turboale

I think we should have at least two or three more meets this summer. I think we should atleast have an east and west meet (the beach and the mtns like tellico or something for those that can't make the SE4RJ). I think Mike was offering a beach trip and have everyone stay at his place before he has to take off for the mtns. So I think that would be ideal, you can't beat free shelter! Guys, how far is it from where we left you on 95? I think that way is about the same as far as time, I will definately be going that way next time so maybe we could setup a meet at that station like we said for the next uwharrie trip. If matt and jon have a welder I say we have a wrench-a-thon and do some fab stuff. I know I want some sliders! Anywho... ive got to go out to dinner with the gf.

Later,

Stump1883

That sounds great, Lord knows I need a wrench a thon of mine. Maybe I cold have a compressor by that time and everyone could lend a hand on all the wiring and air lines. I hate wiring things up, I've never been to great at it. I think 3 more tirps, I beach one(wrench a thon), then another Uwharrie, and a late summer maybe early fall run in Tellico, make our own fall colors trip like we wanted to but never did last year. I really want to hit Tellico, I may ore may not be going to the SE4RJ, any way I get there, it will probolly just be to ride along.

Hyperlite

I can't wait for the next trip
Matt needs shocks and I need a new t case but It might last.
Damn I need a job for that gas $ maybe a tow bar so may can tow me across the state

turboale

hell, if i'm comming up from savannah we can rent a trailer and I'll tow your azz to tellico! You'll make it! If you do make it to the se4rj you better take a ton o pics. Man, I need a job too. I hate not having income! I still have a month of classes left so its time to start looking anyway. Thinking about trying to get a job with nextel. We shal see how it goes.

Stump1883

Austin take a look at my new thread, I've started a list. You'll see why I might need a tow even by late summer. I'm all done w/ classes all I got left is one more week of exams, wish me luck. Good luck with the job hunting, get one that pays, $$$$ we all seem to need that right about now.

turboale

yeah, if it wasn't for this forum I would have been happy with a half way stock truck. buuuut no... I have to find the best online off-road toyota forum. Though, it was a lot different when I signed on. Back when there were about 15 day to day posters. and some days there weren't updates in the trucks/4runners/suvs forum. Well, I'm off to class. I'll do some planning this week some time. I really want to add a forum to our site. I think that would be a lot better, then people would look at the other stuff more. And MAYBE someone would do a SAS write-up for me since two members have now done the swap and we still don't have a write-up :wtf: (Coop, you are an exception)

NCSU-4runner

here's your writeup lazy, all you would need different from my truck is a drivers side diff D44 or D60, and a steering box like mine, everything else will work exactly the same. taken from all-pro's site. i dunno what the front of your frame looks like but id bet the front spring hander would work just fine. I've not researched a 3rd gen SAS myself (for obvious reasons) but i cant imagine its much different. everything in this that is toyota axle specific is more than readily availible in the dana variety

Introduction
Å The All Pro Solid Axle kit is a top quality solid axle swap for your 1986 - 1995 IFS truck. The best parts and materials have been fabricated and combined in this kit to provide the highest quality swap possible. You need only supply a front axle and drive shaft.Å

Å Doing a solid axle swap is only a little more difficulty then installing an IFS suspension lift. Some cutting, grinding and welding are required. Once the IFS has been removed it's fairly easy to to install the kit. Figure about 1/2 of the install time will be setting up the front axle and removing the IFS suspension and related brackets. Once the IFS has been removed it only takes about a day's worth of work to install the solid axle.





Axle Setup
Å The most desirable axle to use for this swap is the 1984 or 1985 axle. These two years use a fully welded truss on the bottom of the housing. If you purchase a housing from a junk yard you should consider replacing the seals, gaskets, and knuckle bearings before installing the axle in your truck. We have a knuckle bearing rebuild kit that contains all the parts needed to service the front axle.

Å Remove the steering arms on top of the knuckles and replace with the Hy-Steer™ crossover steering arms. It may be necessary to reshim the knuckles to factory spec. The steering arm with one ball joint hole goes on the driver side and the arm with two holes goes on the passenger side of the axle. The tie rod and drag link will be connected to these holes later.

Å Front axles sold in the US come with an open 4cyl differential housing with 4.10 gears. Assuming your planning to use larger tires with a stock or similar engine you will want to change the gears in the differentials and possibly add a locking differential for more traction. Other differential upgrades include V6 and FJ-80 housings for added strength and reliability.

Å The front axle comes with a bracket for the factory torque rod. This rod restricts front axle movement and is needed when using stock type steering. Our kit comes withÅ Hy-Steer™ crossover steering, this system moves the tie rod above the leaf springs and out of harms way. It also reduces bumpsteer and totally eliminates the need for the torque rod. Before installing your axle we recommend removing the torque rod and steering stabilizer brackets and they are no longer needed. Another option for the housing is using one of our high clearance housings. These housings increase ground clearance under the differential by more than 1" and include heavy duty plating under and in front of the housing to protect the ring gear from rock damage.

