Howdy all, this is my inaugural post and it's a great site here. Lotsa info floating around from knowledgable folk, way cool.

So, I have a 90 4Runner, love it, few complaints. One, though, is the IFS (yeah, I know...) A(n) SAS would seriously kick some booty, but my welding skills are extremely sketchy at best, and I can't afford to pay for labor.
But I really wanna upgrade the suspension! (It's got stock rear shocks on 225K mi). I've thought about the Downey kit, with and w/o spacers, and I can do that mostly myself, for rel. cheap. But I've also been kickin around the idea of goin big, but not SAS big, due to fiscal crimps.

Here's the deal: I've heard and read the 4" ProComp sucks (ProCrap), same w/ Trailmaster. That leaves Superlift (am I missing any?). 1100 bones is a chunk of change, and labor's almost the same for install.

But: I still want it, but can't afford new wheels (350-400 bones) and BFG MTs (650) after lift install! Wheels & tires are another topic, though.

Question: Anyone have personal experience in installing such a lift kit w/o going to the shop? I read the IFS instructions from Superlift, and it doesn't seem so bad, but is there stuff that you have to do that they don't include? I'm fairly good at wrenching, and I wanna save the cash (rather, not go further into debt if I can help it), but I don't wanna jack up my ride horribly, either.
Any help whatsoever would be great--thanks guys!

 

Welcome to the board.

Here is the advice that I give anybody who is looking to do an IFS bracket lift: wheel your junk A LOT first and decide what you really need to improve your truck's off-road ability.
Does your type of wheeling require more flex? More ground clearance? Lower gears? Bigger tires? A locker or two? More skidplates?

I've been wheeling my '88 for 13 years and I am only now SAS'ing it. I wheeled it stock with 31"s, then I threw in a rear locker. After a couple years I went to 32"s, a 1.5" ball joint spacer up front, and a rear spool. Then I added dual cases.
That truck will go almost anywhere for two reasons: 1) I learned to drive it really well stock beacuse I had to really learn how to pick good lines, and 2) because it sits pretty low (the low center of gravity makes up for its lack of suspension travel and it is pretty stable in most off camber situations).

I would take a stock IFS truck on 32"s over a Pro Comp/Trailmaster/Superlift lifted truck any day.

That's just my $0.02.

 

The bracket lifts are known to weaken the front end and that is a lot of suspension lift. I'd take beater's advice and take it as it comes, my firts lift would always be a body lift on a Toyota.

 

No experience with Superlift, but if I could go back in time to when I bought my truck, I'd have skipped all of the fancy crap and jumped right into Dual ARB Lockers as my first step. Then add some coils and throw some 32-33" tires later on.

You'd be the sleeper of the 4x4 world

 

beater has the goods, you need seat time, plenty of it. when you are out wheeling ask plenty of questions and watch what others in stock form are doing.

welcome to the group, if you are worried about money now, modding your toy will make it disappear even faster!!

lee

 

To answer your question You can easily do the Superlift install yourself. I did the back one weekend and the front the next at a slow pace. The only thing you will need is an alligmnent after the front. Alot depends on how much rust you have to deal with.

That said I'd have to go along with everyone else, and recomend you don't. Although I liked mine It only lasted me a year before I needed to replace it. There are plenty of threads on here about different 2nd gen lifts, search and read. You can never go wrong with a good locker or 2.

 

I agree with not doing an IFS lift because you arent going to gain much more clearance in the front because of the IFS. I'm also not a big fan of body lifts.

If anything, you should look into throwing in some 1.5 in ball joint spacers in the front and longer shackles in the back. You can then get 32s under your truck, and it will be sufficient for wheeling

 

I was facing the same questions on my rig. I decided after careful consideration to simply upgrade the front and rear diffs by putting a detroit locker in the rear and a TrueTrack up front. I left the rest of the IFS alone except for changing to some stiffer torsions bars and getting some Rancho shocks. I decided against lifting the IFS because you don't gain much from it and it tends to make the CV shafts more prone to breakage.

I would go with the advice given and just stay with the stock IFS and see what it can do for you. You may be surprised. If you find that the IFS isn't going to cut it, then save your pennies for an SAS upgrade. In the mean time, just add a good locker to the rear. It's going to give you the most bang for your buck.

 

Thanks all for writing in your thoughts, much appreciated. It's all pretty much what the local 4 wheel shop mechanic said...just do a twist and lift, put in Daystar spacers over the coils, and throw a Detroit locker in there. Guess I'll hafta get some stocks & bonds for the SAS. Thanks again!

 

Hmmm ... sounds familiar....

Here's what I have done with my '93 4Runner:
33x10.50's
Manual hubs
Sliders

Parts are coming tomorrow:
ARB's
gears (4.88's to replace the 4.56's)

Working on:
Armor (bumpers)

Future:
Crawler box
SAS (at which point it will be a trail only rig with 40's, etc)

You will notice the complete lack of anything "lift". I like the stability of the truck, and I find I have plenty of ground clearance with just the 33's (approach and departure angles need some help, therefore, the bumpers)

I wheeled with a guy in Farmington, NM with 32's locked F/R and he was doing most of the same stuff that the SAS guys were doing. Yes, he had to carry a bit more momentum, but he was doing the line.

Lockers will do more for you than lift ever will.