Kaleb

I just finished my solid axle swap, and got started on my rear end when I found out I was missing some shackles, and bushings for one of my springs. I also noticed that not all of my shocks are the same size the front are 12" and the rear are 10". For some reason I thought the rear shocks would be 12" as well, am I wrong?


I got plenty more pics if anyone is intrested.

Tofer

looks good. hells ya post more pics... we;re picture whores here.. i got your PM, i'll call tomorrow and find out what i can get ya


it must be nice to do a SAS wiht a truck lift... i got so tired crawling under the truck and grinding away laying on my back....

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Call the original vendor and have them overnight you the missing parts. As far as shock lengths go that depends on who's kit you have, your vehicle and customer preference.

Kaleb

I got all pro's kit. They didnt quite have everything so they shipped everything else. I looked through all the parts, and just didnt bother making sure I had everything. All pro said they will have the parts later this week, but my truck is on my buddies lift, and it needs to come off asap.

I have a 4runner. I could have sworn the kit should have come with 12" shocks for the rear.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I have the AP 5" extreme lift kit on my 85, before anyone else had one and the prices have come WAY down...live and learn, but the front shocks and rear shocks were different lengths I know for a fact...Bilsteins...cause I remember them being different part numbers by one number difference...seems like the fronts were 12" and the rears 10".

Kaleb

Here is the runner in it's stock form



85 SFA



Rear Axle



This is what happens when you try to remove caps that are rusted shut



On the lift



In process of removing IFS



Removed IFS



Out with the BAD!



After test fit



Torched brackets and welded hoops



Front Shackles



Since we are missing parts, we tacked the rear spring hangers, and used block to space the leafs between the frame. This is actual height of the runner. The lift is not holding the rig up at all.




My camera died on me, hopefully I will have some more pictures up soon!

Tofer

nice looks real good... where in OR are you?

Kaleb

Oregon City. How about yourself?

Tofer

my dad lives in hillsboro.

Robinhood150

My trailgear came with 10" shocks in the rear and 12" in the front (although I changed them to 10" also).

Tofer

i am running 12 in the front and 14's in the rear.

jsnby

x2.....by my 14's are too long...wish they were 12's.

Ganoid

My TG kit came with 14's in the front and 10's for the rear. The 10's are a limiting factor now and I'm trying to get them swapped for the 12's that should have come in the kit.

I live in Salem but I posted my SAS write up on a local board that has many members up in your area.
Gitout.com SAS write up
It looks like you will bottom out your shocks long before you hit your bump stops?
One change I made not too long after finishing my SAS was to trim the bump stop extensions down 2". Then scrap those hard as hell poly bump stops and reuse the stock Toyota rear rubber bump stops (much softer). If you like I can snap a shot later today and post it so you can see what I'm talking about. If all-pro's springs are anything like trail-gears you can plan on bottoming something out when you hit nasty RxR tracks or gnarly speed bumps with out slowing down.


Be sure you get the full weight of the truck on those front springs before you fully weld the front hanger. The V6 motor weighs a little more so it usually requires you move the front hangar forward to get the shackle angle right on some springs. Mine is forwards 3/4" from where they are mounted on the 4cyl trucks and it works fine but I have seen posts by guys who didn't get the hanger position right and now their cutting the front hanger off.

Kaleb

Well I got a bar of teflon, and am going to use the lathe to make some temp bushings for the rear spring. I'll try and get some pictures up soon.

Kaleb

Your rig looks sick. I live about 15 minutes away from wagon wheel. We should go wheelin some time.

Ganoid

Next Saturday the 13th a bunch of us are heading up to Trask for the day to play around. Any chance you will have the bugs worked out by then?
The run is listed on the Gitout.com forum if you want more info. I'm trying to get my work schedule changed around so I can have Saturday off with out taking a vacation day every time I wanna go wheeling. Once thats done I'm gonna be all about wheeling every Saturday I can manage to get up early enough.

94banshee

i am just finishing up my sas on my 93 pickup. i live just outside of salem.
my trail gear kit came with 14" front shocks. and i did chevy rear springs and sky's rear shock bar with 12" springs. the front springs are way to long, need 12". still waiting on a front drive shaft and a front housing from sky to be built. should have it done this next weekend.

