Runner Magnetic
New member
Hmm, I havent seen anyone with 37" wheels with only 2"s of lift. Could you mabey post a pic of that cause I cant find it. That sounds like a lot of trimming to do. Love the huge truck too keep it up!
1999 SAS Dana44 ARB 4Runner Build
- Thread starter Mountain Fun
- Start date
Hmm, I havent seen anyone with 37" wheels with only 2"s of lift. Could you mabey post a pic of that cause I cant find it. That sounds like a lot of trimming to do. Love the huge truck too keep it up!
White Stripe
New member
Hmm, I havent seen anyone with 37" wheels with only 2"s of lift. Could you mabey post a pic of that cause I cant find it. That sounds like a lot of trimming to do. Love the huge truck too keep it up!
This 1996 Toyota 4Runner Proves IFS Doesn?t Have to Be Weak
Mountain Fun
New member
That's good information, I'm not an axle expert I was just writing what I encountered. When I bought the Chief Dana44 off craigslist the seller didn't know anything about it other than it was Dana44 with an ARB. It didn't have calipers so when I was going to buy them my buddy told me to verify what the ends were because the Waggy calipers are different than the Chevy calipers. That's when I found out it had Chevy ends. The 80s Waggy Dana44 I tore down for the center housing, not sure of the exact year, had full time 4wd and rounded top knuckles (no flat tops) so we swapped mine onto it. Separating those rusted ball joints wasn't fun, took a sledge to get one of them out, an air hammer got the others out.
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Mountain Fun
New member
I didn't call the company. It wasn't worth it and the diff didn't fail so they probably wouldn't care anyway. I was just really disappointed that they use a damaged carrier in their product. I just let people know what I experienced and let them make up their own mind if they still want to buy from East Coast Gear.
Mountain Fun
New member
Dirtco has a bad ass 99 4Runner with I think 3.5" lift on 37s too. I read his build word for word when I getting ready to start building mine. Of the IFS 4Runner builds, Dirtco's and the Toytec 4Runner are my favorites.
Runner Magnetic
New member
Mountain Fun
New member
Modifying the Curt Spare Tire Carrier into a drop down carrier.
I have plans to build a swing out tire carrier for my rear bumper but for the meantime I wanted a cheap way to carry my spare. I didn't really want to put in on the roof, the truck is already top heavy enough due to the lift so I decided to get a carrier that goes in the built in hitch in my rear bumper. I found the Curt carrier on Amazon for like $70 but it was solid meaning I would be able to open my rear hatch and that wouldn't work.
I decided to cut it and weld side plates on it. I then drilled a pivot bold and another hold that took a .5" receiver lock so I could lock it. It does require and anti rattle clamp or the carrier will bounce all over the place. It works pretty well but it's a pain in the ass to lift and lower the tire. I'm planning on building my swing out this winter.
I also moved my license plate onto an installed a backup camera so I can still see behind me.
I have plans to build a swing out tire carrier for my rear bumper but for the meantime I wanted a cheap way to carry my spare. I didn't really want to put in on the roof, the truck is already top heavy enough due to the lift so I decided to get a carrier that goes in the built in hitch in my rear bumper. I found the Curt carrier on Amazon for like $70 but it was solid meaning I would be able to open my rear hatch and that wouldn't work.
I decided to cut it and weld side plates on it. I then drilled a pivot bold and another hold that took a .5" receiver lock so I could lock it. It does require and anti rattle clamp or the carrier will bounce all over the place. It works pretty well but it's a pain in the ass to lift and lower the tire. I'm planning on building my swing out this winter.
I also moved my license plate onto an installed a backup camera so I can still see behind me.
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Mountain Fun
New member
This was the first time I tested the 4WD since I had done the SAS. I was really nervous but the truck did really well. I kept it pretty mild because I was still testing everything. I have since taken it some much more challenging trails and the truck continues to impress me.