Å The 1979 - 1985 axles used a non vented solid brake rotor and small caliper. IFS calipers and rotors are far better but the IFS rotors won't fit on the solid axle. Our kit includes a set of special vented rotors that will fit on the solid axle spindles and allow for the continued use of your IFS calipers on the solid front axle. When setting up the front axle simply install the rotors included in the kit.

Å Another difference between the IFS and solid axle is the the width. In 1986 Toyota widened the front suspension and rear axle. The rear IFS style 1986 - 1995 axle is about 2" wider than the front 1985 and older solid axle. Our kit includes 3/4" spacers for the hubs. It will also be necessary to replace the wheel studs with the provided bolts. To install the bolts tap out the original bolts with a hammer and install the the new bolts. Tap into place with a hammer & brass punch or use a press. Slide the spacers onto the hubs before installing the front wheels.

Å In order to use the same leaf spring for the left and right sides it is necessary to install a small pad on the left side spring perch. This pad needs to be welded into place on the top of the driver side spring pad with the rounded side facing up.Å

IFS Removal

Å The first step is to remove the IFS suspension. This includes the front differential, axles, A-arms, idler arm, tie rod, drive shaft, sway bar and torsion bars. Next the IFS A-arm brackets need to be torched off and the frame ground smooth with a grinder. Try not to nick or cut into the frame rails. Any nicks need to filled in with a welder before the shock mounts are installed. Pictured to the right is a frame with the IFS mounts removed and ground down flat, ready for the solid axle installation.

Å

Å






Mounting Spring Hangers
(Note it is also possible to install the front hanger and shackle mounts before removing the IFS suspension)

All Pro has created a spring hanger assembly that allows for easy mounting of the spring hangers. The All Pro front spring hanger mount can be installed in one of two ways. The first way is with the spring mounts forward, this position is for use with All Pro 1" longer springs. Flip the hanger 180 degrees (with the ears in) for mounting stock length springs. Once you decide which way you are going to mount the front hanger use the provided tabs and bolt the front hanger onto the frame. Center the hanger left to right using a tape measure. Now you can tack weld the mount in place. Don't finish weld the hanger in place until after the front spring are on to ensure it is properly placed.

Installing the Shackle Mounts
Å The rear shackle hanger is a tube that is welded into the frame. In order to properly place the tubes in the proper place special jigs are provided in the kit. Install the right jig on the passenger side and the left jig on the drivers side of the truck. The jig should be placed onto the frame and slid forward until it is stopped by the body mount. The center of the hole in the jig should be aprox 45" from the front of the frame. Tack weld the jigs in place and then drill a 1 3/4" hole through the frame with a hole saw or torch. Insert the tubes into the frame. The tubes should be placed so that the are offset to the outside of the frame by 1/4". Tack weld the tubes in place for now.Å

NCSU-4runner

Hang the Springs

Å All Pro longer springs are 1.5'Å longer than stock and have the front pin moved forward 1/2" during manufacture. This combines to relocate the front axle forward 1.5" from a stock 1985 truck providing better fender to firewall clearance.

Å Using the supplied bushings, shackles and bolts mount the leaf springs. Once satisfactory shackle angle has been verified finish welding the front spring hanger and tubes into place. The shackle jigs can be removed or welded into place with the tubes.

Install Front Axle Using Hy-Steer™ and Flip kit
Å Using the front front U bolt flip kit install front axle under the springs. One of the front U bolts is longer than the other three, this one is used on the left side of the right leaf spring. The U-bolt plate is installed on top of the leaf spring. Tighten the U-bolts to 80. Retorque the U-bolts after 100 miles and periodically check the torque of these bolts. Cut off the excess U-bolt threads just above the nuts. Install the tie rod in the only hole in the left steering arm and in the rear hole in the right arm. Turn the steering wheel from lock to lock and find the center of it's movement (the steering wheel spokes may not be straight). Install the pitman arm onto the steering box. Install the drag link from the pitman arm to the right side steering arm (front hole). Torque the pitman arm to 130 lbs. Torque tie rod and drag link castle nuts to 67 lbs and install all four cotter pins.

Hoops and Shocks and Bumpstops
Å Position shock hoops onto frame so that the top of the shock mount is positioned with about 1/8" - 1/4" gap between the top of the fender well and the shock hoop. Tack weld the hoops into place and test fit the shocks (tube side up). About 6" of the shaft should be out of the shock tube. Reposition the hoops on the frame if necessary. Brace the hoops using 2 weld on brace tubes per side. At this time you may want to install some plate steel to cover the engine mounts. Finish welding the hoops into place. Do not weld with shocks installed on truck. You must remove the shocks before welding. Welding spatter on the chrome shaft will destroy the shock seals prematurely. Weld the bump stops to the bottom of the frame so that they will touch in between the U-bolts on the flip plate.ÅBumpstops should be setup so that there is a gap of 2" - 3" between the bumpstop and pad of front springs. On the rear spring the gap should be 4" to 5".Å