Ganoid

Do you have a body lift? Thats what saved my bacon on the 14" front shocks and hoops. Be sure they sent you 14" hoops and not the 12" ones. You will need a BL to make the 14's work or cut into the fender is what they suggested (NOT!). I will probably get Rancho 9000 series 99012's to replace my 14 bilsteins up front. The bilstein's will only compress to 20.75" and I dont even use 4" of the extension I have available. The rancho's will extend 2.5" longer than I currently need and they will compress down to 19" giving me 1.75" more compression travel. I think the Bilstein 14's would work best with 5" springs I dont think the 4" springs have enough extension to warrant the 14" shock.

Do the 12" rear shocks work ok for you or do you want trade me for the 10's that aren't long enough for me I was kinda hopeing TG would swap out the 10's they sent me for some 12's but it looks like my post is being ignored on the TG customer support forum

Where abouts in Oregon are you?
It would be cool to find some people closer to Salem for snow runs up the Santiam pass. Or maybe some people who know some local places to do a little wheeling.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

The problem with offering "kits" is that you are trying to make one size fit all with lots of "individual" variables thrown in...just like all the different variables of all the different comments from above about your rigs.

There is no need for a body lift to make the shock hoops fit as there are 12" and 14" shock hoops, as well as 10", 12" and 14" shocks. As all these things are the same prices, you can pick and choose your assortment of hoops and shocks to suit your tastes, but unless you specify when you order, you get what comes in the kit. And there is nothing wrong with cutting your inner fender...nothing to it and you have to move nothing...as that is what I did...but then I don't have outer fenders either.

There is room in the "kits" for adjustability but it makes it easier if you know what you need up front, rather than saying TG sent you the wrong shock/hoop after you get your stuff and try it out.

I have called TG dozens of times and gotten through every single time. I've sent just about as many emails and they are always answered promptly. It has been the holiday season and I know I've been swamped, I can only imagine how busy TG has been. Pick up the phone and call them and stop waiting on a response from a forum about your shocks' length as I'm sure they aren't ignoring you but simply very busy and are dealing with folks who are calling and emailing first.

How "used" are these shocks that you wish to swap?

Good luck.

Ganoid

I have had good luck with TG too Wabbit I just wish they would have stuck to what their kit lists on their web page. I ordered the IFS elim kit and the 4" rear kit with no special stipulations (still have both invoices) . I almost think I may have been mixed up with some one else? I would have had to move my Jacobs ignition system as well as my stock igniter/coil assembly (No room in the V6 engine compartment to move anything) to make the 14's fit if I had not had a body lift. This is my daily driver and I live in Oregon so that means mud and lots of it and I have no interest in cutting open my fender and allowing mud even more access to my engine bay. Its partially my fault In the excitment of getting started and putting this all on I didn't rally check to make sure what they had sent me was going to work till after I was well into getting it put on. I did My front SAS and rear Installation in 3 days (Took some vacation time) so its safe to say I was working against a deadline.

I understand that TG may not want to swap out shocks with me. Heck I would take a set of used 12" shocks I'm not picky. I just thought it was interesting how 3 days prior we have some guy beating the crap out of a radiator to make it fit and they offer to take it back even though its now destroyed but I cant even get a response to my rear lift thread. Maybe you are right they could just be swamped who knows. The shocks are almost 2 mos old now but my daily driver gets a 3 mile trip to work and back every day I have not had any time to do any real wheeling aside from flexing up on a pile of dirt. I was just kinda hoping for a response mainly as I know they did an almost identical set up on Chris's Dad's truck and they mounted the shocks the same way with the same springs so I'm curios what they had to do to make this work or did they use 12" shocks?

I did call them the week I was installing the stuff to ask about spring extension and shock length in the rear. I was told that what ever the spring extension is with the axle and tires hanging from the springs is all the droop you will get so if you can make the shock work for that situation then it will be fine. I set it up with 1" more travel left in the shock at full droop on the jack (thats all I could get). A month or two goes by and I decide to move my axle forward 1 notch on the perches and I realize the shock is limiting down travel to the point that I need to disconnect the shock to lower the axle away from the spring the 1/2" I need to move it forward I figured something was wrong.

There are pics on the TG support forum thread go have a look heck you could even bump or comment on it to possibly draw some attention. I guess I will just give them a call Monday if the thread gets no response. I have called several times in the past but it seems the posts on their forum get more detailed responses than the phone calls I have made so I thought i would try the forum. Overall I'm happy with their service and super speedy shipping and it appears that they take really good care of their customers. They did offer to ship me a new drive shaft slip yoke when the one I received would not come apart but I was able to get it apart finally by setting up a jig in my press with out removing the U joint.

I guess we just see what happens after $2300 in parts if my only hang up is the length on 2 shocks I think thats pretty good. The worst that can happen is that I need to go buy 2 new shocks.