Lifts, Tires and

[1991SR5]

Hello Everyone,
Just picked up a 1991 SR5 automatic. It has quite a few miles but motor and tranny were gone through and rebuilt about a year ago. Interior isn't bad and theres no rust to speak of. I am a long time jeeper (CJ's) but converted to get into something that I could haul my 2y/o son and Great Dane down the trails with me.

All that is done to it now is
a set of what looks like knock off mickey thompson classic rims w/31's
Janky Kenwood c/d player
Welded on front brush guard that has got to go w/ offroad lights that are wired correctly at least.


I want to run the front IFS for a while and get a set of 33's ... maybe 35's underneath it.
The front suspension is currently in great shape and rides good.. however it has a bit of body roll to it.

I am looking at doing this is in stages.
First with a lift to include different tires and rims.... I HATE CHROME.
Second would be a winch bumper and swing away rear bumper... maybe rock sliders just to replace the running boards.
Somewhere between two and three I am wanting a cage.
Three may be a roof rack misc parts and a potential solid axle swap but instead of jumping into the deep end of the pool like I have done in the past I have to do this in stages..... ie my girl drives the second car so it cant be down for a month while I destroy and rebuild it.
I am just looking for what people are running and having good/bad luck with.

PS I am not wanting to do major trimming just yet but I am not against it. And I will get a couple pic on here as soon as I can.

 

[Jcalderon]

Can't wait to see how your truck comes along I'm pretty much in the same boat as u just got mine too

 

[KidVermicious]

You'll probably fit 33s with minor pounding here and there. 35s will definitely require tubbing. 35s will also probably require some engine mods, because you're going to have a hard time turning them with that automatic. Maybe you'll be ok with it, some folks aren't. If it's the 3.0, consider a swap to the 3.4 5VZE.

Welcome to the forum, let's see some pics!

 

[helo-mech]

Your gonna get a lot of different opinions on this. Some seem to want to lift first, some say armor first and offroad it a little to see how much lift you want and to see how your suspension is doing. This would lead you to either a body or suspension lift. Most are gonna say suspension lift over body lift but of course if you've been doing the jeep thing you know this means more money.

Take a look at this thread. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classic-t4rs/114478-whats-your-wishlist.html It will give you an idea of the way a lot of us are going.

 

[KidVermicious]

That's a good thread. Obviously started by a very smart and helpful poster, we need more like him around here.

 

[helo-mech]

That's a good thread. Obviously started by a very smart and helpful poster, we need more like him around here.

:lmao:

 

[BucknutBob]

Your gonna get a lot of different opinions on this. Some seem to want to lift first, some say armor first and offroad it a little to see how much lift you want and to see how your suspension is doing. This would lead you to either a body or suspension lift. Most are gonna say suspension lift over body lift but of course if you've been doing the jeep thing you know this means more money.

Take a look at this thread. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classic-t4rs/114478-whats-your-wishlist.html It will give you an idea of the way a lot of us are going.

You just had to promote one of Kid's ideas, didn't you--now we'll never hear the end of it (LOL)! Definitely correct on many people having many different ideas on what to do first (or second, third, etc.). Bill (FootofGod) has taken a pretty good approach to building a little at a time--might want to check out his build.

 

[1991SR5]

Ok so im limited to 33's regardless of lift because of the engine power for right now.. good to know.

Helo-mech...
I know how much lift I want. Give or take 2-4" but only suspension.... I want to avoid becoming top heavy and avoid the body lifts at all costs...
I am looking for what is a good medium between clearance and staying stable for the road...
I also have tires that are OK at best and rather than replace them with a size I don't want I figure this is a good portion of the project to step into. Hence the lift and tires coming first.

So what are the best 2-4" suspension lifts for 1st Gen's... I have seen good results with OME in jeep land.. Is this the best option with something this big...?

 

[BucknutBob]

I'm afraid you're a bit misinformed about your lifts, friend--a body lift actually keeps more weight down low, as you're not lifting the frame, engine, etc.. A suspension lift raises the center of gravity more than a body lift will. That being said, a 2-4" suspension lift shouldn't affect your balance too drastically, especially since the larger tires will likely add width to help stabilize. OME does make an excellent lift, but the dedicated 1st Gen guys will know more than me about what works on those--you threw me off with the "1991" in your screenname (that's a 2nd Gen).

