brian2sun's 1997 4Runner Build-Up Thread
10-16-2010, 02:16 PM
#41
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Thread Starter
Got my new lower control arms on that J-money$$$ and I made ourselves which are 1.75" .120 wall DOM tubing sleeved with and inner 1.5" .120 wall DOM tube so essentially 1/4" thick 1.75" tube going to 7/8" heim joints. Virtually indestructible and provide ~22* more flex than the stock arms. At the same time, we armored the LCA mounts on the frame side with some steel plating to reinforce the vulnerable mounts. Here's the thread all about them (pics shown are J-money$$$'s truck but it looks the same as mine)...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...wer-links.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...wer-links.html
10-29-2010, 09:59 AM
#45
Registered User
Thread Starter
For sure.
My new LCAs are fricken tough! I actually split a boulder a couple days ago when I landed the bung for the heim joint right down on the rock. Knocked a little paint off the arm, killed the boulder. These things are one of the best mods I've done armor-wise because the stock LCAs and mounts are weak.
My new LCAs are fricken tough! I actually split a boulder a couple days ago when I landed the bung for the heim joint right down on the rock. Knocked a little paint off the arm, killed the boulder. These things are one of the best mods I've done armor-wise because the stock LCAs and mounts are weak.
10-31-2010, 10:16 PM
#47
Registered User
Thread Starter
As many of you know, Jason (J-money$$$) and I built some heavy duty rear lower control arms with heim joints a couple weeks ago and they added a couple inches of more travel to the rear suspension:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...wer-links.html
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165606
The problem we had is the OME comfort shocks we were running weren't long enough and they limited the travel. We decided we needed to get rid of them fast because we didn't want to over-extend them and break them. So today we threw on some Tokico Trekmaster Landcruiser shocks (which are ~2" longer than the OMEs) and now I have some ridiculously awesome flex. Jason and I have the rear upper control arms in the works as well, so stay tuned for those. For now, here's some pics from today after we installed the Tokicos (BTW, the tires are on the ground and still getting traction in all of these pics)...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...wer-links.html
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165606
The problem we had is the OME comfort shocks we were running weren't long enough and they limited the travel. We decided we needed to get rid of them fast because we didn't want to over-extend them and break them. So today we threw on some Tokico Trekmaster Landcruiser shocks (which are ~2" longer than the OMEs) and now I have some ridiculously awesome flex. Jason and I have the rear upper control arms in the works as well, so stay tuned for those. For now, here's some pics from today after we installed the Tokicos (BTW, the tires are on the ground and still getting traction in all of these pics)...
11-01-2010, 09:19 AM
#49
Registered User
Thread Starter
12-07-2010, 08:46 PM
#50
Registered User
97 T4R Lift
Hey there i want to do a lift on my truck i saw these 2.5" spacer for the front, Will that affect my cv axles. Is that why you did a 1" diff drop on yours?
12-07-2010, 09:12 PM
#52
Registered User
Thread Starter
Any lift is going to affect your CVs. Chances are your stock CV boots will leak grease when you put the lift on. It happens more often than not. You can put regular hose clamps over the stock ones to try to tighten them, but they won't like the new angles. I let my stockies leak all the grease out, let the boots get shredded up, duct-taped them, and ran them like that for over a year. They never did break, but I replaced them for maintenance and the new ones have been fine with the angle. Yes, the diff drop will help a little bit on your CV angle. They are cheap so IMO it's worth getting one.
Please search for those kinds of common questions, my build thread isn't the place to ask tech questions. But you're pretty new so it's cool, haha.
Please search for those kinds of common questions, my build thread isn't the place to ask tech questions. But you're pretty new so it's cool, haha.
Last edited by brian2sun; 12-07-2010 at 09:13 PM.
12-08-2010, 08:29 PM
#55
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Thread Starter
Yeah, I've pulled out vehicles and other things with my front D-rings. I pushed a few trucks/Jeeps with the ARB too. It has its fair share of dents and scrapes, but it's sturdy.
01-26-2011, 10:21 AM
#56
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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I love reading about rigs like this - great build! I'm just wondering a couple of things - first, are you happy with your 4.88 gears, or do you think you could have gone to 5.29's and been happier? Also, how are your Maxxis Bighorns on the road? Lastly, in the "sticky - must read" 3rd gen suspension thread, Bamachem makes a huge deal about not using OME shocks with an ARB locker in the front, as that combination will supposedly eat CV's. Have you had any issues with that?
Thanks
Thanks
01-26-2011, 12:41 PM
#57
Registered User
Thread Starter
With all the extra weight I've added (bumpers, skids, sliders, tools, spare parts, gear, etc..), I would have gone 5.29s in hindsight, but the 4.88s are still pretty good. There isn't a big difference between the 2, maybe 100-150 rpms at highway speed.
