It can happen, the seemingly contagious drama. Suspension all plays off each other, and there's so much involved with IFS in regards to things beating up on each other, etc. Sorry you're having these problems man! It sure can be frustrating... I wish you the best I hope probs stop multiplying on you.... grrrrr!

 

Yes, I paid a shop $20.00 to pull off the berring and pressed it back on my self. The Job seemed daunting untill I looked at the detailed instructions on Marlins web site.
Here is a link: http://www.marlincrawler.com/tech/gu...1-gear-install

 

Sanding off and painting over a few rust spots on my bumper before Labor Day festivities at Hidden Falls this weekend!

I still haven't gotten my sliders in. I'm pretty bummed about that, but there's nothing I can do so I'll get over it.

 

Kill it homie!

 

I had a great trip out to Hidden Falls Saturday! I got to take another person with me that had never been before. She liked it so much she wants to help me work on the truck next time I'm turning wrenches. Another conversion!



As we pulled in to the park one of the first trucks I saw was this 85 4Runner. I pulled up next to them and asked if they wanted to wheel together. Him and his buddy in a sick chopped and built Cherokee ran the trails together for the day.





My 4Runner was a champ. We didn't do anything too crazy, but I had a couple of the typical hairy moments. Especially on some extreme off camber sections of the Bronco Buster trail.

The Budbuilt plate crossmember really paid off! I caught a couple big rocks on it, but there was just a slight impact and then I could feel us slide right over. Before, it would have been like hitting a wall. I also had my wheels slide into some very deep ruts on one decent. We slammed the bottom of the Runner on the ground between the ruts, but we were able to keep sliding down. I wish I could have seen it happen from the outside.




I don't have any good pics or videos because Saturday was really a warm up run for Sunday. Unfortunately, though, I didn't make it out Sunday. My driver's wheel has gotten very creaky while steering and flexing. When I got home I jacked the front end up and checked everything. I found that the ball joint has some play, clicking when putting upward pressure on the wheel. I would have had 3 passengers in the truck on Sunday with a 1 hour highway drive each way. I didn't feel comfortable with such a critical part showing obvious wear. I didn't want my driver front wheel folding under the vehicle while dropping down a crooked ledge, or doing 75mph on the highway.



So now I'm going to start collecting parts for a front-end rebuild. Ball joints, cam bolts, control arm bushings, and outer tie rods. Maybe inner tie rods too? They seem to go through less range of motion, and are a bit more expensive, so I'll have to see how they're looking.

 

There are some good threads I've read and even spoke to some vendors on doing the FJ80 TRE upgrade and other stuffs in there as well. I chose the factory control arm bushings, simply because they lasted probably a little over 20 years and were very quiet and quite a smooth ride. When you get ball joints, look for models with greasable zerk fittings. The mega travel style I had seemed to help and I've seen them popping up once in awhile... And yet I haven't bookmarked any of those that I've seen. I need to do that next time. Anyway, I know there are a few after market heavy duty ball joints manufacturers out there... I'm just red bad things in regards to a couple, including MOOG....???

I know you're going to do what you're going to do, & I don't mean to be suggesting let you go all or nothing... I just think its best while you're in there to do it all at once, and its not that much more expensive to do all new control arm bushings and so forth. Check your motor mounts as well, and take a really good look at your transfer case mount also. Mine was literally ripping in half on one side... It was still in one piece... Just a little freaky, so I replaced them all when I did the SAS. My motor mounts seemed okay but they had shifted quite a bit because the stem had sheared through quite a bit of the rubber.

Excited to see your fresh in everything up, it sure made one hell of a difference in my room. I did really enjoy the Old Man Emu shocks, but there are plenty out there the people seem to enjoy. Old Man Emus steering stabilizer was pretty kick arse as well. It really did its job in limiting kick back on the wheel.

Glad you had a good time, buddy.... Sorry you can go for the sunday run at least you got something right?

 

Cool that you met new people to go wheeling with. I hope to tag along on some runs on my upcoming road trip.

 

Thanks for the thoughts Mark.

I've already got Beckly/Arnley upper ball joints (one's already installed). I'm pretty happy with how they look. They've got the grease zurk but my ball joint spacers keep me from being able to get a grease gun on them. I'll have to unbolt them from the control arm to get any grease in them in the future.

I just did new motor mounts and transfer case mounts. I went with Energy Suspension motor mounts and the 4xInnovations t-case mount.

I was debating whether I want to mess with the upper control arm bushings. But, like you said, might as well get it all done while I've got it all torn apart. I'm planning to go with Moog rubber bushings since I've heard that poly bushings can get loud pretty quickly.

So a steering stabilizer has a lot of benefit? I don't have one now, and I've been wondering if I should add one. It keeps the wheel from kicking hard on bumps?

I'll look in to the FJ80 tie rod ends.

 

I don't like wheeling alone for safety reasons, so I try and make friends when I go out to the parks. Thankfully this weekend was real busy because of Labor Day.

 

Yes to the steering stabilizer. I'm sure your old one is all worn out.

I noticed on the highway immediately. We have bad roads because of frost heave and when I first put on the new big rubber it was scary at hwy speed.

Then with the new inner and outer tie rod ends it's a really nice drive.


Edit//

I don't like wheeling alone but sometimes I go anyway. If I don't I don't go at all.

Another reason to look forward to moving. BC has loads of clubs. My club up here started fighting, some people wanted it to be too serious.

 

I don't have one at all. I'll do some research and see if it's worth adding.

 

I thought 1st Gens have them like the 2nd Gen IFS does?

Was it taken out?

 

Ok, I feel like an idiot. You're right. I've got one. It's so small (stock) I keep forgetting it's there.

 

Ha, I recommend the Old Man Emu one.

 

I had 4 crawler 1.5 inch ball joint spacers and I could easily grease the upper ball joint through the bj spacer.... Where did they put the grease fitting on there? It should be dead center right on the top.

 

Mine really was effective... HUGE shaft and body, but it fits. ( yes I know what that sounded like but come on! Lol.)

 

The fitting comes off the top at an angle, and points right in to the inner wall of the spacer.

Maybe there's a way to get a fitting on there. I haven't actually tried, but it looks pretty impossible.

 

Interesting..... These are made by Sankei 555/ Machined by Downey for more travel, but as far as I remember the 555 series are pretty close to identical. That's really tripping me out... I had to look for a little bit but here's a picture of how mine looked.......

 

Well, I already forgot that I've got a steering stabilizer, so I could certainly be wrong about this too.

I'll try and have a look in the morning.

 

I'm pretty happy with this year of progress. Especially considering I'd never owned a truck before.