Tofer

as the title says.. this summer i am thinking of doing SOMETHING with my 4runner. i am torn between sticking wiht IFS and doing a 4" lift, doing a SAS, or keep it stock and buy a beater/wheeler with the money. either way i want to goto 33s with it.

the way i look at it is:

4" lift:
PRO:
slightly cheaper
CON:
still IFS
i'll just wished i did a sas
still IFS
would have to pay for it to be installed (i think)
still IFS

SAS:
PRO:
my buddy is willing to do it.
show off / OHH UHHH factor
NOT IFS,
Cons:
do i REALLY need an SAS?
i;ll want to get lockers front and rear, then re-gear since the diff is apart, etc etc.

Nothing yet / buy a trail rig
PRO:
cheap for now (only save $$$)
con:
no real place to store a trail rig (still in school)


That being said... what are you guy's opnions on the matter? any pros/cons i am missing? what would you do (you guys seem to be good at spending other peoples money)

wrenchmonster

I'd SAS and be done with it. However, I've always been an advocate of not wheeling with your daily driver. With a DD, it's always a compromise between on and off-road performance. Whereas having a dedicated trail rig will open up strictly off-road options.

My Yota is my daily driver. I have 4 Internationals from street to off-road purposes. I really enjoy the freedom of being able to bang up the Scout and not have to worry about getting to work on Monday.

Tofer

well i ahave my 81 2wd. that i could make my DD. i was planning on selling it to help pay for the mods for the 4runner.

JoKEpLaYeR

Don't waste the money on a non-functional lift (other than increased tire size - no increased flex). Just spend the money on the SAS. If you aren't happy with the BJ spacers you've got, go SAS. You'd end up getting locked and re-geared anyway.

Tofer

ya your correct. i am not 100% happy with the BJ spacers. they seem to have been more trouble then they are worth (read 5 torn CV boots since installed 10 months ago.) but i am not sure i NEED the SFA. i mean it would be nice to have but i dont think i wheel it hard enough to require it. someones sig here says something to the idea of if you need to ask how much a SAS will cost you dont need it.... i know how much its going to cost, i just dont know if i need it... lol.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

SAS will help your resale value, I think.

trythis

Turn your 81 2wd into a 4wd with a SA. Then keep your DD as a DD. How about that?

AH64ID

I run 35's and a 4" IFS. There are times I really wish I had a SAS... But I dont wheel that much anymore, my buddies rigs aren't built as much as mine is with the IFS. So I can justify it. With the rear locker and 35's I get more places that I probally should with my DD. I have no plans to ever really retire this rig from the street. Even when I get my Diesel and tow the truck to the trail/camping it will still be a DD.

Depends on what you want to do with it. IMO the 4" kits work really well for the occasional wheeler. SFA's are also very very streetable so......

SlightlyModified

I would go for the trail rig, if not then SAS

curly_c

IFS can go alot of places. ive been alot of places with my dads 86. we've pulled big SA trucks out of places that they got stuck. IFS is not complete and utter crap. if you dont really need a SAS then you dont really need to spend the money. and you dont need a full blown 4" inch lift either. what is wrong with what you got?

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Save the money and wait until you are out of school to play. A SAS or any trail rig for that matter is a LOT of time and $$$ to be done right IMO...and broke college students have neither.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

Good call, Wabbit. I've thought about a SAS before but, ya know, if you don't wheel all the time and would rather have $2000 more in your pocket... or, rather, would rather NOT have -$2000 in my pocket, in my case.

Ertified4Runner

how the hell do you do that quote thing i see all the time ?
anyway, word to that, Wabbit...I'm probly livin in my Runner next semester to fend off rent so I can do more mods (and maybe pay some loans...)

SteveO

Do the SAC. If you are doing it on a '94 4Runner, its really, really easy compared to the 3rd gen or Tacos, and cheaper as well. Get the SAC done, and you won't have to worry about exploding CV's anymore. You can set it up for a good ride on the highway, as well as great flex off road. If you do the IFS, you're gonna wish you had spent the time and money on the SAC. If you do the SAC, you'll be much happier down the trail.

Bobakazi

Look at a specific comment you want to quote. In the bottom right-hand corner of the comment is a little rectangle that says "quote". Click on it, then enter your message.

Subject at hand, I have done some pretty knarly wheeling in my truck. I have also debated on the SAS for myself. Mine is my DD also, so I am probably going to not do the swap. I would be very interested in finding out how much more travel the SFA would provide over IFS. Anybody have any numbers?

I guess to finally answer your question, if I had it all to do again, I would keep my DD, save my money and buy a dedicated, seriously capable trail rig that is street legal. That way you will have more fun on the trails because you will be less worried about banging it up.

Elvota

I had a '91 Toyota pickup with an IFS lift, 33's. Had a lot of problems with CV's, boots, bushings, alignment, etc. I personally would not mess with the IFS for a rig that hits the trails often. Not that it won't work, just seems to have more issues.

I now have a '91 4Runner with a SAS. I try to wheel two or three times a month. Living in AZ that's a pretty easy goal to acheive. I am very happy with the SAS. Wheels awesome, has reasonable street manners, way more bullet proof (at this point). It is just crazy what terrain this setup allows you to conquer. :bounce2:

I will add however, that I feel the 2nd Gen is a heavy vehicle with a high COG. I think if I did it again, I would really look more into the 1st Gen runners.

Either way, I'd suggest paying extra attention and keep the lift as low as possible... IFS or SAS

garrett1478

phalanx has a low lift SAS and it looks really good...

slosurfer

You can run 33's with your bj spacers. If you are tearing cv boots you may have to shim your bumpstop. I know that with stock upper bumpstop you shouldn't have to, but I had to on my driver side. I have been wheeling alot since then and have had no problems. I shimmed the other side too, just so they would be the same.

Tanto

Phalanx has a 4" lift f/r BTW.

I say get rid of the BJ spacer and wheel the crap out of your IFS until you can afford to do a SAC right the first time.

tc

Wait, you don't even have lockers yet and you want to SAS? :pat:

You didn't have my choice on your poll:

Take the BJ spacers off (or leave them and uncrank the torsion bars) and run 33x10.50 with no lift. CV problem solved. Ground clearance (under the diffs) problem solved. Install lockers, sliders, and bumpers with less than half the money you woul spend on a well done SAS. Take the other half of the money and spend it on gas and hotel rooms and WHEEL THE HECK OUT OF IT.

The ONLY reason to SAS is when your skill goes beyond what you can do with the setup above, and at that point, you REALLY need to consider builing a buggy because you really shouldn't take a full bodied truck on the trails you will be running...

My $0.02