My state has STUPID re-con laws and it's like pulling teeth to pass to get the re-con on a lifted truck. MY solution: put it back to stock and skip the circus. I can go back and deal with the lift situation at a later time. right now, I would just love to pass a safety check and get a current registration. I am tired of looking in the rear-view for cops. hahaha. my question (if someone can please help me): Can I just rip out the add-leafs and replace the shocks with stock 4x4 shocks? what is stock ride height/stock shock length?
Specs:

1983 Toyota 4x4 (poss SR5?)
22r, 5 speed
short bed, single cab
Doug Thorley Headers
Weber Carb
Flowmaster 40 exhaust
crappy lift (or none) with add-leafs
10.5x31 KM2s
Truck is in awesome shape and I plan to keep for many years. but I would love some feedback to help me make the right choices for my '83. any feedback is helpful......thanks to all.....

 

With 31's and no other steering/suspension mods (such as high-steer), I don't see why removing the add-a-leaves wouldn't give you stock or slightly lower ride height.

My truck has roughly 4cm of front axle travel before touching the bumpstops, and perhaps 8cm in the rear. As far as I can tell, the front springs are the same ones it arrived on a boat from Japan with back in 1981, and they are sagging; the rears have one leaf added.

What state, anyway?

 

Thanks for the response.


I'm on Oahu, Hawaii.....terrible re-con rules.


When I measure from center hub to fender,
the front is about 26" with 6" between bumpstops
and the rear is about 24" with 5" between bumpstops.
from what I understand, removing the add-leafs will drop it 2-3"
which would be very close to stock height for a 83 4x4 SR5.
Hopefully that's accurate!?!?!

 

AND....btw.....can you tell me how to make this truck pic my profile pic?


I can't find info about this on the site.....


new here.....


obviously.

 

the profile stuff is in an odd place. you have to go to messages, then click around for a bit is how i found the signature options and all the other stuff. i m sure one of the other guys can give better directions. How large are your front shackles? Hard to believe they won't clear that thing, it looks pretty good. what happened to it?

How much do they really look at the integrity and quality of how things are put together. doubt they know 1st gens that well. Crazy thought, but crazy might just work....

what if you "Un-flipped" the U-bolts to make the leaf springs under the axel? Would lower the height, (I would think), and could easily be fixed. Any thoughts from the crowd on that one?

 

I had a U-bolt break, wouldn't want that with springs on top plus the bolts would be taking 100% of the load, not a good idea IMO???

 

i had a 79 that was stock when i bought it.

i put a 3" lift on it with 33's, your truck looks like it has a 6" lift.

google 79-83 toyota 4x4 pickup to look at a stocker.

 

I was suggesting the u-bolt flip only as temp solution to get certified. Surely would not expect you to drive it that way. Although is that how they easily lower the 2wd truck to "slam " them?

 

You would have to weld spring plates at the bottom, not a good temporary solution I think.

 

Figured i would throw it out there. Did you find a solution?

 

Not a good idea? Well, virtually all 2wd trucks, many 4wd trucks (not ours of course), and Landcruisers have springs under the axle, held down by U-bolts.

 

My solution would be just to remove the add a leafs, and keep the same shocks. I would even just try to get it certified that way if it was me I don't think it's a real issue, you can argue with them that it's an sr5 with the standard off-road leaf pack or some bull˟˟˟˟ like that, or that these trucks were very high stock.

 

Thank you all so much for the feedback.
No solution yet.....not comfortable with the axels over leafs....scary.


I'm going to rip the add-leafs tomorrow and measure....I am curious to know how much lift actually comes from the add leaf. I read somewhere that the stock height from center of wheel to fender is about 22". Hopefully with worn leafs and removing the add leafs I can get somewhere close to that and slip by. Being a 30 year old truck, it's pretty hard to come by anyone that has a 4x4 SR5 with a factory suspension.


and yes....I will definitely argue with the inspector about the SR5, 4x4 package, etc. Obviously THIS truck is NOT very common.


I will let everyone know how it goes.

 

Good luck man! It'll be fine I'm sure, they'll love the truck!

 

So.....removed both axels, pulled the add leafs out in the front and rear, and got down about 1" in the front. No other changes to ride height. Still need to go through all the re-con crap. one positive.....with no add leafs, the ride is WAYYYY better.


Thanks again for all your guyses feedback.


Now I just got put on my generic mud flaps, pray that I can get a computerized alignment within factory spec and get my recon sticker.