Marlin RCLT Suspension

[wfo9]

Says the guys with a nice crawler! But yes, dual cases changes so much in regards to crawling and control. Simply amazing how the truck can completely stop and you just feather the gas and up and over you go.

The traction difference and ability to find traction is night and day with really low speed gearing.. It allows you to hunt for traction and take advantage of static over kinetic friction.

Obviously, some situations just can't be crawled though.. and that is where the 5th gen would just get destroyed. At times, often in slick or soft conditions.. there is just no way to make it without some momentum. That is when things start flopping around and smashing up in really extreme terrain. You need a body that is all tucked up and out of the way (AKA jeep) so the tires can bounce off things without the body being turned into a rasin.

Marlin makes good stuff. They are just slow and expensive... I waited literally about 2 years for them to get some competition 4.7 gears back in stock. They keep very limited stock from my experience with them.

 

[canadian bum]

The steering failed on the race truck right away. There just isn't enough material in the custom built knuckles for a steering application.

Steering Failure

As for the Crawl box I have one ordered for my Tacoma so they have their place. I like that they are going out there and introducing a product that can get bigger tires on IFS without SAC. However for extreme rock crawling I've never been a fan of IFS. It pitches the body around all over the place. I think this will shine in the all around wheeling that people do and want bigger tires. Snow wheeling, and other things. Trails like Fordyce and such although doable I think the IFS will cause the truck to pitch over in situations were the solid axle rigs stay level and the axles are flexing. I've wheeled both set ups a lot and can say that they definitely have differences.

 

[Ida4runner]

How exactly is this lift allowing you to fit larger tires than any current 3" Long arm kits on the market?
To me it looks like it just saves you from doing a simple Body mount mod by moving the spindle forward, at probably twice the price?
The kit doesn't address CV axle angles so all you're going to get is 3" plus the need to get oversized fenders or do massive fender trimming like Marlin Mike did on his Taco to fit anything larger than 35". Also using hems looks like that kit would make a lot of noise hitting bumps while daily driving making most people crazy. Having built a rock buggy I can tell you hems are noisy.

IMO make a kit like this with no hems that addresses CV axle angle allowing for more lift than 3" and then you will have something.

 

[Inv4drZm]

How exactly is this lift allowing you to fit larger tires than any current 3" Long arm kits on the market?
To me it looks like it just saves you from doing a simple Body mount mod by moving the spindle forward, at probably twice the price?
The kit doesn't address CV axle angles so all you're going to get is 3" plus the need to get oversized fenders or do massive fender trimming like Marlin Mike did on his Taco to fit anything larger than 35". Also using hems looks like that kit would make a lot of noise hitting bumps while daily driving making most people crazy. Having built a rock buggy I can tell you hems are noisy.

IMO make a kit like this with no hems that addresses CV axle angle allowing for more lift than 3" and then you will have something.

You don't need to address the CV axle limitations with +3.5" LT. Just by extending the arm 3.5" you can get more downtravel. I have no idea where you are pulling this 3" lift number from.

The 2.75" kit is for those that think 35's are small. So with 37's-40s you're normally cutting into the firewall for clearance. Marlin's truck doesn't count, he has a solid front axle that is probably pushed forward to fit those tires. Those that can afford the kit can afford and should probably opt for brand new shiny RCV axles which I'm guessing has higher angle capabilities than the factory design. The 2.75" Marlin kit isn't the full 3.5" so if you play your cards right with regard to wheel specs you may not need fiberglass fenders.

And the reason for the price increase is it has a fabricated spindle and requires a new upgraded steering rack (it might be a Tundra rack), those aren't cheap.

 

[Bumbo]

Also using hems looks like that kit would make a lot of noise hitting bumps while daily driving making most people crazy. Having built a rock buggy I can tell you hems are noisy.

I figure once you get to this level, you can’t really expect OEM type characteristics from a noise and maintenance aspect. I figure you kind of have to take the good with the bad… at least at this level, it’s not really for a typical daily driver, it’s pretty specialized stuff.

Personally I wouldn’t even consider installing this stuff on my daily driver…

 

[canadian bum]

I figure once you get to this level, you can’t really expect OEM type characteristics from a noise and maintenance aspect. I figure you kind of have to take the good with the bad… at least at this level, it’s not really for a typical daily driver, it’s pretty specialized stuff.

Personally I wouldn’t even consider installing this stuff on my daily driver…

Depending on what the first stage set up is I'd put that on a daily driver but not the HD kit.

 

[Jetboy]

This isn't a totally new idea to solve the problem. But it is the first I'm aware of for the 5th gen. I suggested the same thing about 5 years ago. I already have another crawler, so it doesn't really make much sense for me. Custom A Arm Question However - proposing the solution and ever getting around to doing it are two very different things.

I also think there's a way to do this by modifying a stock LCA if you wanted to get just a little more clearance and are an experienced fabricator. This should get you to 35's without chopping into the firewall. Although I haven't actually done it. I might do this sometime in the next year or so if I jump up to 35's.

