merm85

Hello, I recently bought a 1991 4wd truck.


I have taken it offroading a couple times already, the types of trails that I have gone to aren’t very hard, but it would be nice if the truck had to more flex/travel in some technical parts. In addition, when I’m driving on the fire roads and I start to pick up speed the suspension it is really hard and it bounces like crazy. I see how my friend’s 98 Tacoma (only with 5100s and 33) rides and from the side, it looks like only the wheels/tires move. Compare to mine that the whole thing bounces around. So, I want to make some changes to the suspension, and bellow is my plan. What I want to know is if you guys have any suggestions, advice, or if it’s just not possible. Thanks in advance.
(Please don't flame me if there is a dumb question somewhere in there, but I have search almost every tread on bj spacers, shocks, and lifts for the 1989-95 pickup &4runner)

1) bj spacer, and soften up the torsion bar like .75-1” for a softer ride.

2) Low profile compression bump stops, and for the drop bump stop I was planning on putting limiting straps, that way I can get the most drop possible.

3) 1” drop differential kit from 4crawler. Or is it possible to drop it like 1.5” so the CV angles aren’t to crazy. I read someone saying that one of the problems with that is that the diff would be unprotected, but I’m going to be installing a pre-runner style tube bumper so I can just add a tube down there to protect the diff.

4) I read that if you put a bj spacer, then you have to shim the drop bump stop because of the shocks. But then if you shim the bump stops you are loosing the travel that you just gained with the bj spacer. So I was thinking on welding a shock tower like this one.


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Then I would have to measure the compress length and extended length to pick the right shock. I was hopping that Bilsteins 5100s F4-BE56582-H5 would fit. Which in the web site says they are for 3-4” lifted trucks, and their length is 18.5”/12”. But I was hopping that with the shock tower and the extra travel, I could fit them. If not maybe the 5125 here are all their lengths.

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/bilstein_5125.cfm

I’m not sure what valving to use on them though.

5)Finally, I would like to kind of keep the stock height and put 33”. this guy claims that he did it. 3rd post the red 4runner

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...ers-33s-96711/

but if anything I was thinking that adding flared fenders and beating the pich weld flat.

Thanks again.

93yotaSR5

33x 10.5 all day. Where is mak92 ? He has em on his stock lift 4runner. I put bj spacers in, I thought I needed a diff drop, but after I relaxed the torsion bars it was all good. My front is so much smoother with relaxed torsions, and new rancho 5000's. (You can shim em to gain more travel if needed.)

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

since you have a truck (and a nice looking one at that) try taking off the swaybar and see how you like it. i did that on my truck and much preferred it to before. i have not put it back on since. definitely softens the ride up front with the expense of more body roll.

irab88

iTrader: (4)

judging from the pics, he ain't got no sway bar. still, (one of) the best free mods

93yotaSR5

+1 on taking the sway bar off. i havent had it on for months, and barley notice its gone

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

^that's not his rig. it's a reference to what someone else did on their rig's shock mounts.

irab88

iTrader: (4)

(seriously, can we make this a smiley?)

my opinion still stands. i don't have it on, it's just fine

4bangercraig

I got 33X12.5s in at stock height. Only mod I made was to hammer the pinch weld. Of course, it rubbed a bit at full compression-full lock. So I cranked the tbars about a 1/4 inch. If you got 1.5 inch bj spacers, you can relax the tbars, get more downtravel than stock, and still clear 33x12.5s without rubbing.
Which was what I was gonna do, before I started gathering up parts for an SAS ($400 in and only an axle away... )

Another vote for removing the swaybar. For me the difference- both in the rocks and haulin' it down fire roads- was real noticeable. I don't really notice it onroad (but I don't drive it like it's a 240Z. And I don't tailgate.)

My rear shocks are both blown and one's missing a bushing. My girl's hookin me up with Rancho 9000XLs for Xmas. They got an adjuster knob on em with 7 stiffness settings! How cool is that?

Also, if you set up your back end for more travel, your puny IFS flex won't be such a big deal. Three tires on the ground instead of two is a real good thing.

You locked your rear diff yet?

diablo

How does removing your sway bar make it handle on paved windy roads?

rattlewagon

Diablo- Body rolls a bit, but not bad. Pull it off and dont look back.

Also ran 33s with no lift for a while Truck preformed fine with just the hammer down pinch weld. Id skip the diff drop. If off roading is something you like to do?, might want to look into lower gears and a rear locker.

4bangercraig

A rear locker will pretty much change your life offroad. My buddies and I have found that it takes '4Hi' out of your vocabulary. And with IFS in the rocks, wheels will leave terra firma. When they're the only spinny ones you got, that's bad times.

On the other hand, the rear locker is a bigger bummer in the rain than no swaybar. Until you really get it dialed in, at which point it becomes kinda fun and a great reason to refuse to loan out your truck.

93yotaSR5

word^ thats why nobody drives my mustang.
i DD my truck on all kinds of paved windy roads, and no probs. just done try and take corners like a rally car and your good.

MudHippy

Comments on those 5 steps:

1) Great idea!

2) No bumpstop for the UCA? Seriously? That's gonna be harsh city when the suspension bottoms out.

3) More than 1" diff drop is not recommended. The front driveshaft can't handle it.

