pyrojoe22

Daily driver/Weekend Warrior

Truck: 1986 Toyota IFS Pickup Reg Cab Short Bed 4x4
Engine to swap in: Cummins 4BT
Tires to run: 37x13.5
Tranny: NV4500
T-Case: NP205

As of now I'm planning on swapping in a 4BT some day and running 37's with it. I will basically be replacing my drive line. I want to go with the NV4500/NP205 combo that seems to work so well. The NV4500 is only about a foot long, so I'm not too worried about fitting it. I spoke with a rep from proffittscruisers and he said they put a 4BT in a 4Runner that ran 36's. He said it is possible to do, but a 4.3L or a VW diesel would be better. I may sway towards the VW in the end, but it's gotta be a diesel no matter what. From what I've found, the 4BT weighs a little more than the chevy 350. To fit the 4BT high enough over the front differential, I was told I need to run 8" of lift and a 3" body lift to get the hood to close.

My question here is about what suspension to run and what axles you guys would recommend. I'm currently on the look out for an FJ60 or FJ80 front axle. FJ60's are very similar to the pickup solid and ifs axles. I've heard the rear axle is stout enough, that I can do a full float conversion and throw chromoly shafts in it and it will be fine with 37's. I may run 40's someday, and may have some parts cryo treated as well.

Does an FJ80/86+ rear sound good enough? I can't stand the thought of running 3/4 ton axles because of how the tires would stick out, I'd be pulled over the second I met a cop.

For suspension, I've looked in to springs, 3 and 4 link set ups. From what I could gather, the 3 and 4 link rears will only work if I ditch the bed or hack it up, and move by fuel tank, and if that's correct, that option is out. I have a lemon of a bed (no rust) and plan to keep it as long as I live. This would leave me with the leaf springs option. Everyone runs chevy 63" springs, and I'm wondering if those would work, or if I would need to add shackles, blocks etc. or if I should just get bigger springs.

For the front, I'd like to avoid the rough riding leaves, and go with a linked suspension. Really have no idea where I should go here... I've heard the 3 links are better for smaller trucks, but 4 links offer more adjustability. The 4BT weighs somewhere's around 760 pounds vs my 22R that weighs around 350 pounds.

I'd like to start collecting parts as soon as I can, as I'm sure it will take a long times worth of collecting before I can completely do my swap.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

A friend of mine has an 01 Tacoma SAS with a 4BT in it. He's away at college up north so not here to look at it.

:wabbit2:

pyrojoe22

I've spent the weekend looking into this more and more, and found the 1.6 vw diesel is too small. The 1.9 is probably more work than its worth. As far as axles go, I'm looking for an FJ80 front axle and a 70's F100 rear Dana 60. Want to go leaves in the rear and 4 link in the front, unless you guys think theres something better I could do. I plan to use it as my daily driver, as well as off road it on the weekends and take it to Moab.