Nate, I like the leaf springs. Have you started cutting off the old yet?

- Travis

 

Hey its about time Travis! Yeah man, got one side done today. I'll post pics tomorrow, when I get the other side done.

 

I got the F150 springs installed on the 4runner this weekend. I was surprised at how easy it was. Being a total fab newbie I was expecting a lot more headaches, but I'd say it turned out well.

Started by tacking on the new hangers 11" forward of the old ones.


Then I pulled the rear springs and replaced them with the F150 springs using the same shackle location. Apparently 11" is the key, as it put the center line of the axle right where it had been.


I had to get a comparison shot of the two springs side by side and these things are long! Seems like 63's would just be too long.


I was hoping to get away with not moving the shackle hanger, but no such luck. This is the current shackle angle with full weight on the springs. I think I'll hold out and pick up some johnny/creeper joints rather than try to move the factory hanger.


Here it is at ride height. Swapping the springs and losing the blocks lowered the frame height 3 1/4 ", from 29" to 25 3/4" and these spring are much softer!


As an added bonus, I got to lose those ridiculous u-bolts and mount the axle the right way.

 

I woke up motivated this morning so I continued demolition on Dicey. Got the front axle and suspension pulled. I'm hoping to start cleaning up the frame and rebuilding the axle within the next couple of days. My next goal though is to build the front leaf pack from the rear leafs on my '88 parts truck and my new to me stock '85 rear leafs (thanks Travis).







This axle will look much better with a high pinion .

 

I got the first attempt at the rear up front leaf packs done today. I figure it will be trial and error until I find what works for my particular application. Went with a 6 leaf pack with no anti-wrap for now. I replaced the bushings with some polyurethane bushings that I had bought some years ago for my '88 and never installed, not my first choice for flexibility, but they are already paid for. Went with the 1st, 2nd (mil wrap), and 3rd from the '88, followed by the 2nd (mil wrap), 3rd, and 4th from the '85. Each leaf was cut 3 1/2" shorter on each end than the leaf above it and then rounded to avoid scoring the other leafs.

The pack on botton is the 7 leaf pack I pulled off. They are really stiff and must weigh 30lbs each. They look like a real hack job too.


The new packs seem really soft and flex easily, hopefully not too soft, but we'll see when they get mounted.

 

Hey you've made some serious progress on the front. When are you thinking about mounting the high pinion?

- Travis

 

I want to get the front axle cleaned up and possibly rebuilt before I install the high pinion. The PO said that he had just redone the front axle, but he also did the gears in the rear, so I have no confidence in his workmanship. Plus both hubs are leaking right now. I'm hoping to start on that this weekend. Tomorrow I'm attacking that front hanger!

 

Oh....thats funny...(P/O); ummm sure....here hold my beer watch this.... Sorry Nate, couldn't resist. Well, at least you have a 4Runner to wheel when you're all done....ummm yeah, its a never ending project...never mind.

-Ted

 

I'm not sure what kind of idiot buys a ghetto sas'd truck so that he can re-sas it, but I am one. I got the front hanger cut off yesterday, and man did I have to work for it! Here's a reminder of what it looked like:



It took 6 sawzall blades, 5 cutoff wheels, an air chisel, and a BFH, but I got it off!



Here's the new hanger tacked on an inch forward and without the spacer. I hope to reduce the lazy shackle angle that's common with RUF's by moving the hanger forward, plus now the axle will be moved 3 inches forward for better approach angle.

 

Man, that was a thick weld before. Looks good without the spacer.

 

There's no consistency in the PO's welds...agreed that some area's are more than what need's to be...too many restart's...make's for an ugly looking weld. The one thing I see and cause's concern, is a huge fluxuation from the center of the cross member to the outside. Warpage, as long as the new mount is set at level and tacked in, then welded properly, there shouldn't be an issue.

Travis- Dig your progress on your 4Runner...glad to see you've decided to exploit it's potential.

-Ted

 

So Ted (snowshredder555) came by and brought these sweet step bars that he built for my Tacoma. We got them all painted and installed and man are they nice!



While Ted was over I also twisted his arm to get him to help with the 4runner . He was kind enough to bring along his gas welding rig and cutting torch so that we could trim some fat on old Dicey.

Ted getting the torch in the mood.


Me cutting off the old shackle mount.


So much easier than a cutoff wheel.


The carnage.


Then we got the front hanger all burned in, well mostly Ted did because I wanted it to look nice . But he did give me a lot of pointers with the mig and made me practice on some scrap so that I could weld some of it, and I'm impressed with how it turned out.

Ted welding the front hanger.




Thanks again Ted for all the help on the 4runner and for the step bars, these things are sweet and you did a great job on them!

 

Thanks for the kind post, Nate. I had fun working with you. And I do like how the step bars look on the Tacoma, and they contrast nicely with that "pretty" blue factory paint. I think they look nicer than the factory running boards. Glad I was able to do something nice for you and the wife benifits from it as well. You should post up the welds you did...dealers choice on the pictures though. Oh yeah, thank's for climate control button. Fit's like a glove. So...when do we get to play together again?

-Ted

 

Great mig welds...looks almost like tig! We need more guys like ted in the bay area :-)

 

Nate: Not trying to hi-jack

HAVE WELDER, WILL TRAVEL...Welding done for pizza and cold beverage's.

Philbert: I'm orginally from So. Cal. but have only known a group guy's this nice here in Arizona. Don't know if it's the So.Cal. attitude but the people (in general) are alot more helpful here. I've been welding for only a short period of time but I feel like I have to master anything I try. I do get paid (professionaly) to weld and help fabricate off-road goodies, manily for toyota's. As a proffesion, I love it. And my boss (owner of company) has been instrumental in my learning how to MIG. TIG is the next level for me this next semester at school. Fortunate that my boss has already agreed to by a TIG machine once I get into that portion of it. Skid plates and other aluminum armor will find their way into our product line. Good company and great boss...and as you can see, I have an ability to coax the most out my equipment.

Good guy's like Nate, will (and have) benefited from their kindness and generousity.

Ok...back to Dicey's progress..

 

I've been anxious to use the new smiley, and finally I can. The creeper joint shackle mounts and steering box plates that I ordered through Wab Fab came in yesterday. I can't wait to get them installed!



Wanted to throw a pic up of one of my welds. I'm still getting comfortable with mig but I think its coming along, thanks to a lot of pointers from Ted.

 

I spent some quality time with the grinder and holesaw this morning. I got the welds from the old front shackle mounts ground smooth and new holes drilled through the frame for the new shackles.

 

Damn! Nate you are makeing some quick progress!

 

Thanks man, I'm trying to keep up with you and your brother, but on a budget.

 

Nate, in the photo above, are you welding using the "push" method, but stopping several times to let the weld "puddle" a little, then move forward, and so on....? That weld looks great! What welder are you using again?