84Yota(Steve)

This is more in the interest of people planning on doing the chevy spring swap. and you have any tips to throw in please do.
you want springs off a 88-98 chevy 1500 2wd. it is important that it is 2wd because it should have a 3 spring pack (and then a overload), for the 4wds it will be a 4-5 spring pack and you will get more lift than articulation. if your shackle angle is already good then mesure from the center pin of the old spring to the end, and the center pin of the new spring to the end and move the shackle mount back the difference between those to lengths. possibly less if you are going to be running a larger shackle. do the same for the front mount. IMPORTANT not all chevy springs are any specific length, they could be anywhere between 62 and 64 inches, and my happen to be 64s. but if they are 57s you have the wrong length. I haven't really started in on the front end yetbut i will keep posting, i don't want to start explaining until i know exactly what im doing. all i know for sure is i want to move my front axle forward about 3 inches for clearance reasons and use the rear springs up front. If you are just exploring your options right now, from what i have seen, without 4-linking this is the way to go. trail gear has good lifts if you are looking to build a princess. as i said those chevy springs are a 3 spring pack, the TG springs are in a 7 spring pack! while i understand spring rate, it is just extreme, plus the chevys are much cheaper. i wouldn't pay more than 100 for a pair of chev springs, and if you go to a you pull it type junkyard it is common to find the for $50 a pair. i got mine for $75. and either way you have to fab new mounts. and if you want to buy mounts instead of build them the way to go is jeep cj-5 spring mounts. the bolt hole size matches GM. From what i have heard once the lift is done overall you can expect 5 1/2 inches of lift from stock. but the flex is where this setup earns major points. I will be putting the rear springs on monday (7/19) and will post pictures then. Please tell me what you think and if you think i left anything out or made a mistake, reply, you may save my ass . This is my truck now for the "Before" picture

881stGenRunner

Truck looks good dude, i just did mine a couple weeks ago, i absolutely love them...

They can droop out a bit more than this too...

Heres my little thread...
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f31/...g-swap-214921/

tc

Most overblown mod on the internet IMHO. Personally, I haven't been too impressed with them on Tippy. For the amount of work it takes to redo the hangers (both ends in my case) you can do a 4 link. The amount of lift you will get is highly unpredictable. Be prepared to use blocks/shackles to get the right ride height.

Also, you can't judge the spring rate on the number of leaves - thickness, shape, heat treat condition, etc all determine the spring rate. Usually, going to more, thinner leaves results in better flex for a given spring rate.

89silverpu

Maybe cause Tippy doesn't ever get wheeled causes it's always broken? haha

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

i take it you have not seen the birth of TippyII yet? 2nd Gen body has been Swapped for a 1st Gen 4Runner body...and has even had a shakedown run

Fink

*Hijack*

I love your rig dude.

*Hijack off*

Fink

84Yota(Steve)

As i said my cousin just got that setup, and on the truck it sat about a mile in the air and had no flex. he is going to 63"s just because the TG springs are worthless. and you are right about them being unpredictable, every truck is different and has been used differently so all used springs will be unpredictable.

cubuff4runner

Is this to do a 4 link that falls apart after one run? I don't understand why you always claim this? A simple leaf setup will take you far less time then a correctly done 4 link.

Tofer

i love the amount of flex my 63" give me, but i dont like that i need a block in the rear to bring it level.

tc

Yep, I definitely didn't rebuild the truss strong enough the second time ... one would think I had learned there's no such thing as overkill by then ...

As for your other comment, IMHO, the e-fabs make leaf springs out to be MUCH easier than they really are, and links much more difficult than they really are.

I was trying to think of ONE form of motorsport competition where leaves are still used at the top level and couldn't come up with one. Link setups do a better job of controlling the axle motion, period, and are no more difficult (perhaps a little more time consuming, but not much) than doing a full custom leaf install like a 63" Chevy swap.

84Yota(Steve)

No one ever said leaves are better than 4 link. 4 links are by far the superior setup, end of story. unfortunately I get paid minimum wage at best and can barely afford to work on the truck, and it cost me $75 for chevy springs and the rest is just fab. On top of that i don't have the fab skills to build a 4 link setup for my truck. I am not a hardcore wheeler, i go out and play on the weekends and drive my truck to school and work durning the week. for what i do a 4 link is not necessary. I understand where you are coming from, if it was strictly a wheeler, i would put it on stands for a month and link it, but for me, and most of the people i wheel with, leaves are much more practical.

and just a footnote I had the pleasure of getting a cherokee unstuck today

Mucus

I am considering doing this to my rig, along with BJ spacers, but I am having a hard time justifying the added strain to the stock IFS. The 63" springs do provide more flex from my understanding but would cause the ride height to be all over the place relative to the front. Then input the BJ spacers and suddenly you have created room for all kinds of issues with the IFS. I only run 31x10.50's right now, but even my buddy's girlfriend tells me my tires are to small and I need more lift. More lift isn't really what I am trying to achieve (but would be nice to go with the added flex) and it doesn't seem like this is really why people do this mod. Eventually I would like to clear some larger tires (never opposed to cutting some sheet metal) but would like to do it as legit as possible... can't buy bigger torsion bars anymore since Downey has left us high and dry and the SAS is way out in the future. Oh, and we all already know how TC feels about lift, thanks to his kick@ss threads about initial setups! Learning a lot from you Sir TC!!!

881stGen,
Let's see some pictures of the hanger locations... Please!!! How has your IFS held up with the 35's? Have you had any serious problems? Idler arms? tie rod ends? Anything???

tc

If you can do this swap properly you can do a link setup, guaranteed. This should absolutely NOT be your first welding project on the truck.

I will grant you that this setup can be done cheaply IF you can find the springs at a good price (I had to pay like $200 around here IIRC) and you fab the hangers yourself (I went with the Sky kit)

Was talking to a buddy about links vs leaves the other day, and realized you have to be WAY more precise on a leaf setup because there is no adjustment. You absolutely MUST weld the hangers in perfectly, or the truck won't track straight and there's no way to fix it other than cut and reweld.

camo31_10.50

Listen to TC...he knows what he's talking about.

even being off by 1/4 inch on your hangers could be bad...just sayin.

measure like...500 times..then cut/weld once.

myyota

THis is my 86 4Runner with 63'' chevy springs in the back, no blocks used, all spring and shackle lift, 5'' trail gear springs in front.

SpecialScottie

Those are lift chevy springs though correct?

myyota

Yes they are.

cubuff4runner

It is only the front hangers that need to be exact. If you can't one side to match the other you probably shouldn't be cutting up your rig. If for some reason you are off a little it isn't a done deal you can move the hole on the perch.

cubuff4runner

I am running no blocks and 4" shackles. Before I chopped the rear I had to run a 1" block. I don't think that 63's are the best thing in the world, but they can be a cheap solution that will provide a nice ride and a lot of flex. People who have rode with me on rough roads call them Caddilac springs. They make for a pretty smooth ride on the trails and provide a lot of droop which I know TC doesn't like.

84Yota(Steve)

Im surprised how high that runner sits. how big are your shackles. i don't want my truck that tall