That's just sad... Did you cry when she stopped driving Toyota's?
And do you want to have a M&G at her work...next time she is working??
M&G = Meet and Greet????
1st Gen 4Runners...thoughts?
- Thread starter cbmontgo
- Start date
M&G = Meet and Greet????
You know, that would probably work (draining the radiator, to get back on topic 
) if you weren't on the way home from climbing a 14er and had to change it in the parking lot of an Autozone, or when the tensioning bolt was stripped so you had to change it in the parking lot of NAPA and be 3 hours late to work... 
But I'm getting pretty good at matching the dizzy up on the correct tooth and adjusting the timing
) if you weren't on the way home from climbing a 14er and had to change it in the parking lot of an Autozone, or when the tensioning bolt was stripped so you had to change it in the parking lot of NAPA and be 3 hours late to work... But I'm getting pretty good at matching the dizzy up on the correct tooth and adjusting the timing
RockRunner
Hard Core 4+
Carson,
I am running a 85 4Runner set up with the Marlin Ultimate transfers cases and his long travel suspension. For the most part I am happy with this set up, the transfer cases are awesome. The control you get when you are creeping in a super low gear is amazing, my wife loves driving it like that.
I think Bill mentioned getting a newer one than the 85 and I have to agree with him. You will save a ton of money by doing that, that is if you are planning to build it for some real rock crawling. When I build mine up two years ago now I cut the complete suspension of the rig. At one point it was just sitting on the frame rails and four jack stands.
The amount of travel you loose compared to the $$$ saved make sit a no brainer. Now if you want to buy the truck and wheel it ASAP with out doing a bunch of stuff the 85 is hard to beat.
Here are some pros and cons of the various years. I am sure I will forget some so others can pitch in or give their opinion.
1984
Pro Solid axle, carburated, cheapest of the bunch
Con Carburetor, no SR5 models to my knowledge. Rust
1985
Pro 22 RE (EFI), Solid axle, SR5 models, slap on some tires and wheel it. cheap 4" lifts installed in 2-3 hours. parts all over the place.
Cons 22 RE is short on power, hard to find, more expensive than newer year models if in good shape. If you do the long travel lift you need a newer rear axle $$ Rust.
1986-89 Pros, V6 power, more of them around, SR5 models with sunroofs, better interiors, has wider axle already and IFS steering box for future lift, less rust, possible Turbo model if found, auto tranny
Cons IFS suspension, V6 (Head gaskets), not to many power up options, auto tranny, more $$$ to buy, front gears are 7.5 not to many choices for a locker and strength becomes an issue, if lifted IFS problems with CV joints leaking/breaking.
My perfect scenario now that I know what I know.
Buy an 1989 V6 SR5 white 5 speed with gray interior. Cut entire suspension of and replace with Marlins hangers, National springs, Marlins cross over steering, 85 solid front axle with an Elocker, 5.29 gears, IFS brakes, rear axle converted to accept Elocker/5.29, Marlin Ultimate crawler box (224 to 1 crawl ratio if 2.8 and 4.7 used)
Custom tube work around the whole rig with mounting points for a RTT, soft top, Big open fenders, Rhino lining inside and bottom half, Half doors and full doors, Ham, CB, Nice stereo, tire carrier with high lift, two 5 gallon can holders on RR bumper also, lights all around, high output alternator, dual battery set up and wired for power front and rear, LED's and HID lights.
Well that pretty much describes Bill's truck, Cheeseman's, Leine's, and mine. Bill's is much nicer and more power, Leine's just needs a cage and cheeseman's is looking awesome. Mine..........well I have four different colors on the truck in the winter, still have the 22RE, not a SR5 but she crawls with the best of them.
In short I highly recommend the 4Runners
If you are ever in the neighborhood, yeah like anybody lives close to me. Stop on by and take it for a spin, they are great rigs and versatile.
Sorry for the loooooong post
PS they do have the right wheelbase to make it up the Escalator
I am running a 85 4Runner set up with the Marlin Ultimate transfers cases and his long travel suspension. For the most part I am happy with this set up, the transfer cases are awesome. The control you get when you are creeping in a super low gear is amazing, my wife loves driving it like that.
I think Bill mentioned getting a newer one than the 85 and I have to agree with him. You will save a ton of money by doing that, that is if you are planning to build it for some real rock crawling. When I build mine up two years ago now I cut the complete suspension of the rig. At one point it was just sitting on the frame rails and four jack stands.
