AxleIke

After MANY, MANY, MANY threads posted about early IFS trucks and lifts for said vehicles, I will put forth my experienced opinion, on having tried EVERYTHING but this lift, and an expensive bracket lift.

First, for looks, level the rear. You can do this by add a leafs, new springs (recomended), or shackles. Blocks are right out.

If you have a 90-95 4runner, you have coil springs, so either new springs or spacers are in order.

Add ball joint spacers, but RELAX the T-bars so your lower a-arms and steering geometry are stock. To re-emphasize, LOWER A-ARM and STEERING GEOMETRY SHOULD REMAIN STOCK.

Purchase a 2 inch body lift. I recommend 4-Crawler, as he is a vendor here, and it is always good to support our vendors.

Purchase a 2inch drive train lift. Again, 4 crawler is where its at.

Purchase a high clearance, 2inch drivetrain lift, transfer case crossmember and skid. I recommend Budbuilt, though use ANTISIEZE on all bolts.

Put on 33 inch tires.

This combination will give you added flex, clearance, and capability. It will not cost you and arm and a leg. It will keep your front end together the longest.

Personally, I have tried every which way to do my suspension without spending a fortune on a bracket lift, or swap, and without doing a body lift, since body damage prevents me from doing so. From everything I've tried and seen, the combination above will provide you with the most economical, capable, IFS lift.

Kaleb

THANK YOU. This is needed. I just hope people will see this before they start a tread.

traben27

You my friend are a genius. This should cut down threads in the 86-95 tech section down about 75%

Tim_Snapple76

w000t!!!! WOOTT@!@!! STICKY STICKY STICKY!!!!!

yotasavg

i agree with everything you said ike.

on a side note, why can't you do a body lift?

tc

His body mounts are all FUBAR from an accident by the previous owner.

BTW - if I didn't have all the armor on already, I would be ALL OVER a drivetrain lift.

Napoleon047

if you plan on a SAS later, i would stick with a 1" BL and 1" tummy tuck. the 2" is too much after a SAS.

with a 1" BL, BJ spacers and some firewall pounding, 33's fit just fine

jaylor

Good site first of all.

I have bone a stock 1995 4 Runner with some mileage but everything appears in good working order. Sold a YJ for the 4 Runner, I missed the creature comforts of my 91 4 Runner I should of never sold.

When you say "Add ball joint spacers, but RELAX the T-bars so your lower a-arms and steering geometry are stock", do you mean back the torsion bars out to relieve some tension? And where do I get ball joint spacers? Also, what shocks do you recomend since there will be added travel when flexed?

Thanks!

CJM

He means when you add the balljoint spacers if you had lifted the t-bars to crank them back down or to crank them lower than stock so its softer and a bit more flexy. Personally if you put the spacers in and raise the torsion bars an inch it wont kill it, anything over that it may ruin your CV's. Me, I would add the diff drop just incase too after some testing.

Balljoint spacers are spacers that are machine dout of aluminum to fit in between your balljoint and a-arm. They can be bought from sdori or 4crawler (both members here)

You need shocks for a 3-4" lift after installing them, bilstein, rancho, etc make them for the trucks and runners.

AxleIke

Bingo

Yes. Adjust the torsion bars so that the truck lowers back to stock height. This gives you added flex, and better angles on the upper a-arms, which in turn gives you a "softer" feeling ride.

2 places to get ball joint spacers

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...ntSpacer.shtml

http://www.sdori.com/SDORI_Products.html

As for shocks, I recommend either Bilstein or Old Man Emu. Both provide superior performance, IMO. However, any shock with enough travel for the BJ spacers will work. Both Bilstein and OME will likely run you 70-90 bucks per shock.

AxleIke

As long as you don't replace your upper bump stops, CV's will not be an issue with this set up. CV's are only an issue if you leave the Torsion bars at stock or crank them, because then you run them at highway speeds at a larger angle than stock.

By lowering the torsion bars, you also keep your stock CV angles while under normal driving conditions, which will prolong the life of CV joints, if you have drive flanges and not manual hubs.