Also, there are some similar high clearance suspension designs out there like the one from Front Range Off Road. It also relocates the spindle forward a few inches. I've been on the trail with this one. Works great. Uses stock spindle assembly. Could be pretty easily modified to run on a 5th gen I'd think.

The MC version is probably the first full production version. Steering unfortunately was a mock up/prototype that probably didn't get finished before KOH. I'm sure the production version will not be a slotted un-boxed steering arm.

 

[aha2988]

update from the linked thread, in other news. I have a pair of D60's for sail out of a 92 F250 4:10 gears.

FAQ Round #2
Here come some responses to inquires we've received on other media outlets


Able to Daily Drive?
It will daily drive 100% like any other LT kit on the market. I will be daily driving our next RCLT HD kit starting next month. The biggest thing you will notice is increased body roll due to a lack of a front sway bar.

MarRack Included?
Only the RCLT HD Kit will come with the MarRack because factory steering cannot physically allow a knuckle to be moved forward 2-inches.
The RCLT Standard Kit, which moves the knuckles forward only 1-inch, is compatible with factory steering. You could chose to upgrade to the MarRack later if desired.

Shocks Included?
We are a Radflo distributor and will offer their LT shocks. The only thing to note is that the RCLT HD Kit will require LT shocks that have heim joints top and bottom.

Axle Shafts Included?
We will offer +2" and +2.75" extended length replacement inner axle shafts (you reuse your factory outer CVs) as well as +2" and +2.75" RCV Ultimate Shaft kits.

Ins-and-Outs
I wrote in reply #2, "Associated parts for installation", which refers to the stuff that makes up a kit such as bushings, sleeves, grease zerts, bolts, washers, misalignment spacers, limiting strap, brake lines and mounting clips, tie rod steering extensions (if applicable), and so on. I'll be editing that post with actual Kit Images as well as new categories and products added to our website this spring.

Can RCLT and/or RCLT HD be desert raced?
First and foremost, there are better kits for Baja than either RCLT which are optimized for Rock Crawling. Probably the best way to answer this is as follows:

Why the Standard Kit is better for Baja than the HD:
Less unsprung weight (mainly) due to factory knuckles being lighter than our HD knuckles
The factory knuckle's top vertical ball joint allows for a more compact UCA (narrow single shear vs wide double shear ball joint mount) so you'll likely to have a bit more maximum up travel prior to modifying sheet metal
Depending on tire size and wheel offset, would likely not require larger fenders

Why the HD Kit is better for Baja than the Standard:
The track width is 37.5% larger (2.75" vs 2") for better suspension travel and cornering/off-camber stability
Horizontal ball joints do not encounter misalignment issues so theoretically they allow more travel. If 2WD then substantially more travel
Double-shear ball joints and steering TRE connection are way stronger and can handle far higher loads (both hitting whoops and landing jumps)
MarRack is required and provides incredible steering strength, however it could be added to the Standard kit too

Regards,
BigMike

 

[Bumbo]

I was really hoping for a strong finish for the KOH 4Runner… it appears some test/dev still needs to be accomplished.

While I really like this product, not sure if I want to be in the group of early adopters.

I badly want to see pricing and the finalized design before making a decision on something like this… at this point the +3.5 TC TL kit still seems like a safe option for me.

 

[aha2988]

I was really hoping for a strong finish for the KOH 4Runner… it appears some test/dev still needs to be accomplished.

While I really like this product, not sure if I want to be in the group of early adopters.

I badly want to see pricing and the finalized design before making a decision on something like this… at this point the +3.5 TC TL kit still seems like a safe option for me.

are you suggesting the TC kit could take the same KOH abuse this setup went through and not fail? Had this truck been running a factory steering rack I believe the inner would have been ripped from the rack piston. How often are you passing people on rocky terrain at 70+mph? if its more often than not you're not being friendly hording the videos.

If you look back at the release photos of this kit you'll notice the tie rod connection bracket is slotted. This is typically done in the design world when you don't know the best location for your bolt to be in. the bracket looks to have sheered at the base of the slot furthest from the tie rod. had a slot not been I'd be willing to bet you'd see a crack/rip just pass the weld bead before a complete sheer. I'd imagine they documented the optimum location to place the hole for the outer tie rod link per this build and removed that slot also beefing up the brackets them self. Keep in mind Marlin made this first setup on sponsorship.

 

[Bumbo]

are you suggesting the TC kit could take the same KOH abuse this setup went through and not fail? Had this truck been running a factory steering rack I believe the inner would have been ripped from the rack piston. How often are you passing people on rocky terrain at 70+mph? if its more often than not you're not being friendly hording the videos.

If you look back at the release photos of this kit you'll notice the tie rod connection bracket is slotted. This is typically done in the design world when you don't know the best location for your bolt to be in. the bracket looks to have sheered at the base of the slot furthest from the tie rod. had a slot not been I'd be willing to bet you'd see a crack/rip just pass the weld bead before a complete sheer. I'd imagine they documented the optimum location to place the hole for the outer tie rod link per this build and removed that slot also beefing up the brackets them self. Keep in mind Marlin made this first setup on sponsorship.