 

[1991SR5]

Im tracking that raising your suspension will raise your overall center of gravity, however I was saying in comparison to say a ridiculous lift like 6" plus that take a vehicle to extremely top heavy and easily rolled on the trail. I do not like body lifts simply because clearance is not improved... I do have a 1991... sorry about the confusion

I'm afraid you're a bit misinformed about your lifts, friend--a body lift actually keeps more weight down low, as you're not lifting the frame, engine, etc.. A suspension lift raises the center of gravity more than a body lift will. That being said, a 2-4" suspension lift shouldn't affect your balance too drastically, especially since the larger tires will likely add width to help stabilize. OME does make an excellent lift, but the dedicated 1st Gen guys will know more than me about what works on those--you threw me off with the "1991" in your screenname (that's a 2nd Gen).

 

[KidVermicious]

You'll fit 33s with no lift if you're willing to do a bit of work with the 4lb persuader. If you can do that without lifting, your CoG will be much much better.

There's a couple different ways to lift your front end, unfortunately due to the torsion bar suspension they all have their drawbacks. If you just need a 1/2inch or so, you can actually crank the torsion bars to raise the front end, but you'll lose flex and suspension travel. If you need a little more than that, ball joint spacers can lift you up to an inch and a half, but they'll push your upper control arm towards the tire sidewall and that can be trouble. More than that and you're looking at a bracket lift (4" minimum) or converting your front end to a long-travel setup from Total Chaos or Blazeland, all of which are bucks.

Do you have a '91? That's a 2nd generation truck, but the front ends are identical.

 

[Footofgod]

Bill (FootofGod) has taken a pretty good approach to building a little at a time--might want to check out his build.

I'm blushing. LOL!

I say maintenance, lock, armor then lift and tires. I put the locker on at the beginning of everything and I could have stopped there. After I put it in I could do SO much more than stock without any lift and running stock 31" tires. I am in the process of installing a 2" OME lift and I am searching for new tires. As soon as the lift is up, I am going to try out SV's old 35" tires and see how it handles. I may just go ahead and get 35's instead of 33 if it works then regear next year with ARB front and back. I'm gear at 4.56 right now.

 

[1991SR5]

Shot a couple Pics

I shot a couple of pictures. I took the chrome off the wheel wells and the plastic along end caps from the factory running boards... on a sidebar does anyone know a good way to get the glue from the chrome off? I got all I could with a simple rag and dish soap but there is still alot on the drivers side

I ordered a set of 4x innovations rock sliders as they were WAY WAY cheaper than any frame slider I could've put on the jeep and it will allow me to get rid of those factory pieces. When I get my travel pay from the military it will restock my savings and the bigger modifications will start.

Interior was pretty good and wound up being better after I oxycleaned and purple powered the floors. I also picked up a couple random pieces at the junkyard like that little plasic piece in the corner of the door a cupholder that won't fall out and a dome light cover. These pieces seem hard to find in good condition. Anyways here it is... what do you guys think?

 

[1991SR5]

You'll fit 33s with no lift if you're willing to do a bit of work with the 4lb persuader. If you can do that without lifting, your CoG will be much much better.

There's a couple different ways to lift your front end, unfortunately due to the torsion bar suspension they all have their drawbacks. If you just need a 1/2inch or so, you can actually crank the torsion bars to raise the front end, but you'll lose flex and suspension travel. If you need a little more than that, ball joint spacers can lift you up to an inch and a half, but they'll push your upper control arm towards the tire sidewall and that can be trouble. More than that and you're looking at a bracket lift (4" minimum) or converting your front end to a long-travel setup from Total Chaos or Blazeland, all of which are bucks.

Do you have a '91? That's a 2nd generation truck, but the front ends are identical.

I understand. Yeah I am looking right now for less than 4" but long travel does interest me. I have seen people running cranked up torsion bars on chevy's and the offroad ability was severely hendered.. not to mention it rode like a brick.

 

[1991SR5]

Maintenance is actually on point as of right now. Motor and tranny are fresh rebuilt and everything that can be bolted to the engine is brand new along with a lot of suspension components. I grabbed frame sliders to start it off. I also am gonna order a battery box. I'm gonna run it through some trails and figure where I wanna stand with gears and suspension total before I lock it.
I am also real interested to see how well your IFS stands up to a set of 35's

I'm blushing. LOL!

I say maintenance, lock, armor then lift and tires. I put the locker on at the beginning of everything and I could have stopped there. After I put it in I could do SO much more than stock without any lift and running stock 31" tires. I am in the process of installing a 2" OME lift and I am searching for new tires. As soon as the lift is up, I am going to try out SV's old 35" tires and see how it handles. I may just go ahead and get 35's instead of 33 if it works then regear next year with ARB front and back. I'm gear at 4.56 right now.

 

[KidVermicious]

Good looking truck! You're doing everything in about the order I would, so I'd say you're well on track.