xxxtreme22r

84-88 shackles would be flat, not wider on the "top" So he got the "correct" shackles. Now I don't know too much about the 96-04 Tacoma ones, maybe he got those instead?

truckmike26

Here's what I'm referring to:

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The top is 3/8" - 1/2" too wide but the spring part is bang on. It's not a big deal -- I just need to put two M18 washers on each side on the upper part to make it work but then the grease hole on the Performance Accessories-modified bolt won't line up like it should.

truckmike26

It's weird. It's like the upper frame mount part of the shackle is for a full-size foreign-market Landcruiser but the lower leaf spring mount part is for a compact truck.

This is a brand new O.E. foreign-market Landcruiser shackle sitting on top of the Performance Accessories shackle: the frame mount part on the O.E. is the same as the Performance Accessories shackle, but the spring mount is wider on the O.E. shackle for a wider leaf spring (for a much heavier truck) than the Performance Accessories spring mount.

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Also the Performance Accessories shackle came with a few different-sized bushings leading me to believe these are for multiple applications (dually, one-ton, etc.).

truckmike26

For the spring mount part, there's a M18 to M14 steel reducer sleeve that fits inside the spring eye bushings but meantime back at the ranch, the M14 bolts are still too small for the 18 mm holes in the shacke -- or the sleeves aren't wide enough. The springs will shift and bang for and aft if I put these in as they are.

(By the way, I was wrong in the earlier post, they're 18 mm bolts, not 16 mm.)

[IMG][/IMG]

Here's a close-up of the shoddy workmanship (lots of burrs):

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I mean, I can fix it myself, but the fit and finish on the Ironman parts is BETTER than Toyota's and makes me wanna move to Australia.

truckmike26

At least I got something done this weekend -- I Gooped my rear bump stops back together.

[IMG][/IMG]

truckmike26

The springs are in. I didn't use anything from the Performance Accessories shackle kit because a.) the truck would've been too high and I couldn't get it out of the garage, b.) I would've needed at least 4"- lift shocks (the 52206, 1-3"-lift Pro-Comps just fit with these springs) and c.) not one darn thing from the shackle kit fit at all, not even the bushings. So I put back the O.E. shackles with the Ironman bushings and sleeves and everything fits perfectly. These are bolt-on springs to answer that question but longer shocks are required on light-weight trucks (like mine) or there won't be much downtravel.

Greg_Canada

How much lift did you end up getting?

truckmike26

I'm not sure yet how much lift. Before, the driver's and passenger's side springs had different heights. Plus there's nothing around my house or area that's level (maybe the Casa Loma parking lot). I need to get the box, rear bumper and spare tire/spare tire mounting hardware back on the truck.

I looked into the Ironman greaseable shackles today and they should be only about $100-120 CAD for a pair, going by the Camel4x4.com website. I originally wanted more lift, that's why I got those extended shackles and not the stock length Ironmans. More lift is on hold for now.

truckmike26

Update: every brake line from the fuel tank back are brand new and bled. I bought a Skyjacker extended length flex hose but I didn't like how it would not securely fit in the bracket so I put an original style replacement and carefully tweeked the bracket down a bit for some extra length at full droop. Another aftermarket dud part. The Skyjacker hose will work, but the upper bracket fitting is different than original, so if I installed it, it would jostle around and over time make a potentially not so safe setup. Skyjacker included a tie-wrap with the hose but that won't cut it.

I brought the spare tire winch back to life tonight. Took a lot of spraying, pounding, pulling and anti-seizing, but it's back in the truck raising and lowering like it once did. A small thing, but a spare is really important when you're in the middle of nowhere (I learned the hard way years ago).

flashkl

Use that spare winch often...I did the same thing as you, 2 or 3 hours of hard work unseizing mine and I filled it with PB hoping it would keep moisture out...but a couple winter months later it was already seized up again. Fluid film or something to that effect might work better but still best just to lower it once a month to make sure its still free

That's too bad about the brake line. My skyjacker 4" lift came with a bracket to drop the stock hose and I felt kinda ghetto running it but guess it saved me a headache.

Utah4Runner86

iTrader: (1)

I'm definitely interested in knowing for sure what kind of lift you got as well, once you get everything buttoned up.

truckmike26

I will use that spare tire crank often now for sure. I slopped anti-seize goo on the cable and all the parts. As for the Skyjacker extended brake flex hose (PN RBL30), the package states that it fits Toyotas from '64 to '95 so that's a huge range of applications. I paid the $70 for it planning for more lift down the road so in time I'll figure out a way to secure it to the chassis as good or better than the factory did. Good that for now I only have just a small amount of lift.

