mcstiggens

Howdy gang,
I'm not a newb to 4wheeling at all. However I am a newb to the 86 to 94 ifs Toys.
I just scored a 94' LB extra cab w/22re bone stock with only 110,00 miles. Needless to say, it was a sweet find!
Here's my scenario.
I'm a sucker for trucks that handle well in all conditions and I am a contractor so i will be using this as a work truck (to supplement my F350 when I don't need to work THAT hard) as well as a pleasure, day to day, 'run-about' vehicle.
As we all know the stock rear Toy springs leave little to be desired if you actually want to use the truck as a......truck.
They are weak and spongy and eventually saggy. My truck has low miles and has never been filled with gravel but the springs are tired.
I'm looking to improve the suspension (which I've done with other trucks including a 98 Taco) but I've never dealt with the 86-94 Torsion bar type.
I spent the last 3 hours reading past threads but I'm still gonna start a new one.
I'm going to stick with 31's in the tire dept. and will be getting a locker for the rear.
I don't need much of a lift but because I will be replacing the rear springs with beefier ones, I figure I will also want to lift it 2".
Now, thats not much and I've read all the posts about why lifting is not necessary but I think 2" is a good compromise especially since I'll be doing springs anyway (and I've lifted evry truck I've ever owned 2" and liked the ride better than stock).
My question to you is about the front end. I don't want too harsh a ride but right now its pretty damn "floppy" (which I realize new shocks could fix) but whats the best way to get 2" on the front?
Downey has (had) a nicely priced kit but they say they are out of torsion bars and are selling Sway-away and they are back ordered. Then I started reading about ball joint spacers.
Hmmm.
I will be doing only modest wheeling but I do want to have a mild lift on account of the longer wheel base of my truck.
I don't wanna sacrifice ride quality by ratcheting up on my stock torsions. Should I do a ball joint spacer lift to match the 2" beefier rear leafs?
If so, where to find such a package?
I'm also on a budget and don't wanna spend $800-$1,000 on this. I guess I could just replace shocks, ratchet the torsions an inch or so and put a helper spring in the rear pack but logic and experience tells me to replace the whole spring pack.......but what of the front end?
And thus my post to you.
And Dewds, I'm truly sorry for such a ridiculously long post.

Mcstiggs

Squeebs

1.5" BJ spacers and 2" downey springs should be about all you need.

yoder519

welsome to yotatech!! for the bj spacers.. check out 4crawler.com. also check out wabfab.org. but the ball joint spacers are only 1.5inches htick. i have the spacers and a 2inch AAL on my truck and i love the stance. not to high, not to low.

894x4pickup

As always, search...

Check out 4crawlers site, should have all the info/ordering you need.

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/ProductLine.shtml

algranger

Yeah you would probably be best off replacing the whole rear pack. OME makes a nice kit from 4x4connection.com and you can get an AAL from them designed for that pack for weight carrying capacity.

As for the front, i would just do the BJ spacers.. i dont know that theres another way to get and easy 2" and keep your ride quality.

Edit: There is a nice little lift there. As you can see they have the "Heavy duty extra leaf"
http://www.4by4connection.com/picexcabcabs.html

94-4-NUBORN

where are you located?
there is a guy in colorado doing a solid axel swap... he is selling his whole Old man emu lift package for $750 or so.
http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/1047954809.html
That link will let you know how it will look too.
I am going with land cruiser coils for the rear with 1.5" spacers in front, and all new shocks. this is a much cheaper way to go if you can find coils for about $50. they are tall though.

mj

scuba

Umm, Its a truck, Coils wont do crap..

Junkers88

I think you'll do fine with the Downey 2" lift spring pack and the 1.5" BJ spacers. It'll make the truck look nice and level and help with extra load capacity. One of the guys I've gone wheeling with has that set up and he clears 33's so your 31's will fit very nice. You also have the option of adding coils in the rear to give some lift and add a pile of load capacity, this is the route that I went and added the 1.5" Bj's up front to level the rig out. I also have 31's and the rig looks nice and performs well for what I use it for.

scuba

How did I know you would contradict exactly what I just said..

toyota4x4907

Scuba, yo have over 4200 posts and you've never heard of the ZUK Coil mod!?!?!? Haha...I know you have...
Coils will do give a great payload capacity over stock, so I have read/heard

mcstiggens

Thanks for all the help fellars. Thats the info I needed.
Say Junkers, are you talking about using the coils in conjunction with leafs or altogether replacing the leafs?
Also, how difficult (time and hassle) are the BJ spacers to install.
Unfortunately, Downey is very back ordered on their kits which are by far the best value out there. I don't think I can wait till May to do this. It sucks cuz their kit with complete spring pack costs 35% less than competitors. I guess thats why they are so behind.

Mcstiggs

scuba

Yes I have, I was actually going to do it for some time.

Hit up Gearinstalls.com, The ZUK mod places coils inbetween the leafs and helps them out, basically getting them off of the overload leaf (very bottom one) that makes it ride harsh and sag, like it probably is...Bj spacers take about 4-5 hours, if ya dont screw up and have somewhat good knowledge of tools and the like...

toyota4x4907

Haha..I know you have...I was just messing.

Junkers88

I'm a stalker, I just can't help it.

scuba

I bet if I shipped you this damn camera sitting next to me we would have pictures so much faster...

Junkers88

Indeed. Although I must warn you that if you keep picking on me for not having a camera I'm going to post up that Top Gear Toyota video that you like so much.

Jay351

63" chevy springs in the rear and bj spacers up front.

Get a nice smooth ride and extra load capacity. The stock springs are just too short...

mcstiggens

Gee guys, when I talk to the folks at places like NW Offroad or Downey, they say they don't carry BJ spacers cuz they are terrified of them and they will break and are bad news. I did a search on here and have yet to find anyone say bad things about'em. Whats the deal? Does anyone know of potential probs created by them.

Mcstiggs

ozzydg55

here is my 94 x-cab with contractors cap

Jay351

Yeah, downey off-road is not the smartest companys out there. They just don't want you to buy something thats cheap. They want yer money. What did they recomend? New t-bars for lift?
Please, the stock t-bars are great. You won't need any kind of thicker/aftermarket t-bar for lift. the only time you would need a thicker t-bar is if you had a heavy front bumper with a winch. Or a heavy v8..

I have yet to hear of one bj spacer breaking. The worst case is you tear a cv boot because of the added angles.

I run them, and hundreds of others run them...