiteline is stiff and will compromise travel but it will be planted during cornering at highway speeds.

 

[Marvelicious]

I'd rather get either trail tailor radius arms or Delta Arms and Delta panhard bracket mated to whiteline swarbar with either LCP HD swaybar mounts or Landtank.
The whiteline is stiff and will compromise travel but it will be planted during cornering at highway speeds.

As far as I can see, the only upside to the Delta panhard bracket over Eimkeith's is that it's a bolt-on solution as apposed to requiring welding. Personally, I prefer the welded approach.

Similar with the arms vs drop bracket. The drop brackets should theoretically handle better under braking than aftermarket arms. I suspect you'd have to drive two otherwise identically set up rigs back-to-back to feel much difference, but on paper the antidive geometry should make a difference. If money were no object, the arms would probably edge out the drop brackets for me, just for that little bit of lost ground clearance, but it's a LOT of money compared to the drop brackets and a little welding. I'm perfectly comfortable with a stinger in my hand, so I would save the money for something else.

Either choice will be far better than bushings and a million times better than nothing.

 

[efjayatee]

Yes, they are $$ but not everyone can weld-(like myself) -they are options for folks that dont weld and It could be a hassle finding a shop to weld them on.

 

[Marvelicious]

Sure, if you're paying someone else to do the welds vs bolting the parts on yourself, you'd have that money into it anyway. At that point, might as well spring for the Delta stuff.

 

[vwhammer]

I am running a 35 x11.50 on a 17 inch factory Toyota steel wheel (7 inch wide I think? 7.5 max) on a completely stock 97 LC with 280,000 miles
I don't do any hardcore wheeling in mine, just off road trails around the easter slopes of the rockies in Colorado.
I have only heard them rub a couple of times when I get pretty crossed up with a little bit of momentum.
Honestly I have heard the tires rub more on the interstate over big dips with a load in the truck than I have off road.
Here it is with the tires on stock lift.
This has bit of a load in the back and I am sitting on some uneven terrain.

Here it is pretty unloaded but also on kind of uneven terrain.

One key factor here is the skinny factory offset wheels and skinny (ish) tires.
The tires have gobs of clearance at full steering lock both directions while sitting on flat ground.
when going over bumps that only really affect one tire and make the axle articulate everything clears just fine.
As I mentioned, it's only when the axle goes straight up and down (think a hump in the road at highway speeds) that I get any real tire rubbing.
Basically the tire is going straight up and hitting the outter edge of fender opening.
As the axle articulates off road the top of the tire tilts in quite a bit and avoids this scenario so you don't get rubbing as often.
The second key factor is the load.
If you are gonna carry some stuff all the time then some ugraded springs might be necessary to keep from rubbing all the time.

I am building an air suspension for mine so I can run at lower heights for on road use so I do plan on clearancing the fenders but for basic every day and occasional off road use with stock suspension I think I could deal with a couple flips of tread hitting a bolt head or whatever it's hitting every now and then.
I might suggest replacing the shocks though if the rig has some miles on it, which I assume it does given the vehicles we are talking about.

EDIT: For fun here's a couple pics with my 35 set up on the front with all the flares and junk.

Tire width and wheel offset is everything.