well I cristened it today, It did great. I have learn to drive all over again, the truck settled at least an inch today, and there is less body roll on the street!





Heres the link to the trail report

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f100/badlands-3-26-a-82012/

 

hey just thought id update a bit, the springs have settled very nicely, the truck seems to be gaining flex, and it rides like a caddy. I did however have to make some 7 1/2" shackles for the rear to get it to set level again. The 36's are too much for the stock steering to handle so I have ordered some parts to make a hydro assist. I have the parts now I just have to find some time to build it. pics...

 

Looks really good with the exo.......cant wait to get mine out.

 

That is awesome. I wish I had the time,money,and know how to do something like this!

 

I can tell you where to get some great tubing clamps for the ram. Email me.

 

Alright now wabbit. What if the rest of us wanted to know?

 

You can email me then too. It's a secret.

 

I planned to build and weld a braket to the tie rod. The only down side i can see is if I get an alignment the braket may not be in the best place. Actually now that I think about it it would be nice to be able to move the position of the ram if I need to so Ill email you

 

4RNR - This thing is gorgeous, I love it. I love the look of that Exo too. Glad to see you using it well!! Love it! Your gonna SAS mine next, right? ...Course you'd have to make it 4WD first... lol. Maybe on my NEXT truck.

 

4rnr:

The shocks are mounted in a /\ configuration because it helps keepthe axle from moving forwards and backwards under the vehicle.

 

that doesnt make sense from a geometric/physics stand point, plus a shock doesnt stop ANYTHING from moving it just slows it down. but maybe I misunderstood you??

 

Hey little update, Ive wheeled the piss out of this thing over the summer, maybe 10+ trips (some multi-days), driven it 5-10k miles, and BEAT on it!

Its done great the suspension continues to soften up. It rides WAY better than my stock 88 4runner. When I do run the bfg at's the truck is like a caddy on the highway. I did go to a hydro-assist (amazing). My rear shock design is due for updating, I will be mounting the shock bolts perpendicular to the axle rather than parallel. the main reason isnt bushing binding but rather the tube itself hits the boxed bracket in compression.

The truck is very stable and it RARELY even picks up a wheel. I switched out my chinese springs for the american made marlin springs, and I love them. they flex as much as ive seen from a leaf (not counting 1/4 and 3/4 elipticals, and double shackles etc...)

The exo is a MUST, I cant stress enough what it alows me to do. Its not just protection, I actually use it as a tool. By placing the cage on a canyan wall or tree, I can pivot, slide, and stabilize the vehicle. plus Id have NO glass if it wasnt there.

Thats all I can think of as of now. It has been a great summer with this truck and there is a ton more to update on but this is all for now.

 

What stroke are the front shocks?

Looks like a nice truck, well executed.

Got Longfields?

 

yes long fields

12" stroke

 

Those are even more impressive flex pics then. The looks balanced and it sure has long legs.

Had to take the Longfield shot, browsed over the bits about Profields and saw the busted pic.

Seriously, good looking rig. I am partial to red 2nd Gens though.

 

Very nice!!!. An Exo is a must if you wanna wheel a Runner hard.

 

Love the runner!!! I wish mine looked like that...well it kinda does

 

this runner has really come along nicely. This has to be one of my favorite runners out there. Great Job!

 

That thing looks sweet, thats one of my goals if i have the time and money sas and 5.29's

 

Update:

Well its been another great year of wheeling and the truck has changed a little. It has settled a lot! With the new 37" Pitbull Rockers at street pressure the frame sits at 24". At trail pressure its more like 23". This, combined with lowering the truck by reverting back to the 6" Marlin shackles and removing my 7.5" shackles has really made this thing stable.

The 37x13.5x15 Pitbull Rockers are truly amazing tires! They grip hard on the rocks, and the trail! They are also nicer on the street than my old 36" tsl sx's.

I installed DIY beadlocks from ruffstuff specialties. Tires like the pitbull and tsl sx are designed to work below the 10 PSI range and once I aired these down to about 6-8lbs I instantly had twice the traction and control!

My old 5/16" cable needed replacing so I picked up 100ft of amsteel blue 3/8" synthetic, against the advice of most of the local wheelers.

I did end up re-mounting my shocks to be perpendicular to the axle and to be able to accommodate a lower ride height.

Heres how it sits today?





Heres a link to a bunch of good shots from this past weekend at the badlands

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=172178