The Build-Up Begins...

JThompson · Jun 14, 2008

This is going to be fantastic! Your old springs were the ****, and not in the good sense.

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 14, 2008

Haha, yeah. They were **** all right. Man, Im excited to have real suspension. I plan to actually wheel this summer too. I will have weekends off after the 28th I think it is, and the ENTIRE month of August off

~T.J.

Ashes · Jun 14, 2008

I work at the one in the Monroe Safeway... you should stop by I make the best coffee

War-Jeeper · Jun 14, 2008

Where you working on it at? If your not to far give me a holler if you need a hand welding the rest of it up

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 15, 2008

Im working on it in Woodinville. I pretty much have it covered, thanks though! You could always come by just to hang out though

War-Jeeper · Jun 15, 2008

84Toyota4x4 said:
Im working on it in Woodinville. I pretty much have it covered, thanks though! You could always come by just to hang out though

Thats not too from me:awesomework:

Let me know when your workin on it i might have to come bug ya

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 15, 2008

Today was a bit more productive. Got a little bit of an earlier start, but I still didnt get up until 2 PM. I have to work at 5 PM tomorrow, so Im trying not to break my sleep habit TOO much...

Anyway, I went to work on the front hangers first since I had finished up the rear shackle hangers already. I got those welded on. I also cut off the old hangers with the torch real fast. Still need to get in there to clean them up.

Drivers side

Passenger side

...And shot them with some paint

After that I got the springs hung again, and got the axle in place under it

Got that all bolted down and everything tightened (had to go buy new tools since my set stopped at 26mm, haha), and tried to bolt up the driveshaft. Im gonna need a new one after all :frown:

I had hoped since the old shaft was made with a 4" lift already on the truck that I would be able to reuse it. Turns out its a few inches too short. I was able to take a look at the pinion angles without moving the spring perches though. It doesnt look TOO bad...

And heres why I need a new driveshaft

So, I tossed the rear wheels on it and (carefully!) pulled it out of the barn.

Heres Ashley excited and hugging the truck, haha.

Here are a few random shots showing shackle angles and such.

Anyway, I can already tell its gonna be SO much better than what I had, as soon as I get the driveshaft fixed. First bump I hit moving it around the driveway, this happened, haha.

I also started messing around with the front. I got the drivers side shock tower cut off and ground smooth before it got too late to work again. I plan to get the other one cut off next weekend, and tear into the front. I will also be fixing a few other things up front that need attention, and installing some 30 spline axles from Bobby after I pick them up (hopefully Monday):cheer:

~T.J.

81toy · Jun 15, 2008

i've been thinking about getting a lift from trailgear or marlin for awhile now but i wasn't real sure what size springs to get. after looking at the amount of lift you got with those 4" springs i think that's what i am going to get for my rig. oh, and are those 36" IROK's ?

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 15, 2008

Well, yes and no, haha. Theyre the 37x14 Bias Iroks. But, if you look at the actual size on Interco's website, the 36's are actually bigger. Next time around Im buying the 36's. I got a deal on these used though, so I went with them.

Its a decent height I think. Any taller and it would definitely be too big. Keep in mind when looking at it that it also has a 3" body lift on it as well, which adds a lot to it. Sitting next to my girlfriends 4Runner with a 4" lift, the top of my bed and where her top sits are about a 5"-6" difference in height. So, my 3" body lift, plus the difference between her 35s and my 37s, and of course brand new springs.

~T.J.

81toy · Jun 15, 2008

ahh i see. i didn't realize you had a body lift. i was looking at where the top of your tires sits compared to your frame. i'll probably look at 5" instead then. thanks for the info. :awesomework:

