Topic: 85 Toyota ( no flex)

[Calvinr13]

Bought a 85 xtra cab has 3 inch springs on front and rear has stick spring with about a 7 inch shackle but the truck will not flex for nothing and rides ruff what could be the issue ?

[Nimyad]

They're probably ruff country springs which don't flex and ride like crap. Also, your shackle bolts could be to tight, something could be binding. Do you have a sway bar?

[Calvinr13 [OP]]

It's had rough country shocks so I believe your right about the springs I have a sway bar up front but not in the rear and also how tight should I have my shackle bolts ?? I would like to go with 4 inch springs all the way around what brand or what setup would you recommend . Thanks

[Nimyad]

Take off that sway bar and go check if it flexes, I bet it will. Also, since it's an 85 I imagine it has push pull steering? This will limit flex as well.
As far as springs, I like ruf and Chevy 63s in the rear. But if you want to buy a spring theres trail gear and a few other places. But I'd suggest a 3 inch spring instead of 4, you'll still be able to clear 35s and 37s if you trim.

[Zane]

i run 4 inch allpros up front and 63s in the rear and im really happy with my setup.

[pumkin toy]

It will require some fabrication skills, but inboarding your rear leaf springs is the best way to make a toyota work.  63s flex, but they are so long they get hung up on crap all the time, which sucks.  taking your sway bar off helps alot and you probly need to take the truck wheelin quite a few times to get those springs to break in and start to flex.  RUF works good too.  I would say that RUF and inboarding the rear springs would be the best possible way to make a toy on leafs work

[Cheesemaker]

Don't forget the factory torque rod on the front axle too, that will limit flex too.

[Rocksurfer]

I wouldn't remove the torque rod and not replace it with an alternative, when braking hard without it in stock steering configuration the axle can rotate and cause a violent right turn. I currently still have mine attached but have removed my sway bar and get decent flex. I have in the past removed the torque rod so I speak from experience. If you do remove it make sure to get a steering stabilizer shock to put in place of it. I have done this on other rigs and it does work since on a hard stop it will stop the axle rotation when it bottoms out but no longer restricts travel since it will run through its shaft as the axle drops on the left. Once I added the stabilizer shock the pull went away. I imagine a shock would serve the same purpose and keep you going straight.

[specialscottie]

X2^

[Nimyad]

I took the torque bar off my first gen, threw 35s on it and rocked it with no problems whatsoever. Stock manual steering, no stabilizer, stock front springs. Drove several hundred miles and did a couple tough trails like that.

[specialscottie]

You fit 35s with stock suspension?

[Rocksurfer]

Slam on the brakes in an emergency and you will learn why that thing is there.

[Rocksurfer]

The easiest way to explain it to you:  push pull steering under hard braking the axle can rotate just like the rotation that occurs in the rear under hard acceleration. It will bump steer since you are holding the steering wheel and not allowing it to push the drag link, this will cause the vehicle to turn since the only thing that has give is the wheels. This is why you need something there to stop the rotation, even though it may not rotate a lot it can kick you almost sideways when you try to over correct the bump steer. This is the main reason you don't need it once you convert to an IFS box, no more drag link bump steer.

[Nimyad]

You fit 35s with stock suspension?

Yes, I did.

Rocksurfer, I understand why in theory it should do that, but I know from experience that that never happened to me. Whether it was because they were stock brakes so it didn't stop that well or whatever. But what I did was take a stock first gen, remove the sway bar and torque bar, then throw on some 35" km2s on it and went. I drove it that way for around a month, maybe more, before I went high steer.

Another thing that could have help stop me from experiencing why should of happened was the fact that it had manual steering, so it took more force than the axle would provide under braking.