RR DIFF LOCK

So I had a chance to use Brian's RTI ramp today and it provided a great opportunity for some photos of the truck's articulation.

First up, Brian flexed his fully-built 2nd gen. After he showed off, you can bet that I wouldn't even come close to that kind of flex. Oh well...













And here's me...







I think I'm getting held up by the sway bar's current limitations...











On the compressed side, my rear bump stop is just barely touching, but yet my hanging wheel is completely off the ground. Sway bar limitations or rear FZJ80 'cruiser shock limitations?









Any input would be greatly appreciated. I also noticed that the fronts were never fully compressed. There was still a good 1.0" between the bumpstop and the components up front. Is this a limitation of the front shock? Or am I overlooking something else? Just looking to get the "most" out of this great suspension set-up for my relatively stock 4Runner. Thanks.

Mtriple

How about some pics on level ground?

HuskyRunner

Looks good! I'm hoping to install that same lift soon. As for your questions...I want to know too.

desertyota

Unhook the swaybars front and rear...?

norcalsvx

lose the sway bar's when flexing

BajaRunner

Yeah, I have both of mine off (again). I keep trying to make the front work, but, every time I go wheeling, the endlink, bracket, or something inbetween breaks.

RR DIFF LOCK

Here's some updated shots we took of my 2nd attack on the RTI ramp. This was a week later and now running with 285s. Having marked the ramp with masking tape at the point of my previous best attempt, we decided to see what it would do now. Oh and we tried a few things, like first disconnecting the rear sway bar endlink on the driver's side - which resulted in another 5-6 inches higher on the ramp. Then we unbolted the rear shock on that same side and literally crawled another 8-10 inches further before the rear tire began to lift off the ground. The driveshaft rotated out and away from the gas tank, but had we tried these "tests" on the other side, we probably would've had contact with the gas tank (NOT GOOD!). And by the way, you probably wouldn't do something silly like disconnecting your rear shock out on the trail, but we just wanted to determine the "limitations" that were holding me up and in what order they occured. This probably isn't a major "breakthrough" for most of you, but thought it would help clear some questions. A few guys have said the sway bar wasn't holding me back... I beg to differ. Seems like sway bar extension brackets would help me a little more.

Driver's side sway bar endlink disconnected...


Opposing side's bump stop makes better contact...



Driver's side rear Landcruiser shock - lower eye bolt disconnected...

Lots of slack in the OME 890 coil...

...enough to remove it entirely


And pics of the whole thing...



Had I been wearing rear mud flaps, they would've been eaten for lunch:

Adam F

Ditch the rear sway bar. I did on my 96 and never missed it.

Be warned though, your drive shaft WILL contact your gas tank, and WILL rip off the grease fitting, dent the gas tank, and make a horrible CLANK CLANK when you flex it out on that side. Best thing to do would be to make up a set of limiting straps to let it flex right up until it hits the tank (or just beat the tank with a hammer until it doesn't rub)


But...I have to ask. Do you actually wheel it? Doesn't look like it with that tail pipe hanging down like that. Just don't see why you need flex if it doesn't go offroad.

aviator31

How are the Xtreme MTs working out for ya? I'm trying to decide between those and the Kumho KL71 MT. Nice flex, pretty impressive if you ask me.

RR DIFF LOCK

OUCH! Alright, no harm taken. Actually I do wheel it quite a bit. Those who know me can attest that I hit the trails a lot. Quick history: after a year of sort of entry level wheeling, I quickly found the limits of my open-diff '99 4Runner (base model 2.7L 4cyl 4WD) and did some trial and error (mostly error) with the suspension, then decided to ditch it and search for a low-mileage 4Runner with the locking rear diff. I eventually found the '97 Limited 4WD that I currently have. I purchased this 4Runner off of ebay and drove it home from Addison, TX and the build-up began from there. Some of the trails I've tackled here in AZ include Sunflower Mine, Broken Arrow, Soldiers Pass, Crown King - all of which are rated difficult. I also organize a monthly wheeling trip for a group called G4 - based out of our local church. So in this rig alone, I've probably done about 15 off-road trips just since November. Thus, the need to explore, and hopefully push (safely), the limits of my 4Runner's suspension. But yes, the tailpipe is new - it's actually a Jardine cat-back exhaust and I'm sure that pipe's days are numbered. When that occurs, I'll break out the sawzall and just hack it off.

RR DIFF LOCK

On-road they're really noisy. I've only had them for about a week - so they haven't even left the pavement yet. I'm sure there are better choices / options for a 285, but the deal was too good to pass up. They have approx 90% tread with even wear and were only $300 on craigslist.