Trailtoy1993 · Jun 15, 2008

Good lookin, but hey show a side view of the rig, it looks like the springs are mounted too far back and thats part of why your d-shaft is too short. I know its a little late now but, just lookin out. Remember that the axle moves backward on compression so you want the tires slightly forward of center in the wheelwells at ride height. Did you measure wheelbase before and after? Also remember that you want the slip to the back on a rear ds so you don't pogo into oblivion if it ever came apart on the street.:awesomework:

lilyota · Jun 15, 2008

Trailtoy1993 said:
Good lookin, but hey show a side view of the rig, it looks like the springs are mounted too far back and thats part of why your d-shaft is too short. I know its a little late now but, just lookin out. Remember that the axle moves backward on compression so you want the tires slightly forward of center in the wheelwells at ride height. Did you measure wheelbase before and after? Also remember that you want the slip to the back on a rear ds so you don't pogo into oblivion if it ever came apart on the street.:awesomework:

X2 my stock shaft fit with the 5" kit with no problems

lilyota · Jun 15, 2008

heres a pic of the rear shocks the top tube has allot more bracing now but it seems to work really well i'll try and get some more recent pics of it later

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 15, 2008

Trailtoy1993 said:
Good lookin, but hey show a side view of the rig, it looks like the springs are mounted too far back and thats part of why your d-shaft is too short. I know its a little late now but, just lookin out. Remember that the axle moves backward on compression so you want the tires slightly forward of center in the wheelwells at ride height. Did you measure wheelbase before and after? Also remember that you want the slip to the back on a rear ds so you don't pogo into oblivion if it ever came apart on the street.:awesomework:

I looked, and I dont have a side view of it actually, haha. The wheels are basically centered in the wheel well, if not a little forward.

Im thinking its just because its a long bed truck that used to have the center support bearing style driveshaft (the two piece), and the wheel base is longer on this truck than most. Unfortunately I didnt measure it before and after, but it wouldnt be hard to figure out.

The driveline is only about 3" too short, and part of that could also be because I didnt rotate the pinion of my driveshaft up yet either, which would basically shorten the distance from flange to flange a little as well.

Also, even though the shaft was built for the truck with a 4" lift on it already, he built it slightly short, so when it was installed the slip was pulled out further than I wanted. With the old springs,this didnt matter much because they didnt move - at all. Basically, it pretty much makes sense to me that its too short for a number of reasons.

~T.J.

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 15, 2008

I got a picture of the side of the truck, but I forgot the cord to the camera at home. Basically, the wheel is centered in the wheel well. I also measured the wheel base, and I measured 114" on the nose. Stock for the extra cabs and longbeds from what I have found online is 112" - 114", so I would say I didnt move it back much, if any. Even if it was 1" - 2" forward, the driveline would still be way too short since I need about 4". Oh well, Ill figure something out.

~T.J.

EDIT: I just had another thought. When I change the pinion angle, I can always set the axle forward an inch on the spring perches since they are triple drilled. That will help move it forward some as well. Looking back on it now, I probably could have just moved the front hangers forward 8", and re-used the stock shackle hangers. That would have moved the rear axle forwards about 2" and then I would have been able to re-use the driveline too. I was too busy making sure it looked centered and not thinking about the driveline too much. Oh well. Its a first build, Im allowed to **** up

lilyota · Jun 16, 2008

you did't f up the drive line guy did and you have a long bed it might have been too short anyway

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 16, 2008

Yeah. Like I said, it was shorter than I wanted originally when I swapped the from the two piece to the one piece driveline. The new suspension travel (meaning the axle actually moves away from the t-case now) made the too short driveline a problem. I'll work out something soon.

On a happy note, I picked up my new 30 spline Longfields and hub gears today :cheer:

They will go in when I tear the front axle off for the front suspension. I need to do a few other things up there too (painting and torquing) anyway. Im hoping to get started on that this weekend.

~T.J.

Breeze · Jun 18, 2008

Dude, this is gonna be BIG pimpin.

I forgot i had a membership here hahah

stealthrunner1 · Jun 18, 2008

:awesomework: Hey T.J now you can go wheeling with us cause ya got some bobbys!!!!!!:awesomework: :awesomework:

84Toyota4x4 · Jun 18, 2008

Haha yeah right! I still need drivelines and wheeling experience, lol. I have a winch on order too, I just need a bender to use to try and fab up a bumper for it now. Im also gonna be working on getting my York installed finally, and getting my OBA system going eventually too.

~T.J.