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That I do, however i was waiting until i had some better pics as i didnt get any last night. Oh well, since Mike already stole my thunder......
I been talking to @MaK92-4RnR the for a while about my long travel plans, and explaining everything i want to do with the blazeland. I had found TNA took over the US sales and production and, although it was pretty spendy at $1700, i was still going to pull the trigger. Mike told me that hed been talking to NAte about it and there were some issues i should look into with TNA and when i did look into it.....yea. MAJOR ISSUES. Like, selling kits and taking over a uyear to even start shipping the product out to the first customers, piss poor customer service, etc. Sad, really, because i know that @BlazeN8 is proud of the product that he created and designed. I can only imagine his frustration seeing his creation being drug through the mud.
After talking to Mike about changing plans again, he told me that he had a friend who had a LT kit that had been sitting around for a few years and he might be willing to sell it. Well, after a few discussions and speaking to the owner himself(who now drives and wheels a absolutely badass 2020 TRD PRO tacoma) I agreed to meet up and buy them. So, i grabbed mike and we headed down(about 2 hour drive) with Doomy to meetup and get this LT kit. After meeting up with Kevin(hes a truly awesome dude whom we spent almost 4 hours talking to in a parking lot ) he explained some of the history of what it is and how it came to be.
So, this is a Dirt Designs Long Travel setup. A one off. Dirt Designs is known in the second gen tacoma world for their LT kits and building some absolutely amazing vehicles like DurtyMax, a Duramax powered full size chevy pre runner with literal feet of travel in the suspension. Anyways, Kevin, through some family connections, knew the owner of DD and convinced him to design a LT for his second gen runner. After design, Kevin helped assemble and weld everything. These things are STOUT, however, they feel lighter than the stock arms. They will utilize stock balljoints, T100 axles, and although they can accept a coilover, they also have the provisions to run the SAW T-bars i got from @Melrose 4r. They also have custom machined Delrin bushings and the whole kit only has a few thousand miles on it. The ONLY things i need at this point to install them is extended brake lines, a shock tower, and new tie rod adjusting sleeves(which kevin told me he just cut the stock ones in half and welded a 3" spacer in the middle to get the extension). Heck, they even came with a set of Fox air shocks(pretty sure theyre nitrogen charged). Eventually ill add limit straps, but for now, these will do just fine.
So, that means for the next week, ill be using the drill mounted wire wheel and cleaning off all the bits of surface rust and priming/painting the arms. Theyre steel-it silver now, but i think im just gonna go with Hammered black for ease of touchups. Maybe Teal? i dunno yet. Side note, Kevin also told me that he thinks he still has his old Stubbs Welding HD SKO's at his parents house in Santa Maria and if he can find them, he'd be willing to sell them to me. This was super exciting news since Stubbs Welding is no more and they were the Sliders that i originally planned toget and install all those years ago when i first startd this build thread.
anyways, enough talking, onto the pics!
Sitting outside, waiting to be used again.
Theyll need a little cleaning, but theyre really nice!
Some Pics from the build that Kevin gave me.
Also, if you happen to be wanting to upgrade tour TBAR bolts, nuts, and saddles to the newer style, you need the one in the right in the pic below. that way the taller nut sits down into the saddle.
Last edited by space-junk; Mar 1, 2021 at 10:29 AM.
I don't know if you already ordered those new torsion nut anchors or not, but I did exactly what you intend to do. I bought new bolts, nuts, and the anchors. Turns out those new anchors would not fit in the arm on the torsion bar mechanism. Maybe your experience will be different, but I could not see a way to get them to fit in there.
Edit, adding some info. So what I had to end up doing was using the old anchors with the new nuts and bolts. The new nut does not sit down in hole in the old anchor, but whatever, it seems to be fine, I've been running it this way for years.
That I do, however i was waiting until i had some better pics as i didnt get any last night. Oh well, since Mike already stole my thunder......
Whattttt? I did no such thing! Think of my responses as motivational pushes. I'm just keeping the build thread honest.
I'm stoked that you picked up the kit. I know that I would've loved it on my 87 pickup but I just love the idea of having a relatively stock rig to cruise around town with. Glad you and Kevin were able to make a deal after I connected you both.
I don't know if you already ordered those new torsion nut anchors or not, but I did exactly what you intend to do. I bought new bolts, nuts, and the anchors. Turns out those new anchors would not fit in the arm on the torsion bar mechanism. Maybe your experience will be different, but I could not see a way to get them to fit in there.
