Toy newbie looking for advice.

[TacoDane]

Thanks guys for the input, some has been very comical. Most has been helpful if not just for things to watch out for.

I'm not gonna be able to swing a single axle swap at this time. I've enjoyed the mixed jabber on IFS. Looks like getting to 6" and 35s properly is gonna blow my budget. Those long arm kits are over my budget alone. I'm having troubles finding even a 3" kit I like so it looks like I'll be piece mealing this. All the kits use add a leafs or blocks in back. some don't even come with extended shocks.

On the front I haven't decided, still sifting through the options of shocks and coilovers. If I lift the front 3-3.5" Do I need to change the upper control arm? Will I need to move my sway bar mount? (looking at sway bar disconnects as well)

With a shackle flip kit and longer shackles I hope to get to 3" in the rear and get use out of these new leafs. I'll just have to get longer shocks and brake lines. What length brake lines am I going to need? Should I drop my carrier bearing or anything else? Anything I'm forgetting?

 

[DaveInDenver]

On the front I haven't decided, still sifting through the options of shocks and coilovers. If I lift the front 3-3.5" Do I need to change the upper control arm? Will I need to move my sway bar mount? (looking at sway bar disconnects as well)

Strictly speaking, no, you can lift and the factory UCAs will work. The problem is that you'll be at the limit of the ability to align the truck and will have almost zero caster and will drive very twitchy and all over the road.

With a shackle flip kit and longer shackles I hope to get to 3" in the rear and get use out of these new leafs. I'll just have to get longer shocks and brake lines. What length brake lines am I going to need? Should I drop my carrier bearing or anything else? Anything I'm forgetting?

Get 2"or maybe 3" at the most longer than stock rear brake lines.

OME makes a carrier bearing correction kit that drops and angles the rear driveshaft. That's what I'm putting on. You could come up with something similar, it's just a block with a little slope to it. If you have the 4 leaf TSB springs you should already have about 0.75" of lift over most Tacomas (like mine) with 3 leaf springs. A shackle flip will get another inch or so.

Can't speak to shackles, I'm planning to leave mine in stock configuration and run all spring lift. I'm less concerned about pure wheel travel and more about doing what is proven and reliable. Most people don't replace the factory shackles so I dunno what fits. You'll also have to make your own way with shock length, a lot of the knowledge is based on using certain springs with the inverted shackles and thus the stroke doesn't end up being a travel limiter. With shackle flip and lots of wheel travel you'll have to experiment more, that's all.

 

[mikeyhcrana]

Guess I just don't get the hate. IFS never bothered me like it seems to you guys. All those years driving places in Imelda made me happy. But I don't really 'wheel just for the sake of 'wheeling, so I don't appreciate the limitations, IOW I don't find myself really limited by it and since the Rubithon just can't justify breaking my commuter anymore like that.

No hate, in fact nothing but love for the IFS, here. All cars and trucks are junk, I mean, they are just sheet metal, nuts, bolts, plastic, and some level of technology. They serve different purposes. I didn't select a Toyota because of a clever marketing campaign, for me, my selection is based on simplicity, affordability, weight, and reliability. I do have kids and they are by far, more expensive then this stuff. Solid axle mini fills these needs better than anything else for me, brand aside. My first Toyotas were both IFS, and I loved them, especially for their around town handling, but I learned from them that solid axles support my simplicity, affordability, weight, and reliability, theme much better then modern IFS.

Tacodane, please don't be discouraged about your truck or IFS because of any of my comments. I only want to be the voice of contrast to the idea of "throw this much piles of money at your truck and it will be awesome." Your truck is already awesome. I should have offered you my virtually worthless welcome to this virtual community called a forum before I suggested you to buy another truck. Welcome! If we meet in real life, on the trail, where it matters, I'm not such a smartass, and always happy to help.

The solid axle Dodges are my favorite full size trucks. I'm surprised a dodge guy who could afford a Taco, didn't buy a Jeep. I commend you for thinking differently.

 

[AxleIke]

No hate, in fact nothing but love for the IFS, here. All cars and trucks are junk, I mean, they are just sheet metal, nuts, bolts, plastic, and some level of technology. They serve different purposes. I didn't select a Toyota because of a clever marketing campaign, for me, my selection is based on simplicity, affordability, weight, and reliability. I do have kids and they are by far, more expensive then this stuff. Solid axle mini fills these needs better than anything else for me, brand aside. My first Toyotas were both IFS, and I loved them, especially for their around town handling, but I learned from them that solid axles support my simplicity, affordability, weight, and reliability, theme much better then modern IFS.

Tacodane, please don't be discouraged about your truck or IFS because of any of my comments. I only want to be the voice of contrast to the idea of "throw this much piles of money at your truck and it will be awesome." Your truck is already awesome. I should have offered you my virtually worthless welcome to this virtual community called a forum before I suggested you to buy another truck. Welcome! If we meet in real life, on the trail, where it matters, I'm not such a smartass, and always happy to help.

The solid axle Dodges are my favorite full size trucks. I'm surprised a dodge guy who could afford a Taco, didn't buy a Jeep. I commend you for thinking differently.

An excellent post.

We all build our trucks the way we want/can afford/etc...

My first truck was an 87 4Runner (pictured above) which had IFS. I got it in trade for work I did in High school for my folks.

I had no money beyond gas and insurance so I wheeled it bone stock for years. Over time I added a little at a time but never had the cash for a solid axle. Eventually it just became an obsession. Eventually it broke and I tried to build a full blown truggy that would be street legal, but gave up after finances ran out, lol.