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Actually the calipers are the same within any year. 78 and older are different than 79 and newer, however, with the newer ones having metric banjo bolts.
Where did you take it for the shakedown run? Didn't really need 4WD I take it?
Mountain Fun
New member
I just took it up to Rainbow Falls in Divide, CO. Nope, didn't really need 4WD, ha ha. It was just to make sure driveshaft angles were OK (I was concerned about the angle on the front, pretty steep), and just to make sure everything else was okay too. Hadn't tested the front axle since swapping everything over like the gears, axle joints, hubs. I wanted to make sure that if something broke a tow truck could get up in there to get me out.
I wish I had pics and video of the last run I took it on. Truck did amazing but that's when it bent my sway bar links.
hounddogman
New member
Good to see your getting that monster out in the dirt ! I'm making good use of your old front diff . Thanks for a great deal .
Mountain Fun
New member
Thanks buddy. Glad the front diff is working out for you.
Mountain Fun
New member
Well it was time to add a winch to the front. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews and decided to go with the $300 (with coupon) Badlands 12,000 pound winch from Harbor Freight. I know a lot of people with say everything from Harbor Freight is crap but I've been very happy with it. It has tons of power and installed very easily. I don't plan on using it much with lockers front and rear but it's nice to have it as reassurance. Since my truck is pretty tall I see myself using more on off camber trails to give my truck a little more stability. Since my truck sits outside a lot I didn't want to use synthetic line.
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Mountain Fun
New member
It was supposed to be a joke. Maybe I should have put ha ha or lol. Obviously I understand the importance of a winch since I installed one, there are a lot of trails that you simply can't get over certain obstacles without a winch, especially here in Colorado. Thanks for your opinion though.
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IBallEngineer
New member
Am I missing something here? I have a winch, been on my truck 15 years or so, never needed it for myself. I've been wheeling the same truck for 19 years, and I've pushed it plenty, but never beyond my comfort level. I owned a body shop for 14 of those 19 years and I still have a point at which the body damage isn't worth doing the trail to me. The reality is, I don't need a winch, as I'm now seeing the half century point in my rear view, I need it less and less. ARB's have done fine for me. Does feel good to have the insurance though.
And I've used it to winch lot's of other folks out of their self induced predicaments.
The above comment reeks of Pirate 4x4 chest thumping though. Why is that necessary? My apologies to the author if I am misunderstanding. I do know that I don't know, or understand everything.
Pirate 4x4 chest thumping is a bit much there Iball. I've never been a chest thumper and if there was any of that, it's long gone as I too am approaching that half century mark. I push my rig past my comfort level for a feeling of accomplishment, not for anyone else's approval or for bragging rights. The tub of my CJ5 is about to literally tear into two pieces, due to my lack of concern for body damage and willingness to pull cable if I fail.
A rig such as the OP has built is just asking to be wheeled hard past the comfort level or it was just a waste of time, IMO. Sometimes you have to just try a hard line instead of just taking the ones you know the rig can complete. If you're not comfortable with that approach, so be it, no skin off my back. It's all wheeling.
A rig such as the OP has built is just asking to be wheeled hard past the comfort level or it was just a waste of time, IMO. Sometimes you have to just try a hard line instead of just taking the ones you know the rig can complete. If you're not comfortable with that approach, so be it, no skin off my back. It's all wheeling.
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IBallEngineer
New member
I'm good with all that, just sensed a bit of tone maybe you didn't mean to deliver. I pick the hard line too, and I've ripped the CJ5 off it's mounts too. My old dog, gone now, used to look at me sometimes as if to say, enough already!
Sometimes the hard line is not for me. But I've pulled line and broken parts, mostly on other's rigs but mine too. I just want to enjoy getting back to camp, or TO camp with my beer and all of my friends, AND their trucks. Eventually I'll give the FJ62 to my son, and the 3rd gen will be more overland, with the capability to crawl, sometimes. Damn all this talk is making me want to get out there!
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