What's the BEST, most cost effective suspension and tire setup???

[bruiz05]

  I am a student at WyoTech In Sacramento Callifornia,   I want to start the build-up of my 84' mini.  I have been looking for the best way to rework the suspension for 37's or 38's.  But to be hosnest  I dont know how much lift it will take to get the job done right. I dont want anything that will be too top heavy so it still has to have a low center of gravity. But I dont want the tires to rub either, So should i get the marilin suspension and some glass fenders or should i try something else.  What about buggy springs for the rear, is it worth it or should I just stay with the shackle setup?  Just a few questions if some one could help that would be great.. Thanks

[donkeykong]

THat is like asking which soda is the best, every one is going to tell you something diffrent.  I am running about 5 inches of lift and my 35'' tires tuck away real nice, but some saw zaw mods to the inside of the fenders have been done

[Ramrod]

I have an 83 with 5 inches of lift out front and 4 in the back and I have zero rubbing with 36in. tsls. The cost to actually lift my truck was probably only about 75 dollars because I am running my rear springs up front and chevys out back that a friend gave to me so all I had to buy was front shackles and some metal.  I am very happy with my setup.

[MiniSimp]

The most cost effective is leaving it stock.

[donkeykong]

I believe his question was the most cost effect way to run 36-38" tires...and you aint running 38's on a stock truck

[MiniSimp]

Why not?

I've seen 44's run on stock suspension.

Just need to do a little sawzall work.

[donkeykong]

A little saw zaw work....you will have to cut more off then you will leave on....but I bet it has a mean looking stance all wide and beefy.

[MiniSimp]

Quote from Scott at http://www.rockstomper.com

"Yes, those are 44" TSL's, on our project '84... with *zero* suspension lift. The rear suspension is (for the moment) bone stock, riding on 44" Boggers--and the truck sits level. I never realized how small everything looks compared to a set of 44's. And in stock high range, with 4.10 axle gears, the thing hits top speed (in the middle of Third gear) at around 50mph, on flat ground. In stock 2.28 low, it hits top speed at around 60mph, in Fifth, with revs left but no power. Street tire pressure for the moment seems to work well at 5psi front and 3psi rear; trail pressure is around 2psi front, 0psi rear. Steering rocks (ram assist), noise isn't too bad, ride is decent, especially considering that the tires are totally without even an attempt at balancing, it's just the tired 22R that's not putting out. Ohwell, it's a crawler; if it needs to go fast... well, you can see the trailer next to it."

[donkeykong]

I was right on both points...you have to take off more than you leave on, and it is a sick looking truck all wide and beefy....how does it wheel, what is the flex on a stock truck

[guywithuglyyota]

There is another guy on here somewhere, he is running 47's with zero lift. He obviously trimmed fenders however Teraflex makes a kit for jeeps that allows 37's with only 4" lift. The suspension is designed to DROOP like crazy, with minimal compression. Obviously you dont need a Jeep suspension but Im saying it can be done effectively without crazy spring packs, buggy's or three foot shackles.

[MiniSimp]

Since they changed it to 4-link it does fine (same height)

[MiniSimp]

It's also green now.

[guywithuglyyota]

Thats amazing. Im having big tire envy

[ozzy93xtra]

D A Y U M! thats a mean lookin rig man.

[oddball]

 

[bruiz05]

Maybe I should have asked if marlins front 5" SAS kit and 5" rear kit with some 7100 series shocks, will work with 37's?
Oh and MINISIMP you have some crazy suff going on there, I kinda like it ( too bad it wont work for me).

[MiniSimp]

LOL, not my truck.

I'm on a budget.

[CTENG in KS]

That truck doesn't exist anymore...IIRC it became a parts donor for a buggy...   

[FatAzzRunner]

no lift, link it front and rear and use the sawzall.  CHEAP and it WORKS.

I am eventually gonna drop mine back to stock, one link the rear, maybe 3 link the front and be done wit it.

[Hyena]

But Scott was also running full size axles.  You can't compare his truck to another toy with toy axles, 44's and no lift.

[Island4Runner]

Maybe I should have asked if marlins front 5" SAS kit and 5" rear kit with some 7100 series shocks, will work with 37's?
Oh and MINISIMP you have some crazy suff going on there, I kinda like it ( too bad it wont work for me).

Marlins 5" springs front and rear will be just fine with 37's, just gonna need some carefull bumpstop placement and alittle fender trimming....

[yotaboy79]

im running rears up front and love them with fender trimming i could easily fit 37s i would also need to tub the fire wall i probably have 4 inches of lift

[Hyena]

I have about 7 inches of lift and can fit 37's with firewall tubing.  And my front axle is only moved forward 1-2 inches.  So if it is moved more forward then you can run less of a lift for the same size tire.

Edit: Basically the same thing yotaboy79 said.

[yotaboy79]

and rears up front are about the cheapest thing you can do if you are comfortable making leaf packs
what gets expensive is crossover steering and a drive shaft to handle the flex unless you go with a square tube, my front springs cost me 60 bucks 30 for a set of toyota 2wd rears and 30 for a set of wagganeer fronts took the toyota main leaf and the bottom 6 leafs from the waggys  the top waggy was actualy the cut down main leaf to get the length i needed and then i added the bottom leaf from the stock toy front pack to the drivers side spring pack to level it out  and they work freaking awsome

[Hyena]

I love my spring pack too.  Made up of toyota rears, waggy's and a chevy leaf.

[guywithuglyyota]

How do these leaf combos hold up on the road??? Is the truck unstable in turns??? I was debating this for my sas daily driver, or using marlins front springs. I know they flex awesome off road but have not heard too many reviews about pavement handling etc...

[Island4Runner]

 The rears up front set up i ran consisted of the mian and 2nd leaf from nwor (yeah yeah i know i know but they where free and they worked great) 4" rear springs, the 3rd and 4th leaf of a nwor 6" front spring, and a pro-comp add-a-leaf...This setup performed well for me both on the trail and the street, provided good travel, and didnt juke or shimmy one bit when ya hit bumps at speed on the street....

[guywithuglyyota]

Sounds good to me. Yeah I know there are a million posts about rears up front, and everyone seems to have there own little formula. I will just do like most guys do and use what I have laying around the garage.     

[mxpro_156]

Where I'm from most people do 3 in. of lift with 38's and not a whole lot of fender trimming. But we alsodont have any rockcrawling mainly snow and rocky hills

[twin60s]

dont get those glass fenders they are the chevy springs work well and they are cheap[100$] there is nothing cost effective in the world of offroad unless its free. do yourself a favor and run away from wheeling as fast as you can