Got rid of the "rear suspension sag"..

[77'911]

Well, after completely rebuilding the rear suspension(sway bar, track rod, all 4 control arms) with urethane bushings to my surprise our 4runner looked normal again. I had read so much that the cause for the rear suspension sag on these was the springs. Its probably not a job for the novice weekend wrench but it pays off. :beer:

 

[77'911]

another pic

This is a pic of torching out one of the upper rear control arm bushings. It takes a far amount of time and heat to just get the rubber bonded portion out. Then comes the hack saw and chisel portion of the job after.

 

[Ill]

Nice work, man. There is no way around it, I've never been able to make quick work of those bushings. My favorite method is using a balljoint press with an impact.

Truck looks good, I need to do somethin for the rear of my 86.

Edit: How does it ride after that? A good bit stiffer?

 

[77'911]

Thanks. Its not too bad with a decent set of sharp chisels and a heavy hammer. They did take me some time. Its hard to explain, the ride so stunningly better then before in so many ways. By far, some of the best $$ we've spent on the truck so far. The sway bar bushings keep it flat in corners which is nice. It has new oem factory shocks that I installed. At first I thought they(oem shocks) were far too soft but with the new rear bushings done, they feel like a set of Bilstein HD's. The rear does not dance all over anymore. It feels like a new vehicle.
I'm getting parts assembled to do the front control arms(ie bushings, ball joints, tie rod assemblies, center link, steering shock, etc.). Then I'll get the factory recall done on the front end. The truck should be pretty buttoned up after that. I just replaced all the brakes(pads,rotors,shoes, drums,etc.) on it the other weekend. One of the best repairs I made to it was replacing the motor and trans mounts.

 

[Machabees]

Hey

77'911

what factory recall are you talking about

 

[77'911]

There is a recall on the "relay rod" in the steering system on these. Toyota installs a new one and re-aligns the truck. I figured since they are going to do an alignment, I might as well rebuild the front end so they have something decent to work with. You might give your vin to the local toyota dealer to check if your 4runner is in the recall.

 

[Machabees]

thanks, sounds good

 

[gotmud?13]

hey there. im new to the group but have some concerns. i just bought a 87 toyota 4runner, and am noticing a lot of suspension sag in the rear. now i heard a rumour about a recall, but im not sure if they cover second owners. if not, any suggestion as to hike the rear back up cheaply, but make sure it stays up? i was thinkning of installing bigger springs to keep it frm any sag. also, im an accomplished welder, so if someone has plans for a brush guard, that would be greatly appreciated. please email all suggestions to [email protected] .thanks for your time. also any good 3-5 inch suspension lift kits you suggest at a reasonale price?
thanks for your time, and hope to see you on the trail,
Jake