Speaking of that, I'm just as curious as anyone to see how much there will when all's said and done. So far, the 40 mm, 1.57" looks to be about right from just rough eyeballing.

Greg_Canada

Well, i ended up ordering an OME kit... springs, shackles, bushings, ubolts and shocks (didn't get the torsion bars) and will run BJ spacers in the front... Let's see who gets there truck on the road first LOL.

Still deciding what gear i should put in my e-locker... argh...

truckmike26

The Ironman stuff is really good quality stuff. It bolts on without issues (so long as the frame/mounting points are stock). Like I said, longer shocks are a really good idea. Where did you order the OME stuff from?

My truck's out of the garage now! I drove it up and down the back lane and it feels solid. Mind you, there was only 2 psi in the rear tires to be able to get it out of the garage. But still.

Next, the bed's going back on but I first need to fix a few things. Then I'll tear back into the front for the ball joint spacers. I had it apart last fall for other stuff and roughly guessimated that the CVs will likely bind at full droop so I got the diff/sway bar spacers. Greg, I wish you a speedy swap but those small issues jump up and bite the progress! I'd be happy to drive my finished truck to your place if you need to reference anything....

truckmike26

Oh, and, off topic, I'm going with 5.29s. Whether it's with 32s or 33s, I don't care. There's lots of debate on here between 4.88s and 5.29s -- automatics need 5.29s, manuals are best with 4.88s, 5.29s are only for 35"-up tires with manuals, on and on. I have an auto.

truckmike26

Got a bit of snow last night.

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I really wanted greasable pins/bolts but this'll have to do for now.

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Stock-length hose -- tweeked the bracket slightly down so there's some extra slack.

Greg_Canada

Mike, i got a set of 5.29's im not going to use.... Do u have 4.88's? Maybe we can work out some type of swap.... Or i can sell you them straight up, too low for me with a s/c 3.4...

I bought the arb stuff from tony @ arbcanada.com.... 750+ tax for 4 shocks, rear leafs, shackles, bushings, ubolts and sleeves.... I will go bj spacers as well...

truckmike26

I tried putting the box back on tonight but the aftermarket, universal fit FEY rear bumper kiboshed that. I originally put this bumper on 10 years ago and it never fit right -- I had to leave a passenger side bolt out so it would fit, thinking it was the bumper bracket that wasn't made right or worse -- turns out it was the whole bumper that was made slightly unsquare. And for 10 years I suspected maybe my frame was parallelagramed (during this endeavour, I cross-measured it at many points -- it's dead square). So I spent the rest of the night trimming bumper to clear the roll panel.

One good thing is that these box mount bolts I made work killer. They ain't pretty, but they work better than O.E. bolts at a fraction of the cost (the originals were rusted out and useless).

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Utah4Runner86

iTrader: (1)

So how does it sit now on the new springs? Any change in height? Hows the ride?

Details, man, we need details!

truckmike26

I completely agree!

Before:

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After (sorry about the lense flare):

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To rehash, these are Ironman's softest springs -- 220 lbs. additional weight-compensated, 40 mm or 1.57" lift. I don't have any serious additional weight so I'm getting min. 2.5" of lift because the old springs were three-times-broken-and-repaired NWOR spine-busters but were probably close to factory height before I took them off. Plus the passenger's side was an inch lower. I gotta tell ya, despite how these rear springs look, they're shockingly smooth. Multiple thin leaves must really work. They're firm, heavy springs for sure but it's a gentler firmness if that makes any sense. Firm but not jarring. The NWOR springs when they were new felt like utility trailer springs and so the back of the truck bounced and bucked like a utility trailer. Even as time and mileage wore on, those broken-down NWOR springs were just as jarring with no benefit of having some lift or compliance. One spring shop told me those springs were made by Triangle but I can't confirm that. Whatever.

Lots of people wanna see the horrible rust up close so here's the driver's side:

[IMG][/IMG]

And the passenger's side:

[IMG][/IMG]

Those are 31x10.5x15 Hercules Tera Tracs. There's an inch difference in fender clearance from side to side but the ground outside the garage is uneven plus I filled the fuel tank (maybe explaining the inch or so difference).

I flexed it a bit. Prior to the initial road test, I torqued everything as per the FSM. No popping, clunking or banging:

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