I was thinking that same thing...Jeff, how are yours set up?

 

screw that crap, let's see the pics!

 

Steve is going to say that links are only worth it if you are rich like me or want to be cool on the net, but Chris, I think linking the rear is the best way to go. You will get travel, limited wheel hop, greatly reduced axle wrap and a better climber because of it.

My next run at links will be poly on one end and JJ on the other. Heims wear quickly and make noise. Not to mention they are expensive and not rebuildable.

I still think moving the tank is goofy and linking about it would be better.

 

where can you get poly links for the rear? polyperfomance only sells rubber joints? Also would the poly be on the axle end or fram end?

 

I'll still spank you silly, even with my old technology.

Links are good, if you get it right. I doubt I'll get it right the first time and don't really want a project I have to keep re-doing.

Leafs are a one time deal, call it good. It will be fine.

Toyota once made a vehicle called an FJ, I have the FJ zen going. Your too young. You need bling.


And I'll still SPANK you silly.

 

All of us that have the Spidertrax links have the following. Toyota bushings on the axle which are really really nice bushings.

We then have heims or I have Johnny Joints on the frame side. You only need one high angle joint. The axle does not flex enough to warrant more.

 

He got the pics. Yes it is. Even spring under and low.

 

So toyota bushings over poly? Would you have to buys these from a stealer ship or would most autoparts stores sell them?

 

Yes, the 3rd Gen Toyota bushings over poly. Chevy uses a similar thing in the rear leafs everyone swaps in.

Spidertrax no longer lists the items on there site.

You can see what info I have.

Maybe they don't offer these anymore?

http://fastq.com/~sschaefer/spidertrax.html

I am converting to leafs and mine have already been sold.

 

If you had to do it again would you still use the threaded johnny joint or weld one on? Also where can I get 3rd gen bushings? Would it just be easier to get them from a junkyear and grind the tube of and then rebuild them?

 

Did it again I would weld on a JJ or a RE joint.

I would give Spider trax a call and see if they can mill the sleeve for the stock bushing. You can get the bushing from any Toyota dealer.

Part number: 48702-35070

Now "if" you can find a single lower control link from a 3rd Gen 4Runner in great shape, you will get 2 bushings and sleeves.

What I don't know is if you need to weld before pressing in the rubber, or you can weld with the rubber in there. That's alot of heat.

 

I don't know which is better, but I figured just chaning the location and length of the lower links, I could gain 4-6" of travel, then with relocating the shocks, I might even gain some more. But, without knowing for sure, I think the springs will be the limiting factor.

So, I still need to figure out if I can run a curved upward lower link, in addition to raising the axle connection so I can gain some extra clearance at the axle, in addition to raising the frame location the equivalent distance, effectively not changing the stock angle of the lower link. Does that make any sense? I want to get rid of the stock frame locations, because they drag on rocks like crazy. We'll see, but that's at least the initial thought process.

Chris

 

But Cheese I don't understand? The FJ-62 made it up Double Whammy with lame rear leafs and Hunt has lame rear leafs and he made it up too.

Wasn't there a red 4Runner with really cool heim links that could not make it up?

I don't understand? Why were these leaf sprung trucks making it up?



I'll still spank you silly in my retro-runner versus the monster floppy jaloppy.

 

I might be way off here, but is the FJ-62 a shorter wheelbase vehicle, by any chance? I've seen Steve's pictures, and his sits high as hell compared to Cheese's, doesn't it? Steve, has your 3rd Gen made it up before you gained your extra height and solid axle?

Chris

P.S. I'm not on cheese's side, but I would prefer an apples to apples comparison if that's possible.

 

The 62 is longer and wider than a 4Runner. My truck and Cheese truck were and still are more or less the same.

Mine is a bit higher now but not by much. This was all in Moab, we both had IFS.

The only thing I have done with the Dana 44 so far is local stuff for testing.

 

Cool, thanks for the info! Do you have any more pics of your truck since the changes. I'd love to see more!

Chris

 

Nope. I e-mailed you what I have. I did not take any pics on the last run.

 

If all we are talking about is double whammy the wheel base is what made the diffence. Nothing else. If you want to get into solid axle spring under B.S., and that is what you truely belive got you up I will bring up the point that I seem to remember a FJ-40 on 35" tire that made several attempts and failed. Do some research being that is what you pride yourself in and you will find that the 3rd gen is longer than the 2nd and the FJ-62 is longer even yet.

If the rear springs are so great why did you rip Hunt when you found out what he had done? You are getting old, grumpy and way behind the times. Why stoke a wood burning stove when you can have a forced air furnace and air cond.? Links are far better in most situations.

 

Uh oh! Here comes the fun stuff!

Chris

 

Nope.

The only response I will add is that I have always though Hunts leaf conversion was neat. If I did say anything it may have been that it was too tall for me.


After all he inspired me to buy all the parts to do a Chevy rear leaf conversion in March of 2004. The Chevy springs really were too long to fit under the truck and I abandoned the idea in favor of installing the entire package on my cargo trailer, it came out neat. Now in March 2005 I have found a spring I like and will continue on.


If you can build a good link setup it is far better than a leaf spring setup. Unfortunately I do not have the experience to build what I would consider a good link setup. So the best I can do for myself is hang a set of leaf springs.


I have seen first hand the leaf vs. link configurations at the Hammers last year at Backdoor. There sure is a big difference on an obstacle like that, but their is also no way I would ever even remotely try anything close to that, so I'll just build what I can and use the leafs.

I like the Alcan leaf springs I have, so what, I should have never posted in this thread to begin with, I have no link info to add here.

Sorry.