CopenHagen_Smokeless

i have a 97 tacoma and i want to add a significant amout of lift, at first i was looking into shackels and coil spacers but my friends dad told me he would do a solid axle conversion with 6 inch springs for 350$, what would i be better off goin with

Tacoclimber

Shackles and Coil spacers are only going to give you a few inches, tops.

As fas as the SAS...$350??? You better read the fine print... Any decent SAS is gonna cost just a wee bit more than that. If the deal is a good as it sounds, it's the deal of a millenium.

KyleT

I dont know about a sas for 650.. that would be great, but you have to line everything up perfect, or it can be dangerous.

KyleT

http://www.allprooffroad.com/index.p...ask=view&id=80

i would spend the cash for a setup that has been tested.

CopenHagen_Smokeless

well my friends dad owns a junk yard so the parts wont be bran new plus he wants to put his name on my truck to help start up his buisness, i wasnt sure if the sas would cause alot of problems because you have to change the steering and all of that

dwh91102

No offense, but if your buddys dad can do an sas for $350.....
1: I'll paint the name of his business on the side of my house
2: I'll tattoo it on my a$$ also
3: I'll bring my truck up so he can do mine to lol!!

Tacoclimber

Well, I think I'm gonna lean towards Kyle on this one. The problem with junkyard parts is that often they're, well, junk. Not always, but it happens. I think that if I was gonna cut up my ride, I would want stuff I know is gonna last and not give me more headaches down the road. Is this gonna be your daily driver, or a trail rig only?

Tacoclimber

CopenHagen_Smokeless

for me its mostly a daily driver but once i get the lift in (what ever i decide to do) it is goin on sale.

Tacoclimber

Really? Well, the truth about it is that if you dump a bunch of $$$ into it to lift it, you probably won't get it out of it. If you can lift it for a few hundred, then ok, but I would probably leave it stock otherwise. If you do something as drastic as an SAS, you may not find as many people interested in the truck. Just something to think about... Good luck!

CopenHagen_Smokeless

i thought about that but i was also thinkin, i want somethin kind of rare and you dont see to many 97 tacos with a sas, so i figured it might catch the markets eye a little better

Tacoclimber

Yeah, but it's gonna be a niche market: people that know what SAS is capable of and want to buy a rig that is built specifically for off road use. You might get lucky with the " Hey, that trucks lifted and gots big tires, Ima gonna buy it!" crowd, but I'm still not so sure you'll get your money's worth, though. But hey, if your buddy's dad is gonna guarantee you an quality SAS for $350, I'd do it, just to do it.

garrett1478

RunnerUp

x3

Ironmike4x4

Before you even consider a SAS you want to think about the use. Are you ACTUALLY going to use it for hard 'wheeling? If so then it might be a good investment. Since you mentioned it's a daily driver and plan on selling it I would consider leaving it alone. The market for a stock vehicle is *usually* much better than a modified one. Note I said usually. Depending on what type of town you live in. Where I come from lifted 4x4's will sell very quickly since there are lots of wooded and farm areas here.

BajaRunner

Ask your friends dad if $350 is parts+labor, or just labor.

You still might need to rebuild the axle then buy steering components, tires, gears etc. Most of the guys price lists run in the $3-5k range, depending on how much stuff the bought or built themselfs.

It'l be a lot of money. And, if you dont plan on using it, then it'l be a PIA and hard to sell.

I like big trucks, but I dont go rock-crawling. I just like going into Baja and doing moderate trails. Therefore, I got a 6" IFS lift. Check that out first, maybe what you're looking for.

Here's a good link with pictures:
http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamo...uffcountry.htm

CopenHagen_Smokeless

well i just got done talkin to him and i guess he was goin to do the swap but not touch the stearing, i can do the stearing my self but i dont want to go threw all the work because im set on sellin it so iv been looking at a few lift kits..what are ur guys opion between the fabtech and rough country

AH64ID

For the steering alone you need a 86-95 steering box, $300-$400 for a reuilt one , and you need to stiffen the frame to handle the stress of leaf springs. Also dont forget custom drive shaft worm, couple hundred. There is a fair amount of fab on a taco becuse the frame isnt as strong on the ends as a 86-95 (those are the same frame as a 84-85 SFA), the steering is rack and pinion, and the frame gets wider where the shackle mount usually goes.

You will be lucky to get 25% of your SAS costs is selling it.. Those that want a sas know what they are, and usually want the fab work done for them, not already done. You can get 12" of lift with a 6" susp, 3" spacer, and 3" BL if you just looking for the big truck crowd, not the most usable lift, but its tall..


As far as IFS lifts the Trail Master and Fabtech are the 6" ones, the trail master has been around longer and proven to be a decent kit, and IIRC cheaper than the Fabtech. Fabtech generally makes great stuff too. The only rough country I see is 2.5".