The Bighorns are great off road tires, but I think they are the loudest tires I've ever had on road. They wear a little fast IMO too, but on the trail they are great and get awesome traction on the rocks.
I've had no issues with my OME struts and my front ARB locker. I have also read about how OMEs are supposed to overextend the CVs, but I've been running comfort shocks and wheeling hard on them for over a year with no problems. Sonoran Steel's site says that you shouldn't run OME struts at all in the front without limit straps or something, but I've hung plenty of tires and mine have been great.
The Bighorns are great off road tires, but I think they are the loudest tires I've ever had on road. They wear a little fast IMO too, but on the trail they are great and get awesome traction on the rocks.
I've had no issues with my OME struts and my front ARB locker. I have also read about how OMEs are supposed to overextend the CVs, but I've been running comfort shocks and wheeling hard on them for over a year with no problems. Sonoran Steel's site says that you shouldn't run OME struts at all in the front without limit straps or something, but I've hung plenty of tires and mine have been great.
02-01-2011, 07:18 PM
#58
Registered User
Thread Starter
The ice box holder is made! Big thanks to Jason (J-money$$$) for making it for me. It bolts to the same mounts as my gas can holder. I'll get some pics in a few days with it installed, but I still need to paint it first.
02-01-2011, 07:18 PM
#59
Registered User
Thread Starter
Little update...
My engine finally started missing really bad lately (kind of a long time in the making) and t ended up being burnt (or badly mis-adjusted) valves on #3 and #5. I also have a small HG leak into the combustion chamber (which I diagnsed by pulling the spark plugs overnight and seeing coolant in there in the morning). The cost of a valve job or a HG job on their own are almost as much as a full rebuild, so I just bit the bullet and went for it!
If all goes to plan, I will have her back by the end of the week with a newly rebuilt engine ready to go for at least another 205K!! I could have just done the valves and HGs, but I figured with my luck I would spin a rod bearing, or have ring issues, or something else in the not-so-distance future so it was a better choice to just start fresh with a clean slate.
I should be picking it back up Friday and then hopefully on Saturday I'll install my new and improved rear lower links that J-money$$$ and I have been working on for several months (we already finished my uppers and those are installed and working wonderfully). I also have some new OME 861 rear coils to install! OME makes them as small lift coils for an FJZ80 so they are basically like 9 wraps but will support more weight. It's going to be like a new truck!! Pics of the new links and lift to come soon...
On a side note, I was also planning on selling my DD (an '05 Honda CR-V) and maybe buying a little 4-banger, 4x4, manual, standard cab Taco for a new DD because it would be more useful to me than a CR-V. But knowing that the 4runner will be like a new truck again in a few days, I'm leaning towards just slapping my front sway bar back on and driving the 4runner as my DD again. So I think I'm takin it out of retirement for now baby! So from now on, you may call my 4runner "Favre". I'll get to keep about 1/2 of the $$ I get for my Honda after I pay off the loan so I may even splurge a little bit for "Favre" and get a couple little things... like a winch, exhaust, and maybe some rock lights.
My engine finally started missing really bad lately (kind of a long time in the making) and t ended up being burnt (or badly mis-adjusted) valves on #3 and #5. I also have a small HG leak into the combustion chamber (which I diagnsed by pulling the spark plugs overnight and seeing coolant in there in the morning). The cost of a valve job or a HG job on their own are almost as much as a full rebuild, so I just bit the bullet and went for it!
If all goes to plan, I will have her back by the end of the week with a newly rebuilt engine ready to go for at least another 205K!! I could have just done the valves and HGs, but I figured with my luck I would spin a rod bearing, or have ring issues, or something else in the not-so-distance future so it was a better choice to just start fresh with a clean slate.
I should be picking it back up Friday and then hopefully on Saturday I'll install my new and improved rear lower links that J-money$$$ and I have been working on for several months (we already finished my uppers and those are installed and working wonderfully). I also have some new OME 861 rear coils to install! OME makes them as small lift coils for an FJZ80 so they are basically like 9 wraps but will support more weight. It's going to be like a new truck!! Pics of the new links and lift to come soon...
On a side note, I was also planning on selling my DD (an '05 Honda CR-V) and maybe buying a little 4-banger, 4x4, manual, standard cab Taco for a new DD because it would be more useful to me than a CR-V. But knowing that the 4runner will be like a new truck again in a few days, I'm leaning towards just slapping my front sway bar back on and driving the 4runner as my DD again. So I think I'm takin it out of retirement for now baby! So from now on, you may call my 4runner "Favre". I'll get to keep about 1/2 of the $$ I get for my Honda after I pay off the loan so I may even splurge a little bit for "Favre" and get a couple little things... like a winch, exhaust, and maybe some rock lights.