4) No. You need to shim the UCA bumpstops because it will limit the down-travel/drop and keep the CV angles within reasonable limits at max extension/drop. You'll be able to reduce that angle a bit with the diff drop though. Shock length will need changed with BJ spacers regardless, because the travel window is opened up and they'll need to be longer so they don't top out. BTW, that pic of the IFS with that tall of a shock hoop/mount is absolutely RIDICULOUS! That's WAY more travel than it's EVER going to need(or be capable of). What a waste of time! That's totally laughable!

5) Yeah, 33" with stock height suspension is doable. As long as they're only 33" x 10.5", any wider on stock rims/stock back spacing is going to rub somewhere for sure.

Oh, also, you won't be able to match your friend's Tacoma suspension wise. They don't have torsion bars, and there's a reason for that.
Shim the shocks for more travel? I do NOT think so. How is that going to make them have more available travel?

Answer: IT WON'T! If you do that then they'll bottom out sooner, and you'll loose travel ACTUALLY!

Pretty cool. But the fact that they have 9 stiffness settings is even cooler!

It depends on a couple of things.

1. How heavy is the vehicle? Heavier will sway more.

2. How stiff is the suspension? If you have larger diameter torsion bars, or the stock torsion bars cranked, than you'll have less sway.

For example, I have my torsion bars fully cranked. And removing the sway bar did nothing. My suspension is so stiff like that it doesn't matter one way or the other. It doesn't have any noticeable sway while cornering even without the sway bar. Which also means my front suspension doesn't flex worth a damn without the sway bar either.

AxleIke

The IFS isn't ever going to flex great. It will flex better with the BJ spacers and relaxing the torsion bars. It will help to get good shocks when you upgrade.

I would recommend against running a limit strap unless you drop the diff. The CV's will handle the ball joint spacers and no diff drop with the stock droop stop.

x2 on a locker, at least in the back. Some new, or longer, leaf springs will help the back move a bit more.

I've been running my IFS for years. 2 arbs, dual ultimate cases, and now 35's. I keep the height stock to preserve CVs. So far I haven't broken any. I'm not nice to it either:

AxleIke

Also, I live in CO, lots of winding roads. Haven't had a sway bar for 6 plus years now. No problems. I have a 3 link rear, and coils now, and also no issues.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Merm85- What are going to do about the rear?....a zuk mod?


https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...s-pics-223992/

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...photos-207564/

Jaino240

You can keep it stock height and run 33's. I did for awhile, but I had stock gearing and it wasnt a pleasure to drive to and from school. So i switched back to 31's.

I'd say leave it at stock height stuff 33's with 4.88 gears and a rear locker.

merm85

Hey guys thanks so much for your fast responses. A locker for the rear would be great, I been saving money for it, but then Christmas it’s coming and I have to buy presents so Im probably not going to get it anytime soon. Ill be going offroading on monday, so Ill definitely take of the swaybar this weekend. I hadn't done it before because I the guy with the 98 Tacoma says in the fwy it feels like its gonna rollover, but I guess we have different suspensions.
Im really glad to hear that I can clear 33” and im actually looking for 10.5”. I can’t do 12.5” because I drive 88 fwy miles 4 times a week so I don’t want to hurt my mph.

Thanks for the links. I appreciate it. I haven’t planned anything for the rear yet bc money is tight, but I was looking at the second set up and its pretty interesting. How much lift and travel do you get from it? I didn’t get that part. And is this mod for when your leafs are done?

lol, no i would have compression bump stops but the low profile ones. and for the drop i wanna put the limiting straps that way i can get a little more travel. well what the CV lets me


I understand why I need to shim the bump stops, to limit down-travel and keep descent CV angles, but wouldn’t the 1” diff drop help those angles? I’m just trying to get that little extra travel. When it comes to shocks I have been locking at the rancho 9000XLs and the 5100s but the 9kxls are more than a bill each. And the 5100s you need a 3” lift. So I was thinking of compensating for not having the lift, doing the shock hoop, but I have not find any info on 1989-95 trucks with shook hoops.
That truck with the shock hoop has like 12” of travel, but it has after market arms.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/79-95-toyota...936-rotbw.html

MudHippy

Yeah I know EXACTLY what that truck has. It has a Rancho LT kit. It does NOT however need that tall of a shock mount. It would have been just fine with the stock mount and longer shocks. That shock mount is RIDICULOUS!

O.k., let' try this again.

Compression = Up-travel(bound)
Extension = Down-travel(rebound)

Limiting straps will not yield ANY extra travel. They would be there as a "back-up" to the UCA bumpstops. And if you already intended on using low profile bumpstops for the UCA, they're not very likey going to fail, and the limiting straps will likely never serve their purpose. The ONLY reason one would want them is to keep the suspension from over-extending in the event that the UCA bumpstop bracket broke off the frame. Now I can't say that NEVER happens, because it's happened to me once, but it ALMOST never happens. And even though it's happened to me ONCE, I'm not about to go wasting my time putting limiting straps on that would do ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD unless it did happen again. I did the easier thing and reinforced the brackets with stronger welds. I haven't had that happen since I did, so PROBLEM SOLVED!

The shock hoop/mount idea is POINTLESS! It's not going to do ANY good. Or give you ANY more suspension travel. You wonder why you can't find any info on it? Because NOBODY does that! It's STUPID and a COMPLETE waste of time!

You've much to learn young padawan.

http://www.superlift.com/library/glossary.asp

merm85

so what shocks would you recommend for the bj spacers and low profile bump stops?