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Hey tipsy, I'll try to help answer you're questions but I have a few for you first.More info on your runner...can I assume it's currently a stock 89 4cyl with IFS?Not sure what you mean by blocks for the front, like a standard ifs lift? Elaborate please...What add a leaf package are you referring to? In my experience these are for increasing load capacity not adding lift.A longer shackle might work but it also might end up giving you really bad shackle angle in the rear, which would suck (anyone else know?)The important question: Do you want a pavement pounder on 35's? Or a wheeler that can also be a daily driver? Your choice will determine how you should proceed and thus the advice i would give you. My truck has been my DD for 8 years, it's slowly becoming a trail only rig, but it has done double duty since I SAS'd it a few years ago. Before that I had a standard 4" IFS lift with blocks in the rear and 33's, it looked good and drove ok on the road, and 4wd worked well enough for slippery situations and light snow on the road, but it didn't wheel for . In my opinion these kind of lifts make the truck less capable and the suspension weaker...when I did the SAS it was like having a new more capable truck, so nice to get rid of all that worn ifs crap and the axle wrap from those rear blocks...so my advice if you want to wheel is to leave it alone until you can collect the necessary pieces and find someone who can cut grind and weld to help you SAS it. Otherwise you can try a longer shackle but you might have to just stick a block in there and call it good, a good rear lift would require longer springs and relocating the spring hangers (as far as I know), but it doesn't seem worth it unless you are going to straight axle the front.As for gearing my v6 has a stock ratio with 35's and 5.29's, but if it's a 4cyl it might be different I can't remember, I'm sure doing a forum search on here or over at pirate4x4 would get you a few credible answers...I can tell you that I ran my 5.29s with 33's for a while though and didn't mind being over geared that much. Top speed on the freeway was probably 65, and Yeah my gas mileage wasn't quite as good, and my speedo said I was going faster than I was, but hey I didn't hardly ever have to downshift and I didn't get any speeding tickets obviously you don't want to regear yet if you are going to swap the front, or you will have to regear the front axle again when you do. It pays to plan for what you will want eventually, I.e. lifts that make the truck more capable and don't waste your money, rehear for 35's if you are going to eventually want 35's, and so on...
Good choice sir ok so I wrote you the next chapter below...enjoy...and yeah reading the online tech, install instructions like the ones linked above, doing forum searches, etc will get you a long ways...and browsing marlin, all pro, even TG will help you get acquainted with what's out there and all the stuff you can blow your lunch money on...also get acquainted with the parts guy at your local toyota stealership if you aren't already, you can google part numbers and they should get you pretty much any oem part, hardware, gasket etc. you need...that being said kits are pretty all inclusive as far as doing an SAS, and I've tried to address a lot of the questions I had going through my first build for you...good luck, keep us posted!You can go with a full kit or find something like Chevy springs from a junkyard for the rear and move your rear springs up front, really it's simpler to just go with a kit though, the provided springs will make it easier to follow directions and end up with proper geometry and shackle angles. Either way you end up buying most of the rest of the stuff anyway, and the kits also come with all the crossover (high-steer) steering components too, which you will need. I guess you can fab a spring hanger etc but it hardly seems worth it...trail-gear and all pro are the most common kits i think. Trail-gear is a little cheaper but all pro has higher quality components. As far as I know the major components like springs, shock hoops, shackles and hangers etc are fairly comparable but TG uses cheap Chinese bearings gaskets seals etc., choice is up to youWhen buying kits you will probably want to get a front and rear at the same time, my suggestion with the extra weight of the runner in back and the v6 is to go with the heavy duty version of whatever size spring you want in front (TG offers HD anyway, not sure about AP), and go with +1" in the back, I.e. 4" HD lift springs in front and 5" springs in back. Or 5" front and 5" plus a 1" block or longer shackle in back if you want the max lift available from the kit springs. Blocks suck but 1" isn't that bad, shackle would be better as long as the angle is still ok, less lift makes things easier for driveshaft angles though too so that's something to consider. I did HD in front with my truck and same size lift out back and even with it being a pickup it's a little lower in back, barely, but the HD springs are better for the extra weight of the v6...I also purchased all the stuff to rebuild my rear axle while I was at it, most kits for the front come with everything you need to rebuild