Steering Stabilizer
Å The steering stabilizer is mounted to the truck frame on one side and onto the drag link on the other. Weld the tab found in the stabilizer box to the passenger side frame rail. Center the wheels of the truck so they point straight ahead. Pull the steering stabilizer out exactly 1/2 way. Attach the stabilizer using the supplied rubber bushings, bracket and U bolts.Å

Front End Alignment
Å Alignment of the solid front axle is very easy. With the adjuster nuts loose simply turn the tie rod to change the tow setting. The tow should be set so that it's 1/16" to 1/8" tow in. The drag link can also be adjusted in the same way. It's recommended thatÅ 75% or more of the tie rod end threads be inside the tubing.Å Once the rods are set the nuts can be locked down. The two nuts on the passenger side can come very close to each other. It may be necessary to adjust the nuts so the flat sides come face to face. It may also be necessary to grind a little off one or both nuts to eliminate the nuts from rubbing each other when the steering is turned full left.

Front Drive Shaft
Å The front IFS drive shaft can not be used as the CV joint does not allow for enough movement and it is not long enough. It will be necessary to have a custom drive shaft made to order for your truck. To ensure the drive shaft is the proper length we recommend taking a measurement for the front drive shaft after the swap has been completed and the truck driven a few miles to settle the springs (10 or more miles). Measure the front drive shaft length from the centerline of the t/case flange to the centerline of the front differential flange. A 1979 - 1985 drive shaft can be used but it will need to be lengthened. Due to the exceptional travel of the front suspension after installing our solid axle swap we recommend using a drive shaft that has been retubed with a long travel slip yoke with 8" or more of slip travel.

Å After the first 100 miles retorque all bolts including wheel lugs, upper and lower knuckle bolts, U-bolts, shocks, pitman arm, shackles, and drive shaft bolts. It's also a good idea to retorque knuckle bolts and U-bolts each time you change the engine oil. The steering wheel can be removed and reinstalled to align the wheel spokes.

NCSU-4runner

im pretty sure they make D44s in regular width similiar to your rear end (ie not a FULLWIDTH axle). anything else youd like to know ?

turboale

It doesn't have to be for my truck. I was just wanting what you did to yours. I also wanted it to be yours, so I won't be copying someone else's work. ie I don't want to get taken to court. Anybody could take the alpro one. I was just wanting what you guys did

ssbogger

OK. Since I am the local SAS expert here I will provide yall with the 12 step process:

Step 1: Buy a 12 pack

Step 2: Drink 6

Step 3: Get a sawzall and a cutting torch

Step 4: Start cutting out the stock IFS, and drink a beer.

Step 5: Stand back and admire the carnage whilst pounding another 3.

Step 6: Realize that you should have used a lift rather than 2 stock bottle jacks.

Step 7: Cut out the remaining parts.

Step 8: Drink a beer.

Step 9: Drink another and put in your axle and suspension.

Step 10: Tighten lugnuts and drink a beer.

Step 11: Pass out and spill a beer all over your lap.

Step 12: Wake up and replace the 2 beers you stole from someone else.

NCSU-4runner

you can use thier "writeup" anywhere you want as long as you say where you got it, especially since we arent using it in a commercial environment. It's not like its a super secret process they have a patent on, just a general outline.

Hyperlite

Uh...........do you not understand that Austin wants a write up in a members own words. I'm sure Austin is not worried about an All Pro law suit, he simple wants to know how we did it.
BTW I think this thread was about NC meets

ssbogger

Im up for a meets as long as they are on wkends. I really like the idea of a wrench-a-thon including welders.

turboale

I need to give my god-father a call. He used to be a ˟˟˟˟aki (spell??) mushroom farmer and now has tons of garage space. Plus, the last Italked to him he was working on making a steel boat (out of a kit) so he has TONS of welding know how by now, and tons of space. Plus, hes pretty centrally located. He is right out side of raleigh near the airport. He actually has a plazma cutter setup on a computer so we can make custom pieces also. He also has a bender too come to think of it. What do yall think? Maybe try and have a wrench-a-thon there?

NCSU-4runner

jason and i are about to be renting a 3k sq ft house with 3 garages and 2k of workshop and storage space, that along with the mushroom farmer makes raleigh my vote

ssbogger

Yeh me too. Its not that far away.

turboale

Raleigh it is then! Now we need to set dates. I'll give my god-father a call sometime this week. Its probably not going to be within a month. well... maybe a month... I have 3 more weeks of classes, then I'll be home for a week, then that could work... How about a month from now?

Stump1883

Sweet I could really use that, I have all these hangers to weld on and steering boxes to weld on. Either way I can use the garage time with good tools and freinds to help. This will be so awsome if things go through. Lets really get this orgnaized and planned well so that we can get some major things rolling out of the garage when we're done.

turboale

Hey jer,
How far is your house from the airport?