That is not what I am suggesting at all… What I was saying is prefer to buy something where all the test / dev designs has been ironed out, and not being in the camp of early adopters until they have a more track proven record and a finalized design for release.

Plus I was making a comment on my own needs. I was literally ready to do a buy out a +3.5 LT kit, until Inv4drZm informed me Marlin announced this kit literally a day before which ultimately threw a bit of a wrench into my works.

This kit was very intriguing to me, enough so that I postponed my TC purchase to see how this all pans out all while taking into considering the final costs on each.

 

[aha2988]

That is not what I am suggesting at all… What I was saying is prefer to buy something where all the test / dev designs has been ironed out, and not being in the camp of early adopters until they have a more track proven record and a finalized design for release.

Plus I was making a comment on my own needs. I was literally ready to do a buy out a +3.5 LT kit, until Inv4drZm informed me Marlin announced this kit literally a day before which ultimately threw a bit of a wrench into my works.

This kit was very intriguing to me, enough so that I postponed my TC purchase to see how this all pans out all while taking into considering the final costs on each.

a 4 month old TC kit will still hold top value on the used market. don't let this kit slow down your fun my man.

 

[Bumbo]

a 4 month old TC kit will still hold top value on the used market. don't let this kit slow down your fun my man.

It’s a lot of cash and time to throw around to do it twice… even shock tuning takes time. I know it’s part of the fun and process, but still, once I make a decision, I don’t intend of back track on it.

If you were following my previous thread on TL, I was basically trying to decide if I was going to be adding a secondary bypass, with a list of pros/cons for it. Well, at least until this thing was announced.

The idea of building a better balanced well rounded off-roader seems to be well suited to the 4Runner, considering it’s not a trophy truck… The Marlin system still has my full attention.

 

[canadian bum]

They've made some improvements on the HD version steering. Still haven't seen anything for the none HD version, so will have to wait and see when they get to that.

 

[darrensan]

Finally getting something to beef up the suspension and move the tire forward to fit bigger tires on the IFS rigs. I knew they were running big tires on the custom IFS Tacoma but didn't think they would be developing a bunch of different options to bring to the market.

This has pretty big potential to change a lot for those who want to run bigger tires on their IFS rigs without cutting so much apart. I asked to see if in the future they may offer lower kits with ball joints for those of us who live in areas where the uniballs crap out quickly.

What does everyone think of this? I'm surprised something like this hasn't been developed sooner for the market.

Marlin Rock Crawler Long Travel

Recently got interested in the RCLT, but I can't find the price on these. Anybody know?

 

[SpeedyKevin]

Recently got interested in the RCLT, but I can't find the price on these. Anybody know?

I believe they are putting together the pre-order soon! Pricing should be out soon

 

[JKLNHYD]

From the Marlin Crawler message board thread about the RCLT kit (page 6):

Quoted from someone responding on the thread:
"Talked to Trevor today. Prices he gave me were 6999 for the kit, 700 for the rack, either 300 or 2000 for axles depending if you do just outers or RCV axles, and then the price for coilovers."

With the basic kit, you can keep your stock CV axles. I can't imagine going this big without upgrading the steering rack so $7700 to fit 37" tires.

 

[Jetboy]

From the Marlin Crawler message board thread about the RCLT kit (page 6):

Quoted from someone responding on the thread:
"Talked to Trevor today. Prices he gave me were 6999 for the kit, 700 for the rack, either 300 or 2000 for axles depending if you do just outers or RCV axles, and then the price for coilovers."

With the basic kit, you can keep your stock CV axles. I can't imagine going this big without upgrading the steering rack so $7700 to fit 37" tires.

That sounds about right. It's a pretty complicated setup. But it's been well sorted. Mike has been wheeling the white truck with that setup for 3 or 4 years now. It's been through a lot of iterations by now. In general Marlin is slow to release new products. But when they do - they're very good.

The biggest issue I see is that the rear end doesn't have enough clearance to keep up with how much they get up front. I think the RCLT would perfectly with a rear Mark's 4WD axle. It wouldn't be cheap. But it would be pretty ridiculously capable without having to run huge tires.

Diamond axle/Front Range Off Road did a pretty similar setup on a 3rd gen 4Runner that's also pretty great. I'm sure they could also custom build a similar system for a 5th gen. The 3rd gen was running a 5th gen front IFS setup.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Marlin's been a couple months away from releasing it for a couple years now. Still all rumor at this point, still some question marks about the final design.

I've already fit 37's with a basic LT kit/stock CV's and wheeled it to its limits. Now I'm looking to add steering strength/longevity and arm clearance. More travel won't hurt either.

Looking at Marlin or JD fab, biggest difference being JD fab uses the stock spindle (and it's for sale), whereas Marlin might have more downtravel with their fabricated spindle, and more strength. Marlin doesn't have pricing yet so no comparison there.

The Marlin steering rack sounds like a great option however it should work with both kits.

I guess I'll wait a little longer.

 

[EddieV4runnin]

Next mod on my list