I sold it all off, and was able to buy my 99 and mod it with the proceeds. For now, like Dave, it's my commuter. I can't afford to have it down for months doing a SAS.

In fact, I fully plan to go Mikey's route: build up an older truck for the really nasty stuff, and have the 99 for camping, trail riding and cruising.

Anyway, the best part of this club is that we are all good natured folks who like to joke around, but in general, we don't take ourselves too seriously.

As you navigate around, you will find there are many debates here: IFS vs SAS, land cruiser vs mini truck, old minis vs new minis, 6 lug cruisers vs 5 lug cruisers, and so on. But in the end, we are all happy to grab a beer and hang out as friends no matter what we drive!

 

[coloradobound]

On the front I haven't decided, still sifting through the options of shocks and coilovers. If I lift the front 3-3.5" Do I need to change the upper control arm? Will I need to move my sway bar mount? (looking at sway bar disconnects as well)

With a shackle flip kit and longer shackles I hope to get to 3" in the rear and get use out of these new leafs. I'll just have to get longer shocks and brake lines. What length brake lines am I going to need? Should I drop my carrier bearing or anything else? Anything I'm forgetting?

Recommend new upper arms, and toytec has simple brackets for the sway bars. Carrier bearing drop is good idea, and you can also get shims to rotate the rear axle up for the driveshaft as well. And a common thing on 2nd gen tacos over 2.5" of lift is front diff vibration. East coast gear supply has their needle bearing fix that fixes it,

 

[TacoDane]

. Welcome! If we meet in real life, on the trail, where it matters, I'm not such a smartass, and always happy to help.

The solid axle Dodges are my favorite full size trucks. I'm surprised a dodge guy who could afford a Taco, didn't buy a Jeep. I commend you for thinking differently.

Thanks Mikey, Yeah I love my Dodges but IMO Chrystler has somewhat ruined what Jeep once was. I even had a 4x4 AMC Eagle my Papa passed down. I tend to go a different route friends ride Harleys, I bought a reasonably priced kick ass Suzuki. Friends drive Jeeps I got a Taco because I don't know I just like them.

 

[TacoDane]

This is my old Ram keep in mind its under load on old springs. And the reason I needed a truck... To tow my only pavement princess. The original off road mini truck, before there were roads.

http://www.risingsun4x4club.org/forum2/attachment.php?attachmentid=45510&stc=1

My other(and least expensive bit of fun)

http://www.risingsun4x4club.org/for...hmentid=45511&stc=1&d=1453177282&d=1453177282

 

[AxleIke]

Sorry for the derail before. Cleaned up and deleted my posts. Carry on!

 

[DaveInDenver]

Sorry for the derail before. Cleaned up and deleted my posts. Carry on!

Ha! You always go and do that when you speak your mind. No matter, some things are just accepted as known truisms even if they don't make it into virtual print... ;-)

 

[AxleIke]

Ha! You always go and do that when you speak your mind. ;-)

Lol, too true! Speaking my mind especially when I'm grumpy usually leads to trouble. Got enough of that at work and so I try to avoid it here which is supposed to be a hobby and fun.

 

[TacoDane]

FWIW, Armor Tech does make a shackle flip that gives almost an inch of lift with factory shackles and springs, but also lets you run extended lengths to match a SAS.

Dave, Thanks. I've got my shackle flip kit and 6" shackles on order. Had found another option but it used custom shackles, longer wasn't an option and the website didn't list replacements.

Looking at the 3" Bilstein 5100s up front but haven't nailed down an upper control arms.

 

[DaveInDenver]

If you're using shackle flips you probably should just go to Chevy springs.

 

[TacoDane]

If you're using shackle flips you probably should just go to Chevy springs.

Doesn't that require relocating the hangers? As well as other modifications. My goal was to get some use out of these leafs while lifting and extending reach.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Doesn't that require relocating the hangers? As well as other modifications. My goal was to get some use out of these leafs while lifting and extending reach.

You'd have to relocate the front spring hanger as well as the back, but I was just thinking aloud that you might not want to drill your frame twice if it's required.

 

[TacoDane]

With the flip kit apparantly I just need to knock or drill out the rivets holding in the stock inverted hangars and bolt the new mount in its place, no new holes needed.

 

[TacoDane]

I take it I'm going to need offset rims to get bigger tires to not rub up front. How much offset do I need with a 3" lift to run 33s?

Anybody running wheel spacers or recommend against this?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Dunno the definitive answer, but I'm not planning on running spacers and using my factory 16x7 TRD rims. I do intend to run narrow tires, though. Not sure the metric sizes yet, but something in the 32"-to-33" tall and 10.5" or so wide. Are you doing a lift that includes a new spindle? That would for sure require less backspace.

 

[coloradobound]

Dunno the definitive answer, but I'm not planning on running spacers and using my factory 16x7 TRD rims. I do intend to run narrow tires, though. Not sure the metric sizes yet, but something in the 32"-to-33" tall and 10.5" or so wide. Are you doing a lift that includes a new spindle? That would for sure require less backspace.

255/85r16 about?

 

[DaveInDenver]

255/85r16 about?

Yup, I'm thinking either 255/85r16 or 265/80R16 on factory rims. Kind of depends on what I can find in stock.

 

[TacoDane]

Are you doing a lift that includes a new spindle? That would for sure require less backspace.

No spindle. UCAs, diff drop and taller coilovers is what I'm starting with up front. I may just have to wait till all the parts get here, get it all installed and then figure out tires and possibly wheels.