Turn the housing? (1 Viewer)

[Medusa]

As always, Mark's perspective is valuable, based on real experience and should be seriously considered. IMO, the several options regarding the front suspension (e.g., C&T and SR ) depend a lot on what kind of wheeling you do. Mark's and his commercial rigs are for more general purpose wheeling. For that kind of wheeling I agree with his approach. If, on the other hand, you want to use a leaf-spring suspension for serious rock crawling, my experience is that a SR works best, and if you do that a C&T is manditory.

There is no single solution or best suspension. It all depends on what you want to do with your Cruiser...................my $0.02

 

[dtrain]

Thanks for the feedback all,
The SO, the shackle reversal, and the front discs, were quoted at $3000 parts and labor. He was going to take a front end off another '71 and get that all ready, pre order the parts, so my truck wont be sitting in the shop for weeks. Then bolt everything on. I don't know if this is a good fair price. I live in the SF Bay area, so the cost of living here is the highest in the US so take that into consideration if you have a comment on the cost of getting this done.
Thanks again

M

Who is doing your work... doesnt sound like a standard shop. Is it Yarnels?

 

[ColonelMustard]

It's the Toy Connection in Santa Clara. They do Toyota trucks, and SUV's. The owner abd lead mechanic worked with and was friends with Butch Taylor of Butchbuilt.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i also didn't cut and turn. i've reversed both springs and reversed the front shackles (mine's a daily driver also, so it does help a bit with the steering). i'm running 1" over shackles on both sides. i have no driveshaft issues, cruiser will run 100mph (yes, i've done it, yes, it's scary, but short wheelbase on 29" tires and stock suspension would be just as scary).

don't always assume you have to cut and turn. we just made sure that ujoint angles matched and that there wouldn't be bind issues.

 

[texas dogman]

So Mark, not to beat a dead horse here, but in my SOA mod, I was planning on flipping front springs, and use an Advanced Adapter to mate SM465 to 3sp TC. This will push TC back an addition 4" or so due to AA. Is it possible the combination of spring flip and AA would make front ds too long? I'm beginning to think I'll just have one of my stock 40 ds lenghtened to correct lenght, not rotate front pinion and perform mild turn axle to correct castor for new spring/axle relationship.

 

[Mark W]

Good info to know Mark!

I am gathering parts for an SOA on my FJ40.

What shackles do you use with your soa's?
Do you do a long shackle in a more 'relaxed' angle?
Say 25 deg vs 45 degrees?
Or are you using stock length shackles?

I normally make my own shackles. 2x3/8 flat stock and 5/8s bolts. (Unless I'm remember wrong right now, I use 11/16 bolts on '55 springs).

If we're just flipping the factory springs, then the we use a shackle about an inch and a half longer than stock to keep the caster correct with a 180 degree installation of the new perch. (I'd have to recheck the exact length).

With the OEm springs I normally leave the shackle hangers alone and wind up with a pretty conventional shackle angle

I have become a big fan of the '55 spring swap with longer shackles and very mild shackle angle.


Mark...

 

[Mark W]

So Mark, not to beat a dead horse here, but in my SOA mod, I was planning on flipping front springs, and use an Advanced Adapter to mate SM465 to 3sp TC. This will push TC back an addition 4" or so due to AA. Is it possible the combination of spring flip and AA would make front ds too long?

I would not expect to find that this sort of front driveshaft was too long for any reason.



Mark...

 

[Trollhole]

Or do a C&T and don't drive over 45mph and keep everything else the way it is. No longer shackles, no flipped springs. Heck I didn't even have to get my driveshaft modified. Pinion stays out of the rocks. Each way has it's advantages. It all depends on what you want the rig to do. PO didn't do C&T when I bought this 40 and it was crap. With the C&T it wheels a heck of a lot better and drives on the road even better.

You don't have to have new shock towers when SOA in the front. You lose a little articulation but it wasn't that big of a deal to me.