1st Gen IFS Front End/Brakes

[TeleYota]

Hey there long time creeper on this forum and just about to start into another Toyota refurb.

I found a 88’ 4Runner one owner 225k kms barn find a five years ago. I moved it from his barn to mine and am finally getting to it. I have never dealt with IFS, as I have always had a Solid axle in my trucks (85’ runner, multiple fj40s, 90’ crewcab hilux), and have some specific questions. I did do some research on things I wanted know using the search function.

Plan is to run stock 4.88s out of a 94’ runner, 33x10.5 mud, OME rears with BJ spacers front, softopper w/ boat rack, original warn front bull bar with 8k winch. It is all in the garage waiting to go on.

Questions:

How will I know my A-arm bushings are worn out? Cracking? Any other ways? Should I replace them with Poly? I have heard horror stories about poly squeezing.

When you guys refer to late model V6 calipers as a brake improvement. Are you talking 95’ caliper from a 4Runner?

I am sure there is more questions but let’s start there.

 

[Hyde802]

If the bushing are dry rotted, or too stiff to move. they should probably be replaced. Rust will make that job difficult.

Heres a ton of good brake info:

Toyota Pickup Brake Bible - 4x4 North

 

[Howitzer]

Hyde, thanks for the link! I'll add it to my personal tech bible.

Teleyota, I have heard a lot of horror stories of poly as well, and have had bad results myself. I believe there is great merit to torsiolastic (no idea how to spell it, but a combination of torsion elastic words) bushings. A little give absorbs a lot more vibrational oscillations versus a rock solid compound that creates a very good transfer path for harmonics as well as force. I replaced the rear 4-link bushings and body bushings in my 67 impala with poly back in the day, and the increase in the road noise and driveline harmonics transferred through the harder bushings an into the cabin was very noticeable, and it handled worse, in my opinion, with the poly 4-link bushings. Ended up bending a connecting rod trying to push well past 8000 rpm, and have since put that project on hold, fiscally and emotionally, years ago, but that's a different story.
For every harmonic resonance, there are three components: the source, the transfer path, and the responder. Create a more efficient transfer path, and the responder can change drastically
Dry rot or cracking is probably the most common failure, but you can also unload the bushings (take weight off the front end and jack it up by another component) and insert a prying device and manually manipulate it to check for movement, as well.

 

[TeleYota]

Ok, thanks. The link is a lot of good info.

I had a good look at my bushings and don’t see any dry rot or cracking. Plus I am able able to feel smooth movement. So leaving it the way it is.