84 4Runner Buildup - Last minute summer mods

[Volcom]

Nice man!  I might be out there at the same time!

As far as your choices before Moab, if it were me, I'd go gears/lockers and dual cases.  However, with dual cases, you have the added cost of new d-shafts, so that might push it out of you're budget .  After that, Longs, and then after that tires.  I say tires last because when I was in Moab last year, it seemed like if you were locked and geared, you could go pretty much everywhere you wanted.  There's so much traction on the slickrock, that tires don't play a huge part.  Plus if you went bigger tires, you'd probably want to get longs right away, meaning no lockers/gears or dual cases.  Just my  .

That's kinda what I figured but wanted to get everyone's opinion.  Let me know if you are for sure going to be out there, we'll have to meet up and or run a trail together.  My 4wheel drive club is going and we have some ideas on what we are going to run when but you could run with us or we could hit Hell's Revenge for a night run!

[blackdiamond]

I survived Moab twice (week long trips) with 33's, 4.70 gears and a Truetrac front differential.  This last trip I upgraded to 30-spline Longfields and an Aussie locker and I wouldn't want to chance a front locker with anything but Longs in Moab.  There is just way too much traction available and when you pick tires up there is added potential for impact loading when they contact again.  Plus turning at times is like a brand new asphalt parking lot.

[Volcom]

Frame primered and painted









33" TSL mounted on 15x10 2.5 inch backspaced wheel.  The tire is kinda narrow for these wheels but not a bad buy for a case of beer two years ago.  Should work for Moab.



Rear spring hung, moved back almost three inches from stock.



Shackle hanger mounted almost all the way on the rear of the frame.  Stock location of the hanger is the line scratched on frame between holes.



New front spring hanger tacked on.  I will need to take it off and modify it a bit to get it to fit the frame squarly.



IFS rear axle with stock spring perches removed.  I gouged up the axle housing with the cutoff so my dad welded a bead in the gouge and grinded them smooth.



Fitting rear diff armor.

[Volcom]

I survived Moab twice (week long trips) with 33's, 4.70 gears and a Truetrac front differential.  This last trip I upgraded to 30-spline Longfields and an Aussie locker and I wouldn't want to chance a front locker with anything but Longs in Moab.  There is just way too much traction available and when you pick tires up there is added potential for impact loading when they contact again.  Plus turning at times is like a brand new asphalt parking lot.

Did you just have a Tru track in the front and unlocked in the rear?  I might just spool the rear and forget about the front if I can't afford the Longfields before the trip.

[DTB]

  that frame looks pimp! good job! the tires look like really really old  BTW they still good i guess

[Volcom]

that frame looks pimp! good job! the tires look like really really old  BTW they still good i guess

Thanks for the comments.  Tires are old but still good.

[Volcom]

Saturday 1/27/07

We continued on the rear, wanting to get the rear with the wheels on rolling by the end of the day. 




We added a strip of 1 inch strap to the front of the hanger to make sure we would have something solid to weld the hanger to the frame. 



Rear springs on




My welding is getting better



We cut the drain plug out from the bottom of the rear housing



Drain patch in place, beveled edges to make sure material is going to get  some weld after grinding them smooth



After welding, welds aren't too bad



After grinding smooth and welding inside



Diff armor in place





More weld pictures.  Not bad for my second time welding

Sunday 1/28/07
Didn't get goal done of rear rolling Saturday.  Oh well.  There's always Sunday



Weight on the rear springs.  I got some lift out of them over stock



One problem though.  One shackle angle is 23 degrees and the other one is 13 degress.  Same springs, same hanger locations.  Any ideas??



Wheelbase is moved back almost 3 inches from stock.



We were tired of messing with the rear so on to the front.  Kinda of a cool reverse pre-runner look



Got the front axle out



Can you believe how flat the stock front springs are???  I've got quite a bit of cleaning on the front axle.



My pile of junk parts is growing

[DTB]

looking good.....im seeing some porosity in some of those welds...u might wanna watch taht otherwise good work

[Volcom]

looking good.....im seeing some porosity in some of those welds...u might wanna watch taht otherwise good work

Yea, I needed to clean the tip of the gun.  Once it was clean, the gas could flow better, and the welds became instantly better!

[Matty]

lookin good.  nice progress 

[Volcom]

lookin good.  nice progress 

Thanks bro, how's CU treating ya?  I miss Boulder everyday. 

[Matty]

Thanks bro, how's CU treating ya?  I miss Boulder everyday. 

CU is excellent.  the longer im here the more and more i like it.  I've been looking at houses for next year with a couple buddies trying to find one with a garage  .

[Volcom]

I just ordered a Marlin 23 spline dual case adapter and 4.7 gears 

I also ordered some solid pinion spacers and a 22RE sticker for my valve cover since I've swapped EFI into my 84 


Wooooooooo Whooooooooooooo 

[KDC]

Saturday 1/27/07

One problem though.  One shackle angle is 23 degrees and the other one is 13 degress.  Same springs, same hanger locations.  Any ideas??

Maybe uneven distribution of weight.  Full gas tank?

[Volcom]

Maybe uneven distribution of weight.  Full gas tank?

