I thought I'd start a thread here, seeing as this seems to be the place for people looking to do something like I did. I already have thread over on marlin crawler, but why not start one here.

My truck is a 88 xtra cab, 22re 5 speed. This was my first truck and basically my dream truck, except it wasn't a 85... I always knew that I wanted the solid axle but I didn't want a big jacked up truck like a friend of mines 4runner.

I had tossed around the idea of finding a 85 frame, but I live up in Canada so most of them are to far gone. My next thought was to put all the brackets from a solid axle frame onto mine with the push pull steering, but I quickly realized that was pretty hack and would take way more work than what its worth.

I ended up buying a high steer kit/ hanger kit from TG and a set of 83 rear leafs as I decided my 88 rears would push the axle to far forward, at that point I knew I needed to just keep collection parts till I was ready to start cutting. My initial parts list was going to be pretty budget with used leafs and fairly stock diffs but that quickly changed, I'll add my current parts list but not much has changed since I build it two years ago


Suspension & Steering
Rears up front (stock 83 pack minus the overload and one leaf added in place
63" chevys in the rears with no over load
tg front hanger
3.5" shackle up front
5" shackle rear
anti wrap for the rear
10" bilsteins
High steer

Axles & Breaks
Yukon 5.29's
ARB locker in the front
Grizzly rear
tg longfield's
Marlin inner axles seals and knuckle rebuild
Marlin knuckle gussets
IFS hubs
sky's rotor spacer
v6 callipers in the front
solid axle callipers and rotors rear
manual proportioning valve and line lock
80 series brake master
new hard lines front to back
stainless soft lines

Motor, Trans and Tcase
Marlin 4.7 reduction gears

Armour
All pro tube bumper
budbuilt crossmember
tg rear bumper

This might just turn into a picture thread, as I have tons to share. But I would like explain some of the more technical things I did and the problems I've had since, most importantly answer your question along the way. Anyways on with the pictures

Day I brought it home
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Current Photo

 

Last few photos for the evening,
front diff all cleaned up and gusseted, ready for paint
diff party at a buddies place
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Mmm fresh Arb and Grizzly
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​​​​​​And a photo of the truck at about the same time, 31s welded front diff but otherwise stock

 

So after I got it torn down I started with the 63's first then moved to the front



​​​​​​Cleaned up

​​​​​​Frame tubes drilled and the front hanger mocked up

Front hanger is currently raised 2" up into the frame and 2" further forward over a stock solid axle spring eye location ​​​​​​

 

What size tires are you sitting on in the grey picture up near the top? I've got 32s on my sas 4runner and they seem a bit small. I may have to go up to some 33s or some skinny 34s. I was trying to keep mine short as well but I went with Toyota front springs that were 2 in lift. I also cut my front shackles down to 3 inches. Yours looks like you have more distance between the frame and the axle. I've got 3 inches or so of up travel.