What was the reason you keep the crossover behind the T-case?

It looks really good, and it is nice to see it back to being close to stock again.

Are you any further with the thoughts of a turbo?

 

i kept the crossover there cuz it was cheaper. having them do mandrel bends ads up quick so i went with the simplest route. its not a bad location, and with the removable section it shouldn't be a problem wrenching on stuff.
i haven't looked into the turbo idea much yet but the wheels are turnin
i've got a big trip to moab planned in 2 weeks so i have a few things that NEED to get done before then....like the cooling system.
i appreciate all your advice!

 

great idea on the double flanges for the exhaust. Also love the diamond plate.

 

thanks!

 

Leavin for moab right after work.... didn't get everything done that i woulda liked:
got 1-3 done, and also developed an intermittent starting issue that i haven't been able to diagnose. just gonna deal with it, i'll have another rig with me so i should be fine.

 

Trip was awesome. haven't got all the pictures uploaded, but here's a preview:

 

I noticed that there was a lot of wheel hop in the front end on steep climbs. I believe its occuring because of this:



anytime the front end unloads, the leaves separate and "fan" out. then, when torque is applied, the axle wraps since the spring pack has nearly zero resistance at full droop. so i'm in the process of adding spring clamps.

 

Moab looks like a nice trip. How cold were the nights, the days looked perfect. I've been wanting to make it to Moab for many years; I will make it eventually. I look forward to more pictures.

I agree with your leaf separation theory, looks like you need to cllamp that section up.

 

I miss Moab. I've only been mountain biking out there but can imagine it to be just as awesome in a yota.

 

Its worth the trip for sure.
heres more pictures:























My brothers suburban:





...and his torn t-case mount

 

Nice wheelin pics as always, looks like you guys had a fun trip! Your 4runner is a flexy beast!

p.s I like how your diamond plate tailgate cover turned out, it looks sweet!

 

thanks ed, yea it was an awesome trip i'm gettin amped to do a lot more wheelin this summer

 

I'm at the point of planning the next stage, which is the front axle. currently my axle is completely stock except for the third. i decided that i do not want to dump any money into the mini truck axle (high steer, new birf's etc) unless i intend to keep it forever. the more i think about it, i really want a wider axle up there to eliminate the scrub radius that plagues these axles.

options are:

FJ60: this is a very appealing option since its the same width as the ifs rear and also is the cheapest of these options to buy. biggest drawback i can see is that aftermarket parts are tough to come by

FJ80: very good option, 8" HP third with e-locker from the factory. heavier shafts and birf's than minitruck, 63" wms only draw back is the price and the steering geometry.

Dana 60: Simple to put in, would have to have it narrowed some.

diamond: haven't got a quote from the company, but just talking to ppl who have them, i'd be looking at 1500-2k to roll it under the truck

TG rock assault: 700 for the housing, then buy shafts birf's, high-steer etc so prob in the same range as the diamond

I am on a budget so the last 2 options are out. I think the dana 60 would be fairly straightforward but i'd really like to stay toyota if possible. I've gone back and forth about the FJ60 vs FJ80 axle. what it seems to come down to is that if i want to keep leaves up front, the FJ60 is the better option since i'm not willing to spend 800-1k on the high steer kit for the 80 axle.
I've never done much research on 3-links but then i saw this:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyot...i-4runner.html
http://forum.ih8mud.com/95-gen-toyot...-build-up.html

This looks like a very affordable way to get a wider axle up front. basically just swap the whole front end of the 80 over, steering and everything. no aftermarket parts required. i realize this setup wont have 5' of flex, but i'm not building a buggy. as far as strenght goes, the HP 8" and beefier shafts and birfs should be plenty strong enouh for me. i've ran a stock minitruck axle with 35's for 1 1/2 years now w/o breaking anything, and i dont plan on ever going bigger than 37s. i realize things change when you add a locker to the mix, but i could always buy shafts later if i need to

well thats where i'm at for now. any feedback would be appreciated.

 

I like the fj60 option because it stays leaf sprung but the 80 would be cool to see done. I've never seen one set up that way.

 

thanks for the feedback Z, i agree that leaf springs would be simpler but the money these places want for high steer kits is absurd! i threw a price comparison chart together for a few different configurations:

 

Grabbed some pictures of the finished exhaust, its already starting to rust after only being on there a month and a half. i think next time i get exhaust work done, i'm going stainless!

built this out of used scrap 2" exhaust pieces i rounded up. I learned its VERY hard to weld old exhaust tube.

Magnaflow glasspack into a summit racing chambered muffler (equivalent to the thrush)


I routed it around my rear shock using half of a "Y" pipe from a 1uz lexus that my friend was throwing away.






Here's the spring clamps i fabbed up. added one to the front and a second one to the rear of the front spring packs. this should eliminate the wheel hop i was getting

 

Nice work on the exhaust, it turned out really good! You can come down and do mine, I still haven't finished running it out the back, lol!

I like how you did your leaf spring straps, I still need to do that with my front leaf packs.

You wouldn't happen to have a measurement of the clearance between the top of your rear tire and the lip of the fenderwell would you? (mine has aprox 8" between the top of the tire and the lip of the fender well) I'm just curious because your runner looks like it sits pretty level, and has a similar stance as mine, but mine sits 2" lower in the rear and I'm still trying to decide whether to go with 63" chevies or just by some rear lift springs... thanks in advance man!

 

thanks ed,
i'll measure the fender gap tonight. it sits fairly level empty but it sags when its loaded. i still plan on building a front bumper soon, which should pull the front down a bit.

 

sorry ed, haven't measured that for you yet, i'll get R done this weekend

 

just caught up on your thread!! Nice pics!! You definetly have a very nice setup.