No weight in the truck.  Gas level is probably an 1/8th.  I think one spring is longer than the other.  I will be swapping springs to see if that helps.

[blackdiamond]

No weight in the truck.  Gas level is probably an 1/8th.  I think one spring is longer than the other.  I will be swapping springs to see if that helps.

When?

[Volcom]

When?

Either this weekend or the next.  I have the front axle out of it and only one set of 12 ton stands tall enough to reach the frame. 

[Volcom]

Saturday 2/3/07

I'm going to start off with a BIG THANKS to my dad, my brother, and my buddies Jeff and Joe for the help this weekend!  More than one set of hands is such a big help.


After several hours of tearing stock front axle apart. 




Damn PS lines



Removed radiator and frontend to get to PS box and inside of the frame to weld steering box support



Stock box is gone



Random parts.  Soaking all the frontend parts in degreaser



Steering box is ready to be tapped



How I ended Saturday, one big giant mess in the garage.


Sunday 2/4/07

I don't have a drill press but I've got the next best thing, Jeff Press





Box is tapped and plugged for future hydro assist.



How it sits after today



Front housing needs cleaned and all the brackets cut off.



Front end parts.  Longside birfield doesn't turn very well and binds.  Maybe that's the loud popping sound I heard while in 4 wheel drive on it's madien trip to Chinaman's??



My brother cut off the front spring hanger and trimmed the lower portion of the body mount so the new spring hanger can mount nice and flush.


I've got six more weekends or 47 more days until Moab.  Think I can get it all done by then??  I hope so.

[rednk1980]

Looks good!  your getting this thing done in a hurry. Did you have to replace any seals when you took the ps box apart. I like how you already tapped you box so its ready to go.

[Jud]

looks like things are coming along nice!

[Volcom]

Looks good!  your getting this thing done in a hurry. Did you have to replace any seals when you took the ps box apart. I like how you already tapped you box so its ready to go.

I'm not going to replace any seals at this time.  Everything looked good and I'm kinda on a time crunch so maybe in a couple of years I have to take the box off and rebuild it.

[Big Pap Dog]

In regards to the shackle angles you are having at the rear springs, i am having the exact same problem on my 83' pickup!  First, i thought that shackle bolt was way too tight and not allowing the spring to settle at ride height.  I loosened both sides and drove around the block...no change.  Well, I took measurements from the rear cab mount to the center of the (relocated) spring hanger where it meets the frame, and also from cab mount to center of stock spring hanger.  After measuring both driver and passanger sides(more than once x5), i found that the driver/pass stock hangers differed by 1/4" and the new hangers differed by 1/2" now! I am still confused other than when i move the new hangers, i had somehow compounded the offset.  that combined with not having the front drivers side spring leveling plate in,..i have some serious gangsta lean, dog.  WELL, i hope i didn't highjack too bad, just trying to help!  Sweet runner, keep up the good work!

[Volcom]

In regards to the shackle angles you are having at the rear springs, i am having the exact same problem on my 83' pickup!  First, i thought that shackle bolt was way too tight and not allowing the spring to settle at ride height.  I loosened both sides and drove around the block...no change.  Well, I took measurements from the rear cab mount to the center of the (relocated) spring hanger where it meets the frame, and also from cab mount to center of stock spring hanger.  After measuring both driver and passanger sides(more than once x5), i found that the driver/pass stock hangers differed by 1/4" and the new hangers differed by 1/2" now! I am still confused other than when i move the new hangers, i had somehow compounded the offset.  that combined with not having the front drivers side spring leveling plate in,..i have some serious gangsta lean, dog.  WELL, i hope i didn't highjack too bad, just trying to help!  Sweet runner, keep up the good work!

I measured off of the stock hangers so I might be off.  Once I get the front suspension on, I'm going to turn it around again and work on the rear.

[Volcom]

Woooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooo, ordered 5.29's last night, and am going to order the 30 spline Longfields today.  I am waiting on Aussie locker.  They are backordered.  They said they should be getting a shipment anytime.

Now I can lay the hammer down and the frontend won't go BOOM like it would have if I stayed stock   

[Fearofrunner]

nice build up, be sure to post picks of the aussie

[Loki]

Maybe you can explain something to me 
In this picture:

Someone's holding a flashlight, but the room is very well lit. 
Any...um, reason for that 

[Volcom]

Maybe you can explain something to me 
In this picture:

Someone's holding a flashlight, but the room is very well lit. 
Any...um, reason for that 

To make sure you don't drill too far down into the box and F up a $75 steering box.  Man, I've never been hassled for having too much light ??

[Loki]

slow down there turbo...i'm not hasseling you bro...i'd call it ribbing  i'm about to do the same thing to my box, i know how easy it is to mess up.

[Volcom]

30 spline Longfields and aussies ordered today!!!!!!  The only other parts I need to buy are some V-6 front brake calipers, V-6 or FJ80 brake master cylinder, brake pads for the front, shoes for the rear, and some rear brake cylinders.

I also have to figure out what I'm going to do with the stupid LPSV in the rear.

[Fearofrunner]

get rid of it, with a runner that old the LSPV probably locked up... am i right?  Aftermarket proportioning is well worth the effort