The amount of travel you loose compared to the $$$ saved make sit a no brainer. Now if you want to buy the truck and wheel it ASAP with out doing a bunch of stuff the 85 is hard to beat.
Here are some pros and cons of the various years. I am sure I will forget some so others can pitch in or give their opinion.
1984
Pro Solid axle, carburated, cheapest of the bunch
Con Carburetor, no SR5 models to my knowledge. Rust
1985
Pro 22 RE (EFI), Solid axle, SR5 models, slap on some tires and wheel it. cheap 4" lifts installed in 2-3 hours. parts all over the place.
Cons 22 RE is short on power, hard to find, more expensive than newer year models if in good shape. If you do the long travel lift you need a newer rear axle $$ Rust.
1986-89 Pros, V6 power, more of them around, SR5 models with sunroofs, better interiors, has wider axle already and IFS steering box for future lift, less rust, possible Turbo model if found, auto tranny
Cons IFS suspension, V6 (Head gaskets), not to many power up options, auto tranny, more $$$ to buy, front gears are 7.5 not to many choices for a locker and strength becomes an issue, if lifted IFS problems with CV joints leaking/breaking.
My perfect scenario now that I know what I know.
Buy an 1989 V6 SR5 white 5 speed with gray interior. Cut entire suspension of and replace with Marlins hangers, National springs, Marlins cross over steering, 85 solid front axle with an Elocker, 5.29 gears, IFS brakes, rear axle converted to accept Elocker/5.29, Marlin Ultimate crawler box (224 to 1 crawl ratio if 2.8 and 4.7 used)
Custom tube work around the whole rig with mounting points for a RTT, soft top, Big open fenders, Rhino lining inside and bottom half, Half doors and full doors, Ham, CB, Nice stereo, tire carrier with high lift, two 5 gallon can holders on RR bumper also, lights all around, high output alternator, dual battery set up and wired for power front and rear, LED's and HID lights.
Well that pretty much describes Bill's truck, Cheeseman's, Leine's, and mine. Bill's is much nicer and more power, Leine's just needs a cage and cheeseman's is looking awesome. Mine..........well I have four different colors on the truck in the winter, still have the 22RE, not a SR5 but she crawls with the best of them.
In short I highly recommend the 4Runners
If you are ever in the neighborhood, yeah like anybody lives close to me. Stop on by and take it for a spin, they are great rigs and versatile.Sorry for the loooooong post
PS they do have the right wheelbase to make it up the Escalator
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Everyone lists the IFS as a con. Here's some random thoughts on the subject from your friendly neighborhood delusional owner.
From purely a crawling aspect, IFS takes a third row seat to a solid axle. But don't believe the Internet wisdom completely. It can work fine and doesn't take a lot to make passable.
The key is add a rear truss and a beefed up idler arm of some sort. Add low profile bump stops and away you go up to about 31" tires. If you want to run 32" or 33" tires, install ball joint spacers.
NEVER RUN A BRACKET LIFT! At least on a truck you intend to wheel. If 35"+ tires are the goal, just do the SAS. Bracket lifts are usually at the root of cracked frames or broken front diffs. Just too much flex in the sub frame.
The 7.5 front diff is fine in the application. It's less overwhelmed in this application than a 8" is in the front of an 80 series. The outer CV joint is just as strong as a solid axle Birfield, although the inner CV joint does need to be limited to how far you push it. When they say the max angle on the inner joint is 22 degrees, that's a hard limit. There's not a lot of margin in the travel on that joint. Within it's range of motion, it's fine, pushed to the limit of it's travel, it will break.
In some ways the IFS trucks are better. Other than the idler it's got significantly better steering, for one. The IFS trucks, even the 4 cylinder, have better brakes. But the IFS V6 brakes are about as good as any brakes on any truck.
It's when you go to 33x12.50 or taller tires, then IFS is simply over matched and there's not much you can do to work around it. But my suspension cycled reasonably well on the Rubicon and I have much too stiff torsion bars. No CV grenades, no broken ball joints, no blown tie rod ends. What I DID break were leaf springs...
The 7.5 inch diff has an ARB Air Locker, True Trac, Lock Right, EZ Locker or the Toyota Supra limited slip available. It's not really an issue, most people are gonna do an Air Locker or LSD in the front anyway. If someone does a Lock Right, they eventually do the ARB...
