Corey

iTrader: (1)

I just got off the tele with Downey.
I was hoping to get a deal on their 3" drop panhard brackets like in Luke's picture here.

I told the sales rep that a lot of us with 2nd gen 4Runners have put on the Downey HD coils out back and the panhard bar gets at an extreme angle as seen in my picture here.

He checked with the head cheese, and said we can not purchase just the drop bracket without buying the whole 1.5" spacer lift that adds pucks to the coils, and gives you a total of around 3".

He said if they did that, they would have to redesign the kit they have now.
I don't see why, as a lot of who have down just the coils are seeing an extreme angle like in my picture.

Oh well, I thought they would being willing to cooperate, especially since I told him many of us on the forum here have bought and installed just the HD coils and have the angle.

Perhaps we can find someone to custom fab us up some, then buy them since Downey won't sell just the drop bracket.
Any custom builder out there want to take this project on?

sschaefer3

Pro Comp will sell you just the bracket. It's a 4" bracket, not 3" but should still work fine.

These things are stamped out, If I made you one ot would be very expensive because I would have to bring the welding guy into the picture.

Try the 4" procomp one. Although 3" would be better.

If someone brings me a 2nd Gen I can try, but I don't have access to old junk.

sschaefer3

After looking at the photo again, I could probably make a weld on one, but no bolt on bingo.

Same style as the 3rd Gen ones, calm shell around the outside.

sschaefer3

When you called Downey has anyone actually talked to Scott Mulvaney? He's the General Manager.

Also start a petition and send it to old man Sickles and Mulvaney. If you rattle the Downey cage enough they may give in.

Wirte a letter. Not an e-mail but a letter.

sschaefer3

You could always just suck it up and buy the 1.5" extra kit and try to sell the spacers on eBay or something like that.

If I made a bracket it would be 75-100 anyway.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I asked for Scott Mulvaney when I called, and the sales guy said he could help me.
I have a feeling when he put me on hold, he talked to him.

We thought about the Pro-Comp one too.
That might make it hang down to much 'eh?

I explained to him an awful lot of us have the coils, and are seeing the angle, and just buying the bracket from him would be a big help.

If Downey wan't so far into the stoneage, I'd start a post here with an online petition, but you can't even email them.
Corey

sschaefer3

Here is what I would do if I were you 2nd Gen guys.

1. Buy Downey kit #48257

2. Install the 3" PanHard drop, Longer sawybar endlinks and the snubber lowering blocks. All three of these things would make it well worth it to me.

3. Do not install the poly spacers.

4. 3rd Gen guys install stock front endlinks on the rear bar. Those are over 100 bucks alone. Your stuff is cheap.

I can see why they will not break up a 130 kit, it's not expensive enough.

Flygtenstein

Three thoughts on this although Steve already got one.

1)Pro-Comp makes what has been in the past regarded as the same bracket as Downey and sells it separately.

2)I have the coil spacers and the drop bracket, honestly all that it seems to help is the gas tank issue.

3)All-Pro also sells a bracket that works on the other end of the bar, perhaps the is an option.

With as many 3rd generation guys who have rear lifts and no panhard adjustment, and the 2nd gen guys who have only the coils, I would pay it no mind.

$40 from Pro-Comp
~$80 from Steve
$0 leaving it as is.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Shhhhhhhh, don't tell them they are not charging enough.
I gave the guy the URL to the forum here

So, would I benefit too from the longer sway bar end links?
Does it just replace my rod in this pic here?
I can still use my canary yellow NWOR poly bushings right?

Ahh, Adrian, seeing your post as I'm typing here.
Have not seen the All Pro one for the other end.

I'm not to concerned with the angle now, but I thought it might be good to address it sometime.
When my rig was up in the air at Badland Bumper's shop, he said it looked like my right tire might be sticking out 1/2" more than the left side.
If it's not that big of an issue, I might just leave it.

I don't think I'd ever put in the spacers as I won't be doing 33s on this rig.
I might do 32s next time, and I have room there now to do it.

Fronts might rub the Toy flaps, but that can be fixed.
Corey

sschaefer3

It's not right if the bar is not level. Just because some one else blows it off doesn't mean you should.

It's just not right if it's not level

I do things right.

CTB

Thanks anyway Corey. Scott never returned my phone call, so I guess he isn't too interested in the idea either. Oh well, we'll see what happens...

Flygtenstein

The king says:
It's not right if the bar is not level. Just because some one else blows it off doesn't mean you should.

It's just not right if it's not level

I do things right.

What about the fact that your front track is wider than the rear, is that right?

Do you have a pick of the bar when the rig is on the ground? I would hazard a guess that the 3" drop may be too much. Mine is about what I remember stock being, or at least close enough for me. The only time I have heard of people using the bracket with the coils only is when they have longer rear shocks that get the driveshaft into the gas tank skid.

The pic on the lift may give a slight exageration as the rod will tend to pull the axle over prematurely, hence the potential gas tank skid issues.

The All-Pro is for a nominal 5" lift IIRC.

All I can tell you is with the bracket on my truck with the spacers and coils, the truck tracks straight and has no weird side to side issues. YMMV.

Happy trails,
Adrian

Corey

iTrader: (1)

My rig tracks straight going down the road fine.
I'll try and get a pic tomorrow of the ass end to see how the bar sits on the ground.

code33 made a comment last year that it looked pretty extreme.
Corey

sschaefer3

Yes, when it's Southern California long travel. Which is exactly what the ATS arms are. Longest travel allowed with stock lower arms.

A hella lot more travel and flex than ,cough cough, torsion bars.

Robinhood150

Puting a 3" drop bracket on a 1.5" lift doesn't do anything. Let's say your panhard looks like this / with a 1.5" lift and no dropB. Well, with a 3" dropB then the panhard will just look like this \. Your axle will still be sticking out to the right the same amount. This is when the truck is on level ground.

You will only see a benifit if you use a drop bracket that is the same as your lift. But I doubt a 1.5" drop bracket is worth it. I'm guessing the panhard is about 3ft long? 1.5 inches lift will move your axle to the right about 0.03 inches and the panhard will be at an angle of 2.3 deg. A 3inch lift will move the axle over 0.125" to the right and the angle will be 4.8 deg. (when on flat ground)

You really only need a drop bracket for off roading-- when the suspension is articulating. This keeps the driveshaft and the joints happy. Like Corey said, the axle only moved over 0.5" when the truck was on the lift. In day to day driving you will never see anything close to that.

There is a safety factor built into everything on a commercially driven vehicle. A 0.125" tolerance on truck suspension geometry is nothing. A half inch still wouldn't worry me.

So basically, unless you are getting wild articulation and your drive shaft is hitting your gas tank, buying a 3in drop bracket isn't worth it for a 1.5 inch lift. A 3inch lift is probably worth it since the dshaft will hit the gas tank.

As for the sway bar links, It's probably not worth it for 1.5 inches. However, since the lever arm is much shorter than the panhard, a lift will have more of an effect on the sway bar. But then again, since the rear sway bar doesn't do much in the first place...I'm not too worried.


Steve

sschaefer3

Look at your truck now...............

Marc P

I recently installed the Procomp bracket because my driveshaft was getting very friendly with the gas tank skid. Now I can get fingers between the two at full flex.

This is how it looks with 1.5HD Downey coils

914runner

Holy thread reserection batman!!!

hill

marc P can you show me a picture of where the driveshaft and gas tank used to come into contact.... i gotta check if this is happening to me as well.....