So you had the 3.0 in yours. Would you say look for the 22RE instead since the 3.0's arent the best? How hard was it to source the 85 front axle?
I would like to link it right from the start, but that wont be cheap, so it looks like leafs at first. I think I can fabricate all my links and mounts, but the cost of materials, joints, and coil overs would add up quick! Trail gear has the 3 link kit that starts at 1200 and goes up from there for the runner. I'll have to research what joints will add up to and the material to see if its better to build it yourself. Need to look into coil overs and see what that would cost.
That's tough to say as far as 3.0 vs. 22re. The reason being they both have their issues. Late 89-92ish 3.0's have HG issues, but other than being somewhat difficult to work on, they aren't
that bad. The 22re isn't the 20r or 22r of legend. There were changes in the timing guides among other things that if they aren't serviced, things go bad.
Few people realize that Toyota recommends changing the timing chain and
HG on the 22re just like you would the timing belt on the 3.0. Because of that, most 22re's have been replaced/rebuilt or required work. Rarely will you see a 22re that hasn't had to be rebuilt or other work in less than 200k, whereas with 3.0's if the timing belt is changed (excluding HG failure), they will run 250k with little else.
The other issue is that the 22re's are SLOOOOWWWW, unless you put a crap load of money into them. 22re's are rated at 116hp and 125lb/ft (could be wrong on that number) of torque, whereas the 3.0 is rated at 150hp and 180lb/ft of torque. My 4runner would outrun 4.0l jeeps going up Donner Summit to run Fordyce (I could keep it spinning on the long straights), they would kill me on hwy 50 going to Rubicon. You have to keep either toyota motor spinning, as opposed to the 4.0 which will grunt it's way out of the corners and up the hills. Torque rules and neither toyota motor has it, but at least the 3.0 has more than the 22re. That is why doubler kits are so popular with toyotas, they need it for rockcrawling.
My 4runner was geared at 185:1 and most shoot for the 225:1 crawl ratios. Bigger inline sixes will get through with less gearing because of the torque they generate. My wrangler was only geared at 69:1 and it did better than my 4runner with the same 1st gear in the transmission (AX15 and R150 are 3.83 to one), 4:1 in the t-case and my Jeep was only 4.56 in the diffs vs. 5.29 in my runner. The jeep was 69:1 and runner was 81:1 (without the crawler box). Of course once I engaged the crawler box in the runner, it was over.
Not bad and it does come with some extras, but I still think he asking too much. Maybe that's just me. I think its been for sale for a while, so he might be willing to deal.
Jack
search continues!