front, but rear is separate. Obviously you'll need an axle, preferably hub to hub since you will need all of it except the brake stuff (use your ifs v6 calipers and some land cruiser rotors that come in the kit), FYI IFS locking hubs won't work, you need hubs from a straight axle...so snag that one from your buddy long as it ain't bent, or you can try to get your hands on an 84-85 if his is earlier, 84-85's have factory gusseting welded to the bottom but it's not critical, just preferable, you can always do your own and kits usually come with an aftermarket gusset that gets welded to the top of the long side...either way...FYI some guys go with Dana 60's or other variations up front but it complicates things, and I prefer to keep it toyota...I think the Only other thing you will need is maybe a long spline driveshaft for the front, and maybe lengthen your rear a little. You can get a complete front shaft from marlin or get a kit and have it made at a local shop. Note: don't make the noob mistake of putting your ifs cv on a long spline kit, it won't have enough angle, gotta get a cv from a straight front truck or some years of cruisers have high angle cvs in the rear I think. And you'll probably have to tackle driveline angle issues once you get it all lifted and straight axled. When i did mine I went with the full 5" lift, and I like it, truck is still plenty stable and fits 35's like they are 28's, with lots of room to flex, but my driveline angle in front is ! Rear I used a couple of wedges to point the axle up just a hair and the angle is actually perfect, you could almost as easily hack off the spring perches and shock mounts and weld them back on so its permanently pointed right, but I opted not to do that until I get my dual cases in. I have an xcab so im also waiting for dual cases to get a single rear shaft setup, rather than a two-piece. Second case takes about 6" off the length and should be just short enough to go to a single, so ive been told. Not sure how this works out with a runner. The front is not as easy though, can't really use wedges because of caster angle concerns and steering components interfering....so you almost have to do a cut and turn. For now I have a long spline kit front shaft that I had a shop turn into a double single joint. Having single joints at both ends allows it to turn at ridiculous angles, but I can't go over 25 with hubs locked or transfer in 4 without it making terrible noises and vibration, but again I am waiting to cut and turn until I get dual cases in so I can get caster and pinion angle right with the dual cases all at once. Oh and I'm also gonna throw a hi-pinion up front too, that will help a lot. luckily my caster is fine as is, just the pinion angle that sucks, so she drives and steers like a champ on the road in 2wd, no wobbles or shudders or vibrations.So pretty much you just need an SAS kit (refer to link from cam for an example of an all inclusive kit), axle (hub to hub), long spline kit and high angle CV or complete front shaft from marlin, rear lift kit, optional rear axle rebuild kit...think thats it. They've made it easy for you with the kits, and you already have the better brake calipers and IFS steering box so you should be golden.Also I can tell you I love my 5.29s in 4low, much more than I missed a little highway performance with 33's, and with 35's I wouldn't want anything less...one last thing, if you think you want a hi pinion up front it's a good idea to convert before you regear, or at the same time, because the hp 3rd members use reverse cut gears, so you would end up regearing again anyway...I will have to do that but I knew I was going to have to wait a while to convert to hp anyway
I feel ya on the funds, took me a long time to save and I shotcutted a few things, and still went over budget I have to defer to cam's comment on the max width, I'd try to match width and go with something about the same length as those offered in the kits. The important part is That they aren't too wide for the spring pads and shackles you are using. I suppose at some point you'd interfere with brakes and shock mounts but youd have to go really mode for that I think. At one time I knew all the numbers but I've forgotten so you'll have to do the research, if necessary i suppose I can go measure some of the kit stuff for ya as a reference but I won't be back home for another few days. from what I remember though if you move your rears to the front and go with chevy 56" or 63" (guessing but I'm pretty sure it's one of the two) it shouldn't be too hard to stay fairly level and get good geometry by playing with shackle length and mount/hanger location. Bet looking through some builds on here would help you figure out what has worked for others, I took the easy way out so you'll know more than me when you do figure it out. Good luck.
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Started by toyo487 Toyota Pickup/4Runner Tech 1979-95
Started by Ric Toyota Tacoma/4Runner/T100/Tundra/FJ Cruiser 1995+
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Started by Eschenfeldt « 1 2 » Axle/Differential/Steering
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Topic: Need info on lifting 89 4runner, and gearing (Read 4030 times)