Isaac's truck does pretty good in the rocks, too. It's all about bounding the build. Stick to 33x10.50 or smaller tires, IFS is pretty easy to make reliable, although it will never flex as well as a solid axle. OTOH, they ride nice on dirt roads and highways. So it's trade-off.
The 3VZ does not make much more power than a 22R-E and is generally regarded as second class. I personally have never owned one, but have always thought it got a bad rap, Rudy's seems to last OK and he is not kind to his motor. Shrug. The reason in my mind to get a 3.0L truck is that they are easier to swap to a 3.4L if that's what you want. Otherwise, embrace the slowness and opt for the 22R-E.
So there you go, representing for the IFS posse. I think for whatever reason, everyone's convinced that IFS is junk and it's not. It has a limit and it's not easy to go way beyond those limits. You can lift a solid axle truck 4" or 6" pretty easily and fit 35" or 37" tires, where as 2" is about the limit with IFS and so that makes 33" tires is pretty much the maximum.
The main way to significantly improve stock IFS is a long travel conversion. This is no cheaper than a SAS, but does achieve a lot of the same goals. It has advantages over a SAS, primarily in ride quality on less improved roads and will hold it's own on many technical trails. Still, it's not quite a substitute for an SAS. But having 12" of wheel travel makes them attractive.
From purely a crawling aspect, IFS takes a third row seat to a solid axle. But don't believe the Internet wisdom completely. It can work fine and doesn't take a lot to make passable.
The key is add a rear truss and a beefed up idler arm of some sort. Add low profile bump stops and away you go up to about 31" tires. If you want to run 32" or 33" tires, install ball joint spacers.
NEVER RUN A BRACKET LIFT! At least on a truck you intend to wheel. If 35"+ tires are the goal, just do the SAS. Bracket lifts are usually at the root of cracked frames or broken front diffs. Just too much flex in the sub frame.
The 7.5 front diff is fine in the application. It's less overwhelmed in this application than a 8" is in the front of an 80 series. The outer CV joint is just as strong as a solid axle Birfield, although the inner CV joint does need to be limited to how far you push it. When they say the max angle on the inner joint is 22 degrees, that's a hard limit. There's not a lot of margin in the travel on that joint. Within it's range of motion, it's fine, pushed to the limit of it's travel, it will break.
In some ways the IFS trucks are better. Other than the idler it's got significantly better steering, for one. The IFS trucks, even the 4 cylinder, have better brakes. But the IFS V6 brakes are about as good as any brakes on any truck.
It's when you go to 33x12.50 or taller tires, then IFS is simply over matched and there's not much you can do to work around it. But my suspension cycled reasonably well on the Rubicon and I have much too stiff torsion bars. No CV grenades, no broken ball joints, no blown tie rod ends. What I DID break were leaf springs...
The 7.5 inch diff has an ARB Air Locker, True Trac, Lock Right, EZ Locker or the Toyota Supra limited slip available. It's not really an issue, most people are gonna do an Air Locker or LSD in the front anyway. If someone does a Lock Right, they eventually do the ARB...
Isaac's truck does pretty good in the rocks, too. It's all about bounding the build. Stick to 33x10.50 or smaller tires, IFS is pretty easy to make reliable, although it will never flex as well as a solid axle. OTOH, they ride nice on dirt roads and highways. So it's trade-off.
The 3VZ does not make much more power than a 22R-E and is generally regarded as second class. I personally have never owned one, but have always thought it got a bad rap, Rudy's seems to last OK and he is not kind to his motor. Shrug. The reason in my mind to get a 3.0L truck is that they are easier to swap to a 3.4L if that's what you want. Otherwise, embrace the slowness and opt for the 22R-E.
So there you go, representing for the IFS posse. I think for whatever reason, everyone's convinced that IFS is junk and it's not. It has a limit and it's not easy to go way beyond those limits. You can lift a solid axle truck 4" or 6" pretty easily and fit 35" or 37" tires, where as 2" is about the limit with IFS and so that makes 33" tires is pretty much the maximum.
The main way to significantly improve stock IFS is a long travel conversion. This is no cheaper than a SAS, but does achieve a lot of the same goals. It has advantages over a SAS, primarily in ride quality on less improved roads and will hold it's own on many technical trails. Still, it's not quite a substitute for an SAS. But having 12" of wheel travel makes them attractive.
RockRunner
Hard Core 4+
Long travel kits are great, very expensive too like you said. I guess you also need to look at the fact if it is a daily driver or a weekend warrior.
