3rd Gen SAS Help
 

Hey, I have a 2002 4Runner SR5 V6 4WD. Right now it has a 2.5" OME lift, with 33" BFG MT's. I have been wanting to do a solid axle swap for some time now and have just moved to an area where the yota wont have to be driven everyday. So here begins the building part. Ive seen alot of SASed 4Runners on the internet but ive never seen a coil over set up done, every one uses leaf springs, i understand that leafs are alot easier, but for some unknown reason I want to do a coil over on it. So Im wondering if anyone here has ideas to assist me in building this, would I still use a wagoneer axle? How do you set it up to use coils instead of leafs. Thanks for everyones help.

Kyle

And does anyone know of anyone that has done this to a 4Runner, ive seen it on a tacoma but couldnt find plans. Thanks again

Kyle

save yourself time, trouble and most importantly money. Sell yours and buy this one.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28738

thats a nice truck and all, but its already built, half the fun is building it and knowing that no one else can have your truck.

SteveO is doing coils on his 99 Limited SAS. You can see some picks here.

See this link also. http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum...ad.php?t=14043

Clearly I agree with sdastg1 100%. BUT...

Assuming you are not a troll, your post makes me wonder if you really know enough to take a project like this on. Suspension geometry is tricky business and fabbing something that is roadworthy that you have to trust your life to is not something you want to take lightly. You can't just buy a welder and do a SAS.

Now off my soap box...
Would you still use a waggy axle? If you want to.
How do you set it up to use coils? This is a pretty broad question, but I would start with some links and some coilovers, then figure out what configuration you want to run and then figure out your geometry...

how are you going to deal w/ all the electronics on the 02 like the traction control???

you'd be better off selling the 02 and getting a 00 or older w/o the TRAC crap to SAS.

oh hell! I completely forgot about that. Very good point. Yet another reason to sell and buy mine...

I told this guy that over a week ago.

why a SAS??? are you breaking axles or blowing cvs? I ask b/c the work involved is not easy, cheap or quick.

yeah, somebody hasn't done their homework or used the search button.

1. he won't be able to get the CEL or TRAC crap to to clear and will have issues w/ it until the runner dies.

2. it will cost a ton of money, time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears and then he'll still be frustrated w/ it in the long run because of the electronics. at that point, it will be too late cause he'll have a $20k 4runner with about $15k invested in an "incomplete" SAS and non-compliant electronics that will be "worth" $10k at best.

3. in the long run, it would be much more wise to sell the 02 and get a second gen to do a swap on. if he must have a 3rd gen, then get an old 96 or 97 and convert it so all the money isn't tied up in a vehicle that will have a book value of exatly "squat" when he get's bored with it and tries to sell it...

:great:

Bunch of haters ... it's so funny when everyone tells him not to do it, and then 6 months to a year down the road you read a thread "So I started my SAS today".

It would make sense to pick up the older truck with the work done. But he expressed an interest in learning and going through the process himself. Let him learn and do it, it's his dime. And I agree with you, once he does some research and realizes whats involved either he'll heed (sp?) the advice, or hell figure out a way to make it happen. Either way it's a fun process to go through ...

A 99 or 00 would be fine too. The real problem is that so much depends on the front ABS sensors.

Now an FJ or FZJ-80 front axle HAS ABS sensors. With a front MC09 and 2 gear driven cases, with an MC07 and a passenger side drop to the ABS equiped 80 axle, it MIGHT be possible. As long as the sensors send the same code or have compatable rings.

yeah, that's me.

i'm just a hater.

well, the problem isn't SAS-ing the 3rd gen. the problem is all the electronic crap on the 02 that's NOT on the 96-00. that's where the problem lies as you can attest to since you wanted to SAS your 02. what did you ever find out about the TRAC system and how it can be defeated...

if you can get by the electronic crap and make it happen, then more power to you. however, i ask why go thru all that on a 02 that's worth $20k and then spend another $8k-$15k depending on the goodies and axle used when you could just sell it, buy an older 3rd gen for about $7-$9k and then spend the money on it and you KNOW it will work. you can always spend the extra $500 to swap out the headlights and tail lights and the center console so it would feel and look just like the 02 if it were that big of a deal to him.

you could also pick up a 94 or 95 FZJ w/ lockers and then spend about $4k on it and have a badass solid axle rig w/ front and rear bumpers, dual lockers, etc...

i just don't see the logic in dropping that amount of cash on a very valuable rig, only to dramatically DECREASE it's value and potentially have headache after headache.

however, if that's what he wants to tackle, then more power to him. however, if he's asking newbie questions about how to do it, then he hasn't done his homework so dealing w/ the electronic gremlins may be more than he wants to bite off...

I agree with everything you just said, and when I wanted to SAS my 02, I was alot further along then he was, and I did quickly realize that even if you do get everything to work, the 3rd gen is not the best platform to be using as a trail rig. So even after spending all the money, your still going to encounter issues.

As far as the electronic stuff, I talked it over with Brian at Whaley enterprises and without looking at anything, or doing any kind of research .. his general opinion was that it was going to be a very long trial and error process, to remove all of it. That it would be too difficult to try and make it work with the SAS. And I didnt want to get stuck in a long drawn out build up. So I dropped it.

But at the end of the day it's his truck, his money .. let him do what he wants.

Wow! SteveO is doing a coilover swap? Nice!!

There is a BIG problem with that, the 80 is one BIG mother. Big and heavy.

there has GOT to be a way to make a SAS work work properly with an 02. even if it means doing something like the "andymod" and disabling vsc/trac. i wonder what they did with the 05 tacoma SAS, i'm assuming that has a bunch of electronics issues as well :dunno: oh well, if i ever do one it'll be a looong while from now, so by then someone will have figured it out. :great:

Ok I looked it up, the FZJ-80 has front ABS sensors. The FJ-80 does not.

So a front axle from a 93-97 FZJ-80 will have ABS sensors. It will also have the 8" diff and not the big huge 9" of the 40, 60, 62 and 80 rear.

Removing all the electronics it pointless, just make sure you keep the ABS sender and your set.

The only thing to figure out is of the 4Runner sender will fit in the 80's axle, fro what I found if it was anything but an FJ it would, but the FJ line always seem to have one of a kind parts.

not all of the tacoma's have VSC/Trac, it is an expensive option and i have not seen one yet that is equipped with it.