can any one tell me why?

[81yota4x4]

As I posted in my earlyer posts I'm new to the Toyota world and I have learned a ton of info from you all on this site. So first off thank you all, second I just got this 81 4x4 pickup and the rear shocks lay down along the leaf springs I've never seen this done and have looked all over the web to see if anyone else as there rig like this and maybe find out what the perpose of doing it is and have come up with nothing... so I turn you all in hopes someone will know

Again thanks for all the info

[jl93221]

I think the purpose is to help prevent axle wrap

[IronClad]

They are called kicker shocks and yes they are suposed to dampen axle wrap

[81yota4x4]

so Im thinking of changing it back to the stock placment and adding the Marlin leafs with longer shocks... the rig was origonally bought for my girl and I to take to Moab for the easter safari and I am no to sure if this is a good set up as I said I've never seen it before

[Rocksurfer]

so Im thinking of changing it back to the stock placment and adding the Marlin leafs with longer shocks... the rig was origonally bought for my girl and I to take to Moab for the easter safari and I am no to sure if this is a good set up as I said I've never seen it before

I'm looking at your images and thinking that I don't see your shocks, and this statement make me wonder if by "stock placement" that you are thinking that the "Kickers" as they are called are your shocks. They are not shocks, Kickers are not made to eliminate the normal placement of shocks, they are there only to reduce axle wrap. They were a Downey Offroad kit, there is also a hard bar version of these. They are for the go fast crowd, didn't do much for the go slows (I had both of these kits). The hard bar tended to limit travel and is why they came out with the shocked model. With this kit you were required to cut out the bumpstop hoop on the frame to accommodate the new hoop placed on the top of the axle. I see the shock mount on your axle plate, if they have not been relocated then you do not have shocks at all, Kickers are not shocks. You don't have to remove the Kickers if you don't want to, but from what I'm seeing you do need some shocks. Also looks like the rubber bumpstops are missing from the top of the Kicker hoops, if this was done because the top hoops were not cut off then they will be banging into each other like crazy, especially without shocks.

[81yota4x4]

Thank you that sums it up pretty well, so now I know what direction to go with this... If the will not benefit me on the trail in Moab and here in Vegas as most of the wheeling I do is in the rocks then I will take them off

[brainlessfool]

yep, take them off and go back stock. better for trails and rocks.

[Estysalinas]

Nice - can't say I have seen that before either!