coil overs on stock a arms?
03-18-2009, 06:31 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Fortuna, CA
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
coil overs on stock a arms?
My buddies and I were thinking about a way to mount some coil overs on the stock a arms. Has anyone done this or know of any one who has? Or getting a wrecked tacoma and putting the suspension under an older yota? Is it worth the time?
03-18-2009, 07:44 PM
#2
Contributing Member
BUT, I'm pretty sure I've seen coil-over kits on 2nd and 3rd gen IFS trucks, but, they were LT kits; I'm not sure if there's room with the stock A-control arms because of the CV shafts, but I could be wrong
03-21-2009, 04:45 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Burlington, VT
Posts: 1,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The way the stock control arm is designed, it wouldn't be worth the effort to put coils in there. Just from clearance issues alone, you would probably have to use coils that were about as thick as a pencil. I suppose you could beef up the shock mounts and mount a coilover in the OE shock's place, but you'd need some mad fabbing skills and engineering know-how to make that work so that you won't be breaking the upper shock mount every time you go over a decent size pothole. Unless this is gonna be a prerunner type truck, keep the strong reliable and well designed torsion bar setup, and save up for a SAS.
Last edited by waskillywabbit; 03-21-2009 at 05:53 PM. Reason: Edited
03-21-2009, 06:32 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Temecula Valley, CA
Posts: 12,723
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
here's a pic of mine with 4" bracket lift and you can see just how close the shocks are to the frame
and even considering my lift, you can see that there's not much clearance between the lower shock tube and the bump-stop mount.
and even considering my lift, you can see that there's not much clearance between the lower shock tube and the bump-stop mount.
Last edited by abecedarian; 03-21-2009 at 06:33 PM.
03-21-2009, 07:02 PM
#7
Registered User
Well now that I can actually read this.
Don't coil overs take the place of the rest of the suspension? Or does the coil only act as a helper with the existing springs and coil? I think I've seen CO's on prerunner type desert trucks but can't tell if there are still t-bars in them or not.
Don't coil overs take the place of the rest of the suspension? Or does the coil only act as a helper with the existing springs and coil? I think I've seen CO's on prerunner type desert trucks but can't tell if there are still t-bars in them or not.
Trending Topics
03-21-2009, 07:06 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Temecula Valley, CA
Posts: 12,723
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Total Chaos offers kits which support using c/o shocks in place of torsion bars but it requires removal of 4wd to do it.
(because the shock is too wide to allow the front CV shafts to be used)
(because the shock is too wide to allow the front CV shafts to be used)
03-21-2009, 07:22 PM
#9
Contributing Member
03-21-2009, 07:24 PM
#10
Registered User
03-21-2009, 07:30 PM
#11
Contributing Member
it's like a cops and law-breakers theory... if there were no law-breakers around, there would be no law enforcement employed!
the way I see it, I'm helping the forum
03-21-2009, 07:53 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This might sound stupid, but what about a coilover setup that links from the UPPER control arm to a hoop? Obviously there would be some cutting of the inner fender involved and some brackets would need to be welded, but that's expected. The stock 4WD setup uses the upper control arms linked to the torsions so I don't see why not?
I had a GMC Sierra and the hot setup for that truck was a dual shock linked from the upper control arm to a hoop instead of the lower control arm.
I had a GMC Sierra and the hot setup for that truck was a dual shock linked from the upper control arm to a hoop instead of the lower control arm.
03-21-2009, 08:06 PM
#14
Contributing Member
03-21-2009, 08:13 PM
#15
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Temecula Valley, CA
Posts: 12,723
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
but it's designed to transfer the torque through the arm to the t-bar, not have a shock bolted to it in the middle.
get my point?
but if the shock mounted to the ball joint studs, it would work.
get my point?
but if the shock mounted to the ball joint studs, it would work.
03-21-2009, 08:42 PM
#17
Contributing Member
03-21-2009, 08:51 PM
#18
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would imagine as long as you mounted it as close to the balljoint (or right on it) as possible it would be ok. This way you could keep 4WD and eliminate the torsions and the stock shock(or keep the stock shock?). I'm thinking it would take a fiberglass fender or no fender at all to clear the hoop/coilover.
03-22-2009, 07:51 AM
#20
Contributing Member
The Total Chaos Gen II caddy system eliminates the torsion bars in favor of coilovers.
AxleIke has been working on it, and it appears that clearance in the upper arm is the only real issue (obviously, you will have to put in a shock hoop for the top, but that's pretty straightforward). You could try using FJ Cruiser or Tacoma uppers, but not sure if the pivots are in the right place to just bolt in ... if so, it would be quite easy.
AxleIke has been working on it, and it appears that clearance in the upper arm is the only real issue (obviously, you will have to put in a shock hoop for the top, but that's pretty straightforward). You could try using FJ Cruiser or Tacoma uppers, but not sure if the pivots are in the right place to just bolt in ... if so, it would be quite easy.