With stock upper bumpstops, you will not exceed your CV angles off road either.

You need only a 2 inch lift shock, but, 3-4" should work as well.

CJM

Problem is it defeats the purpose of the lift, it gains you flex but not much lift. If one were to use bj spacers and add a 1" t-bar crank combined with a diff drop and a drivetrain lift (may or may not be needed) it will work. But if you just add the spacers and relax the bars less than stock you gain minor flex thats all.

AxleIke

No, it doesn't defeat the purpose of a lift. The larger tires get you more clearance under the truck and the diffs, the BL and DL get you more clearance under your guts.

The reason for leaving the suspension geometry up front stock is to preserve the steering.

If you add BJ spacer, then Crank the tbars, you will have radical CV and Steering angles. Perhaps the Diff drop will alleviate the cv problem, but not the steering.

I have tried that set up, tbars cranked, tbars at stock, and tbars relaxed, all with Ball joint spacers. I have manual hubs, so CV's were never a problem.

With anything but the relaxed scenario, I killed Idler arm after center link after tie rod after idler after idler after idler. I have watched MANY other trucks with the same front set up, and even ones with bracket lifts, have the same issues.

Stock height though, and the problems have all but disappeared. It is still possible to bend stuff, but both myself and TC run 2 lockers, and a ton of gearing, and our stock geometry keeps the truck in one piece on difficult trails. I run the spacers, he does not.

TC4RNR

i'd add Aisin Hubs first no matter what.

CJM

I see Ike, shouldhave explained I am still in the planning stages. However I can recall 4Crawler said his 1" diff drop all but alleviated the prblems with CV's.

As I see it even if I do Bj's up front I only get minimal lift unless I run larger tires, this means I really only wind up with 2" or less of lift. I think if you do the BJ's, crank the bars no more than 1" and possibly do the diff drop your fine. I aint discrediting you, but when I finally get another truck I am gonna give it a god with my idea, most I would crank is 1", no more. More than likely 1/2"-3/4" at best and 3do 33x12.5's with a body lift 2 or less. Should gain you about 2-2.5" of suspension lift, 1-2" body lift (depends on your lift) and the 33" tires. Whats that about 5" or so?

I know there 88 1stgen 4runner runs a similar setup up front and he has had no issues. It could depend on the trails you run and the terrain I guess. I am ultra conservative in my offroad driving b/c I have a T100 and its huge and very hard to handle in tight trails, I almost crawl along vs guys who are moving at least 5-10mph on trail.

AxleIke

CJM, I know you aren't discrediting me, and I welcome your debate.

No idea should be universally accepted, especially here, and I think that Newbs reading this post will be grateful that other options are discussed.

You are correct, the failure of parts will be mostly determined by the terrain you drive on. For the scenario you've described, I think you'll probably be okay.

Again, the issue i see you having will be steering, but, the good news is, if you kill steering stuff, you can replace it, and lower back down, without having to replace or change any of your lift components. You have an adjustable lift kit, which is sweet.

Good luck!

yotasavg

That's why my mods are on standby, i've decided to go with the tc caddy 2 kit.

this is a great thread btw.

jaylor

Excellent info. I understand now on the IFS. I've already ordered the 2" lift from 4crawler but other than the radiator drop & auto tranny linkage bracket I dont recall him mentioning the need to change driviline angles back to normal and drop the t-case. Is this recommended but not vital?

AxleIke

Well, if you follow my lift, you won't need auto tranny linkage, or radiator drop brackets.

I'm advocating a 2inch driveline lift to accompany your 2 inch body lift.

Thus, you will gain 2inches of ground clearance under your tranny and transfercase. your shifter will be in stock location inside the truck, and your engine will be raised to match your radiatior.

You should not need any driveline modificaitions.

Turbo4Runner

What length shackles do you recommend with the rest of the lift? Do you need 3" to lift and counter the saggy butt?

How do the shackles compare to add a leaf? Seems like shackles would allow for more flex?

Awesome thread btw.. This really gets me pointed in the right direction.

Thanks!