Edit, adding some info. So what I had to end up doing was using the old anchors with the new nuts and bolts. The new nut does not sit down in hole in the old anchor, but whatever, it seems to be fine, I've been running it this way for years.
was that because the new anchor/saddle was physically larger? or just the spot for the anchor to mount on the arm. now you got me thinking if i can get some anchors off a newer IFS truck of if they're different too! thanks for the info to chew on, its much appreciated!
after some research, they are in fact different part numbers. gonna have to do some more digging.
Thanks @coryc85
Last edited by space-junk; Mar 1, 2021 at 02:14 PM.
space-junk - sorry if I was unclear. Been several years since I did this, but I'm almost certain that the saddle, which is item 12 in this picture here is where the anchor nut sits in that half round cutout there on the end. The newer style anchor nuts will not physically fit into this saddle on my 1988 and I'm sure same is true for your 1987.
space-junk - sorry if I was unclear. Been several years since I did this, but I'm almost certain that the saddle, which is item 12 in this picture here is where the anchor nut sits in that half round cutout there on the end. The newer style anchor nuts will not physically fit into this saddle on my 1988 and I'm sure same is true for your 1987.
space-junk - sorry if I was unclear. Been several years since I did this, but I'm almost certain that the saddle, which is item 12 in this picture here is where the anchor nut sits in that half round cutout there on the end. The newer style anchor nuts will not physically fit into this saddle on my 1988 and I'm sure same is true for your 1987.
yep, i completely understand, i think i just got some of my jargon mixed up because in my head, the anchors(half moons) look like a saddle to me. HAHAHA. im wondering if getting a set of saddles from a newer IFS vehicle would work in the older cage that it sits in.
Originally Posted by MaK92-4RnR
Once upon a time, I had torsion bars
was that back when your pile could actualy pass smog? havent you 3.4 swapped that yet?
Decided to be nice and replace Doomy's windshield before it rained this weekend. Set up an appointment through safeite because ive seen they do good work and have the rubber trim that i want to replace the stainless trim with that came on this truck. I wasnt there, but my dad and Doomy were. and good thing they were because after puling the old windshield they found rust in the frame. surprise surprise, right? luckily its not too bad, but you can tell the level of craftsmanship when this was installed. the windshield frame has rivets in it that was used to hold the clips for the plastic trim in place. Theres a literal drill hole off center at the top of the window frame. the old butyl wasnt completely removed and they didnt silicone the new window in place, they used actual glue. on top of that, 90% of the glue was on the bottom half of the windshield with sections at the top where there wasnt even any glue. no wonder the thing leaked like a seive every time that it rained.
so, tonight i get to use a wire wheel to clean up as much as i can. i also got some rust converting paint called rust fix. goes on clear and turns black on contact with rust. also got some white sandable primer. ive got some steel stick that ive use before on metal and it works amazing, so im gonna pack the hole with that after i wire wheel and spray it. hopefully iyt wont take too long since its supposed to rain tonight.
a few pics
Last edited by space-junk; Mar 5, 2021 at 08:21 AM.
Unfortunately, that amount of rust is completely normal. What isn't normal is drilling hole and using rivets to hold the trim on. That's a certain recipe for water leaks and rust.
Unfortunately, that amount of rust is completely normal. What isn't normal is drilling hole and using rivets to hold the trim on. That's a certain recipe for water leaks and rust.
Exactly my thoughts. Luckily the rust is just surface rust for the most part. A little scaly, but nothing thin, we can get clean metal under all of it. Still gonna use a bit of steelstick to fill the hole from....something? And then gonna use some duplicolor Rust Fix to neutralize any rust we couldn't get to. And then finish it off with some white primer.
some pics from the 3 hours of wire wheeling and cleaning butyl off.
It is nice to see that you pulled of the trim finally; I only mentioned it several years ago; LOL. I was lucking when I got my first truck, someone else pulled the trim long before it ever had a chance to rust. Man I miss that truck.
Guess its up to the SafeLite tech on whether we did a good enough job. Should be here today around 11ish.
Let me know how it goes. I need to replace the windshields on both rigs and would like the rubber seal. It's safe to assume that you're having the rubber seal put on and deleting the chrome trim?
Mar 1, 2021 | 10:10 AM
) he explained some of the history of what it is and how it came to be.
gonna have to do some more digging.