We all have our opinions on IFS or solid, auto vs manual, gearing vs power etc. I tried to give him the general idea of what some owners do with their 4Runners/mini trucks. Of course $$$ is the greatest decision maker of all, I have a hard time building up an IFS only to go to a solid axle later so I would advice someone to start of solid or cut and swap to solid. About the same $$$ as a good IFS lift with long travel, maybe less.
Dave not knocking you BTW, just clarifying some of my views. I ran IFS for 8 years and conquered many tough trails.
Squishy!
Rising Sun Member
If you ask on this forum, Bill, Isaac and Dave will give you pretty much all you need to know about minitrucks!
I'm hurt you would forget about me...
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
It's OK, mini trucks are pretty much below the radar (pun intended) to you Cruiser guys. We are only useful when you need a beer and parts run, otherwise Hilux-what?
Rock Dog
Rising Sun Member
I just want to point out that in many cases the IFS steering box, even on an IFS truck is moved further forward to get just a bit more wheelbase... you often beef up the frame when doing this, just like you would for an 85...
You also generally end up spending the extra for High steer arms to move everything up high in either rig, so i don't see where it is that much more expensive to build the 85 than swapping in a Solid Axle on an 86 + rig...
to convert the IFS you buy a front axle... to convert an 85 you buy a rear axle (which are generally cheaper, and easy to bolt up), and IFS steering box.. and it is not required to initially swap the rear axle to get a good performing truck and do that swap later if you are tight on funds..
The 85 did come in an SR5 with the sun roof and many of the bells and whistles.
The 22RE is a factor especially once you start getting into the larger tires, but is one of the most dependable engines ever put out by Toyota.
I love my 85 runner, and am building another 85 runner for my brother
You also generally end up spending the extra for High steer arms to move everything up high in either rig, so i don't see where it is that much more expensive to build the 85 than swapping in a Solid Axle on an 86 + rig...
to convert the IFS you buy a front axle... to convert an 85 you buy a rear axle (which are generally cheaper, and easy to bolt up), and IFS steering box.. and it is not required to initially swap the rear axle to get a good performing truck and do that swap later if you are tight on funds..
The 85 did come in an SR5 with the sun roof and many of the bells and whistles.
The 22RE is a factor especially once you start getting into the larger tires, but is one of the most dependable engines ever put out by Toyota.
I love my 85 runner, and am building another 85 runner for my brother
cbmontgo
Hard Core 4+
I truly appreciate the insight, guys. At this point, I don't plan to do too much hard-core stuff, so right now it would be a rig I'd beat around in the mountains until I eventually build it up a little better. This would basically be a machine that I'd drive through high water crossings and not care if some of it crept into the cab and made it smell like a swamp for a few weeks. I also like the fuel injection, which seems to be better suited for high elevation trails. Also, I have always had a "thing" for those 4Runners without a top...
At the end of the day, it's just another toy for me to tinker with. Am I a bad person if I just love these 1980s Toyotas? There's just nothing like that little ticking Toyota engine.
I'd love to see some of your rigs at the next meeting if I can make it...just so hard to do lately between the new home improvement projects and kids...
At the end of the day, it's just another toy for me to tinker with. Am I a bad person if I just love these 1980s Toyotas? There's just nothing like that little ticking Toyota engine.
I'd love to see some of your rigs at the next meeting if I can make it...just so hard to do lately between the new home improvement projects and kids...
Red_Chili
Hard Core 4+
That's kinda like a rancher in Wyoming saying he's never actually heard much about African Americans, ain't it?
You won't hear much on Mud in comparison to other forums. You may hear some here. Minis take a back seat in Trails but they are there at least.
Most of the forums I hang on are more like, "Cruiser, what? Oh yeah, I hear the 80s are nice if you can afford the gas and squeeze one in your garage. I use the front diff in my 4Runner..."
Hey Subzali, you would do the timing chain but never a HG? The HG is the SIMPLE part! Going back in after having done a no-head-removal timing chain, not so much...
The alternator came out of the Chili when it had a 22RE without removing anything or draining anything. It was a Rubik's Cube exercise, but it did. I was running a 90s V6 radiator though (a worthy upgrade should your rad develop pinholes in the top, a common problem due to electrolysis, >120K miles). That lower hose placement is the deciding factor. The V6 rad gives an unanticipated benefit.
I wonder if simply unbolting the rad and the fan shroud, and sliding things passenger a tad would work? Dunno.
