Hi everyone. I've got myself a 92 base model pickup with some nice suspension mods. The thing rides grwat and handles jumps like a boss... For a while. The bolts that hold the steering components to the steering knuckle keep stretching (mostly due to the original owner taking out the oe bolts and slapping in some grade 2 cheap stuff. Unfortunately can't find grade 8 metric) and the part is also bent on both sides causing the alignment to be so off it's rediculous. The ball joins a loose inside the knuckles too. Is there any better kuckles I can swap in reletivrel free of headache. I have no problem with fabrication so if I have to mod my a arms a bit that's fine. All help appreciated

 

So I got to doing a little bit of research. Come to find out the late 80s early 90s Ford rangers with the TTB front suspension have the same lug pattern as my Toyota pickup. I actually think that's what my wheels came off of lol. But anyhow, I know the TTB setup is quite strong and is very capable of long suspension travel. I plan on keeping it 2wd by the way. I have also wanted to swap to a full coil spring suspension and this my just be my opportunity to do so. I am very capable with a welder and metal fabrication tool. So fabbing up the mounts and stuff won't be an issue. Only concern I really have is if the steering links I currently have would still work. Thoughts?
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If you don't want to die, I suggest getting the correct grade 8 bolts in there ASAP! New knuckles too. Bent part? Needs to go now.

We don't need you splattered all over the highway. And you are heading to disaster at full speed. I urge you not to drive the truck in that state.

 

Oh my!

 

Rest assured the truck is staying in the parking lot lmao. But here's some better pics of what's going on here.

Ball joints on both sides have literally hammered themselves loose

The \"part" I'm referring to is the part that the tie rod ends attach to... I'm used to seeing them casted into the spindles. They are both bent, and they've stretched the bolts

 

I made a few mods that fix my bolt stretching issue. And a "quick fix" to my ball joint/spindle issue. Not the correct way but it gave me enough threads to draw the ball joint tight again. Till I can find new lift spindles. Yes I put cotter pins in them, just took a pic of the fix before I completely finished them

 

Your truck is my trucks doppelganger!


For your steering arms, my buddy had the bolt issue also and if I remember right, he ended up drilling the arms and spindles out to use a 9/16 bolt and used stover nuts and never had the issue again.

 

i just drilled and tapped mine for 1/2x13 bolts. Had to put the arms in a hydraulic press to straighten them out enough to get the bolt holes to line up porperly. They were so far out of whack if I tightened up the front bolt, the back one had a gap big enough for my finger to fit in. But that problem is solved, just need to fine new lift spindles and castle nuts. The washers are keeping the ball joints tight for now though

 

Metric doesn't have Grade 8 bolts, totally different grading system for metric fasteners
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/s...es-d_1428.html

Consider Uniballs for ball joints
https://offroadwarehouse.com/i-11651...yota-pair.html

 

You could try contacting custom tube works and see about them making you a set of lift spindles. I know they used to make them. You just have to get a set of good junkyard spindles to use for cores first.
it's an old listing but https://classifieds.race-dezert.com/...77&adid=130299

 

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely be getting in touch to see if they still offer that

 

The grade 8 "equivalent" would be a 10.9 bolt. All I could find in my size was 8.8. so I just stepped up a size in sae, that in itself is stronger, then used grade 8. So that issue is resolved. My issue wasn't the ball joints themselves, they are actually still good. The ball joint stud is loose inside the spindles. They got hammered so bad by the trails the nuts look more like lug nuts (the beveled edge) and the no longer had enough threads to get tight. So I just put a washer on top to give the nut some threads to pull on and make the ball joint tight. I really need new spindles but this is working for now

 

http://www.dezertrangers.com/forum/threads/toyota-84-95-2wd-long-travel-kit.237565/

 

I personally would replace everything that was bent and not trust it. You can only bend metal a certain amount and frequency before it critically weakens.

 

I'm thinking about investing in a whole front end long travel kit when I get my signing bonus. It's a 7k bonus that I'll probably only see about 5-6k of after they tax it. That's still enough to significantly improve the front and rear end and maybe have enough left over to buy a whole set of coil overs and byoass shocks used. Shooting for about 18+" in front and as much as I can get in the rear without binding the driveline.

 

what Long travel kits are available specifically for 2wd pickups most everything i see is for 4wd? i just picked up a 2nd yota i got a capable crawler now i want a prerunner but its looking like close to 5k just for a long travel kit and some kings just for the front which is crazy lol

 

Gotta pay to play.
I'd look for a used total chaos or fabtech ivan dan kit. Should cost you less than $2k for kit and maybe shocks. There are a few other companies that make or made kits but they dont come up used very often.