Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum, but not new to internet message boards. As you may have guessed, I am a saaber (flame suit on), but I have recently gotten into this 4 wheeling thing. My Saab is a 91 SPG with lots of turbo-go-fast stuff, and this has recently led to the need for a beater. I picked up an '85 22R powered 4x4 P/U with 104K for a cool $200

So far I have installed some Goodyear Wrangler AT/S 265/75/16s (given to me by a friend who put some serious rubber under his lifted Ram) on 16x7 black Rock Crawlers. I also removed the mudflaps, airdam, and bumper extensions to make some room.

It does ok on the local trails but I have a couple gripes:

1) The ride is utter crap. I hit my head frequently while wearing my seat belt, even over small bumps.

2) I need a locking differential. This peeling out stuff sucks.

So I have around $600 to spend. Do I lift it to gain more clearance, travel, and smooth out the ride a little? Or do I buy a locker and have an easier time on the steep, dusty rock sections? I assume rear locker takes precedence over front?

I intend to install either myself- I swapped a head and countless turbos on my Saab, I know a bit about working on cars. What is needed beyond basic tools (I only have a floor jack too) to install either lift or diff?

Thanks all,
Andy

 

Welcome Andy,

You got a good year of truck 85' was the last year with the solid axel; however, every 85 I have ridden in is rough. If it just a beater I wouldn't worry too much about the ride quality. Personally I would get a locker, it will help you out more than any lift. Just my $.02

 

Thanks for the help. Any locker recommendations? Any local shops to deal with/not deal with?

My truck is red and rusty. Give a honk if you see me around.

Andy

 

It all depends on what application you are looking for. Most people prefer to have a mechanical or air locker so it can be turned off and on, but they are more expensive. Do a search of old posts, there have been many posts about lockers, it should help. As far as shops go I don't know from experience who does the best work, the only one that I know not to take it to is 4wheelparts wholesalers.

 

$600.00 will get you a "lunch box" locker and pay for the install no problem. They don't replace the carrier, just the internal parts and are very reliable, even hard core use.

There are several brands available- I think the best one is from TracTech, the E-Z Locker http://www.tractech.com/Products.htm

this is a typical price from drivetrain direct:
DETROIT E-Z LOCKER TOYOTA 8 IN 4 CYL 30 SPL, $239.95

If you install it yourself (directions @ http://www.offroaders.com/info/tech-.../ez-locker.htm ) you'll have enough $$ left over for some other modifications too.

later

 

Thanks guys. Great links. Hope to have the new diff in soon.

Andy

 

You might want to take a cruise down Hwy 93 to Golden this Saturday (June 12). Rising Sun is holding their annual swap-meet at Slee Off-Road. Check out this thread at Colorado4x4.org for more info. No promises but you might be able to get a locker at a good price and help someone clear some clutter from his garage at the same time

 

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'll make it if my job does not have me enslaved.

I spoke with John's 4x4 about diff install, and I don't think I want to tackle the project myself. I can't afford to risk having a lot of downtime with this vehicle, and I would need to purchase some additional equipment to carry out the install.

How much ought a shop charge for this? Their quote was bigger than I expected, but they went into depth with me about the process and the big number *seems* justifiable.

Thanks.

 

Just to do the rear if you carry in the third member should run $100 - $150. Dropping the third out is easy. Then I'd look into some replacement springs - all four. Nothing big, just a 2 inch would do wonders for the ride and make it way more fun offroad too. That and good off road shocks. Spring lifts are relatively inexpensive. I ran a Skyjacker soft ride 4" (seems like it was 3 1/2" actually) in my 85 with 33s (and 4:88s) and really loved it, it was my daily driver as well and the ride was very good, and the springs flexed nicely on the trail. Very basic setup yet it outperformed most anything around. (And never broke!)

 

i'm not gonna dis on johns 4x4, as theyre great people and very helpful, but i will say that you may want to take a look at some of the more toy-focused shops in west denver. if downtime is a problem, you can do a core exchange with a lot of shops, you put down a deposit for the core when you buy the new parts, and you get the core deposit back when you return your old core. that way, you install at your leisure and the downtime depends on you (and the cure rate of the gasket you use). all you gotta do is swap the 3rd members (pull axles, release driveshaft, remove bolts, swap, reassemble). great, if you have the facilities or a friend with same.

if this is somewhat a dedicated trail rig, a spool is even cheaper than a locker, and for 600 bucks you might be able to get a spool for the rear and a auto for the front, and install when you have the time/money. weld on some sliders and skid plates and you wont need the lift for a while.

-sean

 

You might want to run less air in your tires. Not sure what you are running now, but it's worth checking. If they're overinflated, the ride can be brutal.

Jim

 

Stock springs are pretty stiff, especially when old and the leaves are rusted together and the shackle bolts have rusted to the spring bushings. Often you can make a decent ride improvment by tearing apart all 4 spring packs, clean the indivudual leaves (wire brush or belt sander), give them a shot of paint (I like the graphite paint), put in some new poly bushings, clean and grase the shackle bolts and put it back together. When the spring leaves can move they will work a lot better. Also, check the bumpstop clearance. If the springs have sagged to the point you only have an inch or so of up-travel before bottoming out, that can lead to a rough ride:

 

Roger (4Crawler) and Sean (DevinSixtySeven)'s advice is the best yet, I would do exactly what they both recommend and you will get the most bang for your buck without any major hassles.

Good Luck!