Regards moving the IFS box, I never had to - that one is a bit of a pain but not all that bad. Used the hammer mod on the firewall, and a shortened FJ80 pitman which slows the steering slightly - I like it. Or you can use short steering arms when you do the SAS. You DO need to brace the frame under the box though, whether SA or SAS. Ask Cheeseman about that.
Very simple mod. There are kits, or there is the Sawzall/plasma cutter and steel stock, your choice.I am a SAS guy AND an IFS guy. I don't find that the IFS rides all that much nicer than my SAS with quality springs (read: Alcan, $500/axle and worth it). I can zip right along over rough stuff in my SAS and have had guys running All-Pro / Marlin / TrailGear springs (pretty much the same stuff) have to fall back because their teeth were swapping sockets. The Taco with OME springs up front rides like a board. The '93 pickup is OK, but pretty boardlike too (stock suspension F&R, I expect the sacked rear to ride rough, but the front would soften up with a winch). Remove the front swaybar, have Beater make yard art out of it, and the IFS works slightly better. Wheeled a number of years with IFS. It will do it.
And you always have the option to cut it out later!
There is a lot of knowledge about minis in the club, any of the gentlemen with a mini can help. Or Squishy.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
This is sort of the rub, what the purpose of the truck is. The only thing that I probably wouldn't have spent money on was the front Air Locker if I was planning on an SAS, that is tougher to recoup. Although the locker itself is the same for the torsion bar IFS trucks as it is for 1996-2002 4Runners and 1995-2003 Tacomas, just different housings. So it would be harder to sell an assembled torsion IFS third member than just the locker by itself.
But other than the locker, an IFS truss is $75, idler truss is $50 and low profile bump stops are $30. That's all that is basically necessary to reliably take a 31" tire IFS off road. Throw in $100 for ball joint spacers and $100 for a pair of longer travel shocks and that's about the extent of what you can or need to do. If the eventual goal is 37" tires, I think that's an OK intermediate step that does not cost a ton of money and will wheel fine in the mean time. Lockers, skid plates and all that, not truly necessary and more so if you don't care if the IFS breaks before it sees the torch.
But my opinion is that no one should ever put one of those bolt-on lifts on an IFS truck, so that's money never spent. Now long travel, that's really a fork in the build road. A Total Chaos suspension will work pretty well, but I think someone who decides that route is probably not building a pure rock crawler anyway and wouldn't be narrowly focused on an SAS. I personally flip-flop between SAS and TC. At the moment, I'm leaning into the long travel IFS camp again and pretty solidly at the moment. Rubicon was fun, but it's really just not my cup of tea. I'm dragging around a long wheel base and camper, I have no business tackling hard core trails.
RockRunner
Hard Core 4+
Dave,
you are right on the nose with your comment regarding the purpose of the vehicle. That right there should decide what you are going to do, problem is that people flip flop and then waste money in the process.
My 91 4Runner was build in 93 so the choices were awfully limited. The things you talk about now did not even come into play then. I used a Pro Comp front set up that we modified some and custom rear coils from Alcan, those gave me some crazy flex making up for the front IFS limits.
I understand your position on the subject, it's just my take is a little different. It used to be 33" tires were huge, now me on my 37's are considered small (depending on the trail of course) The deal is that a lot of trails have changed so much over the years that you can't do them with 31/33's anymore. If all you want to do is 2-5 or 1-3 type trails you are fine with 31's IMO but it seems that people always get sucked into doing a little tougher trails than they should/can.
I think Carson has the right idea, he doesn't need a crawler for what he wants to do. Building up his IFS a little will enhance his ride and make for a more enjoyable time.
Carson,
Get out there and wheel the thing till you decide to change it up, if you do, then come back and all of us will give you our opinions on what you should do with YOUR money
PS Bill as soon as I find some money floating around, yeah right, Alcan will get a call. For now the Marlins are doing OK. They did send me some HD rear springs to try since mu others were sagging. I can't install them yet due to my back. I may put out a "Help" message in the near future so I can get them on before winter.
you are right on the nose with your comment regarding the purpose of the vehicle. That right there should decide what you are going to do, problem is that people flip flop and then waste money in the process.
My 91 4Runner was build in 93 so the choices were awfully limited. The things you talk about now did not even come into play then. I used a Pro Comp front set up that we modified some and custom rear coils from Alcan, those gave me some crazy flex making up for the front IFS limits.
