xxxtreme22r

you'd be wasting your time. The purpose of the ZUK mod is to gain back and lift slightly stock sagged spring packs.

paintthetown

iTrader: (1)

Should I just change out the springs ? If so, which ones do you sugest?

xxxtreme22r

I haven't run them but the OME's are probably gonna be the best bang for your buck.

paintthetown

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all your time and help.

angrybob

Admittedly, I do not know what stock flex is like in the rear. The PO installed Downey leafs with a 2" lift via arch on my '87 4Runner. That said, I have two questions:

1. Does the above pic show good or stock flex? There seems to be a pretty good arch still in the right rear leaf. I would expect it to be flatter, especially with the shock disconnected.

2. The Zuk mod should add overall spring rate between the axle and the frame (stock leaf pack rate + coil rate). How can this possibly improve flex?

greencactus3

I have a truck i bought with 4" blocks under the rear leafs.
I have some 14" 225 lb coils laying around the house.

how do i know if my stock leafs are sagging or not?
will i get roughly the same amount of lift back if i use these coils?

Philbert

iTrader: (2)

Paintthetown - check out my signature for the link to my ZUK mod - full of photos, links, and the steps I took - if you still want to go that route....

Good luck either way!

Philbert

iTrader: (2)

Cactus....read my diy and check out the "before" photos...

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Pictures help....but if it's an 84 thru 89 Runner then there's a 94% chance the leafs are sagged bad...to the point that they are laying flat on the overload leaf. The 14" x 225 coils would seem to be a bit stiff for this application. A number of the guys here had the 4" blocks and replaced them with the 14"x 125(2.5" ID coils). They received between 4.25 and 4.5" of lift....enough to make up for the blocks plus a smidge more. The ride quality goes way up. If it still seems stiff then it's probably the shocks that are causing it.

greencactus3

nah, its a 91 truck.

i do have a cap on the bed now, and a heavy bumper/spare tire swing out rack in the back.
i really dont enjoy the axle wrap im getting with the blocks, so i might just go try this out with the coils i have (since they're free) and if theyre too stiff, just go buy softer ones....
does that seem reasonable?

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

I know the pick-ups have a different curvature to the rear frame....effectively increasing the distance between the rubber snubber and the steel resting pad that is welded to the underside of frame. This means that you should do a quick test/measurement of the place where the coil will soon occupy. Safely jack the rear tires just barely off the ground and measure that distance.....it should not be longer than the 14" coils. Better to undo the lower shock mounts so they don't limit the axle drop. If it passes the 14" test then get the 14 x 125 coils from the ebay link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-R...mZ290014125492


Getting rid of the blocks means the leverage is gone and the wrap issue is less....but by lifting the leafs 4.5" you now have taken most, if not all, of the
load handling away from the leafs. With no compression of the leafs now the pinion can move up and down rather easy. I have demonstrated this myself on my own 87 Runner. I could crawl under there and wiggle the nose-cone of the 3rd member up and down a disturbing amount. Here's the perfect solution for that and it works in harmony with the new coils.....take the overload leaf and spin it around like in the link below...this way the leaf clamp is on the front part now. Tight clamp it to the normal arch of the rest of the leafs like I did. This might means removing the overload and coaxing it to have some better arch on the front portion only. Not needed to cut the back half of the overload off like I choose to....leave yours on as it will keep the payload ability there when you have 1500 pounds in the bed. Done like this you will have ZERO wrap....soft ride...and never have to worry about saggy packs again.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...f-leaf-225251/

edeslaur

Here's my bone stock 87 4Runner stretching its guts out. The rear tire is just barely touching the dirt. I can push the truck by hand in park.

Not that impressive.







Here's my blog post about it.

extrakevin

i put Rancho add a leafs on my 86 4runner and it corrected the ride height and seemed to breathe new life into the stock springs. rides better, easy to do and was cheap. but ive heard good things about Al-Can springs, as well as about old man emu. i took the cheap route, just a daily driver...