N2Frodn

I recently purchased an 87 extra cab 4x4 to add to my collection of toyota trucks. This one came with a trailmaster bracket lift in the front and a set of 3in lift blocks in the back.

The rear leaves have lost some of their arch and the truck leans to the passenger side pretty badly. I would like to kill two birds with one stone and get a set of 3in leaves so I can get rid of the blocks.

The truck is being built as an expedition rig and has a shell, roof rack, sleeping compartment, tools and spare parts in the bed. So I need something that will match the front suspension lift and be able to carry a bit of weight.

What are some good options for replacement springs for my situation?

Also. I think it is about time to retire the Rancho RS9000s that came with it. They look horrible and work as good as they look. I have always been a Bilstein guy (have them on my other two rigs), but I have heard that their quality has dropped a bit over the last couple of years.

Also, what length shock do I need to accomidate the lift that my truck has?

Thanks

retoxtony

I'm pretty new on here, but have also been looking to replace my rear springs. My leafs look like crap, and are sagging a bit, especially to the passenger side. After searching around alot, i think i'm going with the Downey leaf springs. Most people seem to like them and they are reasonably priced. They also have a 3" lift spring like your looking for.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

For the shock length, measure what you have if they fit OK. Compressed and extended length are the key dimensions. The Bils. are supposed to be quite good. Lots of 3-4" lift springs available. Will come down to if you want to keep the stock spring and shackle hanger locations or not (i.e. stock length springs or longer than stock). If you are planning to carry a lot of gear, you might consider Alcan springs. They can build you a custom pack, any length, lift and load capacity:
- http://www.alcanspring.com/

mr toytech

im loving my new procomp es9000 shocks. they are doing very well for the price.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

I have the Downey 3 inch springs and for the price I am happy. However, for your application, you may want to go the Alcan route as Roger mentioned. My Downey 3 inch settled to 2 inches on a 4runner with a heavy (135#) aftermarket bumper. Sounds like your gear will add up to more than my roof and bumper so...

Also have you considered ditching the bracket lift? That would seem a better way to go IMO for your intended use.

N2Frodn

I was unsure about the downey springs, going to look into the Alcans for sure.

If there has been no negative quality change in Bilstein (keep hearing that there has) then I am going to stick with them. Been more then happy with them on my other trucks.

Ditching the bracket lift has been a thought but I don't really see too many options that work for me.

I don't like body lifts at all

SAS would be cool but I have heard that ride quality suffers greatly, not to mention on road handling is compromised in exchange for flex.

LT IFS is really a great option except I don't like any of the glass fenders on the market for my bodystyle truck. It is not a racetruck, nor do I want to make it look like it is trying to be one.

Not a fan of the bracket lift either, I would never buy one myself. I want to keep the 33s on it, so it has to stay for now. Besides, I plan on a 3rz swap sometime in the future and I either have to leave the current lift on it or SAS it for oil pan clearance.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

OK so you want to keep the 33's, but are you geared for them already? If not I would still consider taking the truck back to stock or near stock. Understandable though if you already have 4.88's in that you might not want to undo it. My thinking though is that with an expedition style vehicle you will be spending plenty of time driving on roads that may be bad but not actually wheeling. You will also be spending plenty of time just "driving". In those situations it would be beneficial to get the full fuel efficiency out of your 4cyl engine. Take a look at what Steve Schaeffer has done here: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f86/.../#post50394208

I've wheeled with him and he takes that thing almost anywhere he wants to. I like it so much I kind of wish I wasn't already started down the build-up road with mine. The idea that you have all the stock stuff really simplifies everything in case of a breakdown in Timbuktu. It also decreases the chances of a breakdown in the first place since you're not stressing parts to the limit.

N2Frodn

The truck has been regeared (4:88s).

The Sonoran rig is really cool and goes a long way to show what a stock(ish) toyota 4x4 is capable of.

I wheeled the heck out of my 86 toy for many years with 31x10.5s, stock gearing, Bilstein shocks, Rancho torsion bars, some underbody armor and low profile bump stops. It took me just about everywhere I wanted to go and I loved every minute of it.

Honestly, I don't care much for the bracket lift and would gladly go with a BJ spacer, a little torsion bar crank and some seam pounding. The lift is designed for 35s and the P.O told me thats what was on it for many years. I don't ever plan on larger then 33s so I could stand to come down a couple of inches. The tires are 10.5s and the the wheels that are currently on the truck are a much shallower offset. They allowed me to stuff 32s without any trimming on my old rig, so 33s shouldn't be too much effort to clear 3/4 inch more rubber.

I don't know if the lift can be undone without some fab work, a lot of bracket lifts require you to cut off factory pickup points for the stock suspension. I will check into this tho.

Then there is the issue of the front axle winding up back where the oil pan will need to go for my future engine swap. Dunno a way around that yet..

hodgepodge79

I've got the same question...sort of...

What shocks can I get that will go nicely with my 2-in. rear blocks (i.e. brand and part#)? Everything else in the back is stock. I am looking for a budget shock from checker or autozone ( < $30).

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

I had some KYB KG5508 in the back of my '85, allowed full compression and nearly full extension with up to a 3.5" lift:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/4R_suspe...ml#SpringSpecs

Or ask for a shock for a 2" lift, or measure what length you need and take a tape measure to the store and check some lengths.