I understand your position on the subject, it's just my take is a little different. It used to be 33" tires were huge, now me on my 37's are considered small (depending on the trail of course) The deal is that a lot of trails have changed so much over the years that you can't do them with 31/33's anymore. If all you want to do is 2-5 or 1-3 type trails you are fine with 31's IMO but it seems that people always get sucked into doing a little tougher trails than they should/can.
I think Carson has the right idea, he doesn't need a crawler for what he wants to do. Building up his IFS a little will enhance his ride and make for a more enjoyable time.
Carson,
Get out there and wheel the thing till you decide to change it up, if you do, then come back and all of us will give you our opinions on what you should do with YOUR money
PS Bill as soon as I find some money floating around, yeah right, Alcan will get a call. For now the Marlins are doing OK. They did send me some HD rear springs to try since mu others were sagging. I can't install them yet due to my back. I may put out a "Help" message in the near future so I can get them on before winter.
Red_Chili
Hard Core 4+
Dave brings up a good point. I wanted to build a truck that would be comfortable on the highway and also on Holy Cross, Spring Creek, etc. To do that is a tad spendy. Worth it IMHO, but YMMV. You really need to decide what you want to do with your truck, then build it for that purpose. Then ask yourself if you just lied to yourself - or you will spend the same money twice, DAMHIK.
Having built a decent expedition/hunting/tough trail truck, though, I have a 93 pickup for daily use and as a dispose-a-truck. Only after I rebuilt the motor, clean things up, improve the interior with good used parts, etc. I am finding I don't DO dispose-a-truck. Oh well. But it will (knock on steel) never be SAS because that is not its purpose.
BTW, Dave, you can run 33s with only a BL, and 35s with a TB crank and a BL (and a hammer) so all that other IFS stuff is not really necessary. But for 31" wheeling, here is the mod list for a from-the-factory SA truck:
-
-
-
-
-
Having built a decent expedition/hunting/tough trail truck, though, I have a 93 pickup for daily use and as a dispose-a-truck. Only after I rebuilt the motor, clean things up, improve the interior with good used parts, etc. I am finding I don't DO dispose-a-truck. Oh well. But it will (knock on steel) never be SAS because that is not its purpose.
BTW, Dave, you can run 33s with only a BL, and 35s with a TB crank and a BL (and a hammer) so all that other IFS stuff is not really necessary. But for 31" wheeling, here is the mod list for a from-the-factory SA truck:
-
-
-
-
-
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Red_Chili
Hard Core 4+
SICK IFS flex!
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Ball joint spacers and cranked torsions with lower profile upper stops are a bad idea. Just my $0.02, but it should be one or the other for a max of 1.5" of lift. With tall stock upper bumps and the 1.5" SDORI spacers, my CV axles are right at their max droop without binding. Low profile upper stops /and/ BJ spacers, that would be many, many blown CV axles IMHO. I run 33x10.50 MTs on 3.75" backspaced 15"x7" wheels and I had to clearance my inner fenders pretty heavily with the BFH and I touch just slightly. It seems in my case 35" tires will mean Ivan Stewart fenders or at least cutting and re-building the inner fender for sure.
BTW, that flex is with 25mm torsion bars, imagine 22.5mm stockers! By my calibrated Stanley tape measure, it's an honest 8" window of wheel travel with the torsions not connected. It's pretty pathetic compared to a 4" lifted leaf spring front end, but it's on the better side of a decent stock suspension. Supposedly the stock torsion IFS is capable of 9" total travel, but before the spacers I had to really torque the arms with a cheater to get a legit 7". But my control arm bushings are 200,000 miles old and have lost their flex.
cbmontgo
Hard Core 4+
LOL! Don't I know it...
Nice!
Red_Chili
Hard Core 4+
That's why I did not mention it, though it can be made to work (see next).
Drop the diff. No more blown CVs. Angle it a bit and you still have a smooth front driveline too.
A BL has much to recommend it (within reason, 2" max - pulling the motor/trans is easier, wiring is simpler, you can raise your gas tank, you get lift with no suspension stress...). I am running stock suspension - no crank, 2" BL, 33x10.50 tires, and the only rubbing I get is at a slight turn and HAMMERING a bump. That is with no BFH mod, too. Put a modest suspension lift in the mix, drop the diff to save the CVs, do the BFH mod, I see no reason a fella could not run 35s if he was of a mind to. With little added stress (unless he got stupid backing up a hill slightly turned with the front diff locked).