t-rav

So i have a 1989 toyota pickup that i love to take off road but more for just crawling... but i was curious on what are the best type of shocks to get? thanks

yotes86

what sort of setup do you have, a lift at all? i have blisteins on my 88 4runner

is budget of any concern?

t-rav

to be honest im not a 100% sure on what other lift i have besides just a 4" body lift for the blocks under my leaf springs... which i know blocks are a cheap way to do a lift so if i can get rid of them and get the lift in a better form id be fine with that...

ask for budget it doesnt bother me to bad just not over say a thousand bucks lol... if pictures would help i can get some

BMcEL

Body lift and suspension lift are two different animals. What you described above is a suspension lift.

As for shocks, I recommend Bilsteins.

tj884Rdlx

the purpose of shock absorbers is dampening up/down travel of the wheels to minimize shock to the suspension and body.

you specified crawling, which is low speed, lower impact, compared to trail blazing or desert running which is high impact.

so your concern isn't so much about handling extreme shocks, but more about keeping all four wheels in contact with the ground, so you can continue crawling.

this means you're looking for shocks that won't limit your up/down travel, so you can keep all four wheels in contact.

unfortunately, you also have an IFS suspension system, which is the real limiting factor to your up/down travel.

so your choice in shocks is dependent on your choice in mods to the surrounding suspension, to maximize your up/down travel.

there's plenty of threads which discuss IFS mods for crawling. do some searching here, particularly using google to search instead of the search bar at the top of this page. it seems google finds relevant yotatech pages easier than yt does.

+2" in extension is usually a good upgrade for an IFS truck until you change the other suspension components to allow for more flex. with just those, you could disconnect your sway bar links and trim your bumpstops a bit.

most name brand gas-charged shocks from an offroad accessory store should be ok for you, so look for a good sale. keep in mind if you plan to lift the truck, you want to add that to the overall extension measure of your shocks.

i personally went with OME rear springs and shocks front and back, but i expect to do more trail blazing and beach running than crawling. there's plenty of crawling fans here so maybe some others will chime in with their favorite brand, if you plan to make your truck a dedicated crawling machine.

good luck!

yoder519

the 4in block under your springs is not a body lift. not to be takin the wrong way, but you may need to do a little searching like mentioned above. a body lift is blocks in between the body and frame of your truck. if you have a suspension lift, be sure to get the appropriate shocks to match the lift you have. personally, i would be considering some armor (sliders etc) before upgrading shocks, unless you need shocks right now

t-rav

this pictures kinda show what it looks like... im pretty much trying to get alittle more clearance between my tires so they dont smack the top of my wheel well... and my leaf springs seem to be wearing out...

t-rav

one more... and thanks for the help again... ive had the truck for a few years.. got it from a guy who built it for crawling ive just never been to much into it, but now im trying to to some upgrades or what not to take it out crawling or mudding for fun...

yoder519

those pics make this thread completely different! your truck has been solid axle swapped, so that makes it a little different. do you have lockers already? your springs in the front look worn out because, to me, they look like a RUF pack (rear springs up front) with stock springs, a block and longer shackles out back. got any pics of the whole truck? shocks aint going to make your truck set higher. you need to get bigger springs, or throw a few leaves in the front pack, or trim the fenders. i would go bilisteins(sp) on the shocks. check out trail-gear.com, marlincrawler.com allpro-offoad.com etc for some aftermarket yota stuff.

bob200587

Ditch the blocks. get a new spring pack for the rear and get OME, Bilstein or whatever brand you fancy in the appropriate length shock.

yoterr

i just went through all kinds of researching to find shocks for my SAS truck, and for the money i went with doetsch tech 8000's that have an integrated bump stop in them (sweet) but another set that i reallllly liked is either the bilstein 7100's or bbcs's... you can find both of those at polyperformance.com, and the doetsch techs at lowrangeoffroad.com and get us some more pics so we can find out all whats done to that thing..

t-rav

So lockers im assuming means both tires spin at the same times? and if so yes. If i remember the rear leafs were put up front with ya whatever springs les schwab put on.. I know blocks are crap but to replace that would i have to buy different leafs? to keep it that same height?

yoterr - what did you mean bump and stop? pretty much you get a bonce and then no more?

thanks again... and also ill get a few pics of the whole truck up... any particular type of picture to get?

yoder519

yes you would need to buy different springs to get the same height. if blocks work for now, i would leave them

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

what is the deal with the rear axle not looking centered on the rear springs? tires look to far forward towards the front of the fender...

bump stop is the rubber extension piece that keeps your spring/or suspension if you have IFS from traveling too far, in the case of an SA -keeps the spring from going negative

edit: examples:

t-rav

i wouldnt mind leaving them im more just curious on someone told me they were just tired springs...

and ask for the tires looking closer to the front part of the fender i have no idea but i just saw that....

t-rav

more pics

Ahki

Replaced the fuel pump and fixed 1 vacuum line problem solved. Appreciate all the good advice on this site,best auto site I've ever been on.

yoterr

Those might be different rear springs...or maybe backwards?..and the bumpstop feature in the shock just keeps the shock from bottoming out hard...has a 2" or so rubber ring on the piston so when the shock gets close to bottoming out it has a small cushion...check em out and you'll see

Ahki

Should have taken a longer test drive, my problem is part solved. Damn thing still won't idle so I have the idle speed turned up high to make it driveable. This is my daily work truck so I'm doin what I have to do to keep working. Any body have any other suggestions. A friend of mine said it could be some idle control unit that is attached to the side of the carb. Does this sound right and does anybody know the name of that part?

yoterr

I run blocks with no prob.. but im switching to fords later and measure your springs from front eye to center pin and let us kno