Opinions wanted on '86 T4R
- Thread starter BoatRacer
- Start date
KidVermicious
New member
Nah, fabbing a simple lift bracket for the LSPV is waaaay easier than adding a prop valve.
As far as the lift goes, it's hard to know. Chevy rears and RUF are a really common way to do a straight axle swap, but the amount of lift depends entirely on how saggy the used springs are. I've seen guys get a 4 inch lift, and I've seen guys get no lift at all. What size tires are you planning on ending up with, and how much trimming are you willing to do to make them fit? That'll tell you how much lift you need and let you narrow down your spring options.
The steering stops on the knuckles are adjustable, but you could also fix that rubbing problem by getting rid of those ungodly-wide tires. What are those, 33x12.5?
BoatRacer
New member
They are MTR Goodyear 35x12.5's I have been away from wheeling for almost 15 years and don't really know what the best tires are these days. I like the idea of 36x10.5 or so. Back in the day, I used Buckshot mudders on my Toyota truck and they performed awesome.
Thanks for the pics of your LSPV set up, that dose look easier.
Thanks for the pics of your LSPV set up, that dose look easier.
BoatRacer
New member
Guys, please let me know if I'm not following this forum rules properly and starting a new thread.
Time for some dumb questions:
I went for a drive today and I have my work cut out for me. I would expect a lot of body roll, it goes hand in hand with suspension travel, correct? My suspension feels VERY soft and the body roll is excessive to say the least. I was told the front springs are T4R rears moved forward and the rears are Chevy. I measured the rears, they are a 63" spring, using an 8.5" shackle. The fronts do measure the same lengths as 4R rears, but are 6 leaf, they have 5.5" shackles. The shocks are Bilstein, fronts unknown, mounted to aftermarket hoops. The rears are 5125 series. I have not taken them off and tried to manually compress them yet, I have no idea if they good or not. What can I do to improve the ride? Should I buy Chevy rear lift springs and use shorter rear shackles?
Also, will the 2nd gen V6 brake upgrade work on the '85 front set up? Are the caliper brackets the same?
Time for some dumb questions:
I went for a drive today and I have my work cut out for me. I would expect a lot of body roll, it goes hand in hand with suspension travel, correct? My suspension feels VERY soft and the body roll is excessive to say the least. I was told the front springs are T4R rears moved forward and the rears are Chevy. I measured the rears, they are a 63" spring, using an 8.5" shackle. The fronts do measure the same lengths as 4R rears, but are 6 leaf, they have 5.5" shackles. The shocks are Bilstein, fronts unknown, mounted to aftermarket hoops. The rears are 5125 series. I have not taken them off and tried to manually compress them yet, I have no idea if they good or not. What can I do to improve the ride? Should I buy Chevy rear lift springs and use shorter rear shackles?
Also, will the 2nd gen V6 brake upgrade work on the '85 front set up? Are the caliper brackets the same?
BoatRacer
New member
I'm looking at replacing the leaf spring bushings and bolts at all corners and see if that helps a little. The rear chevy springs look like the clamps where pried apart, maybe to remove one of the leafs? They where left that way, I will try to bend them back and maybe add a 2" lift block to help bring the rear up a little. I would like to buy rear 63" chevy lift springs, but they seem crazy expensive and might be too stiff?
I also don't have front or rear sway bars. Are they possible to add with the lift? It may help driving on the road.
I also don't have front or rear sway bars. Are they possible to add with the lift? It may help driving on the road.
92-SR5
New member
Yes you should have sway bars. A stock one should work with extended ends to accommodate the lift.
KidVermicious
New member
Ok, so what you've got is the common Chevy/RUF (rears up front) swap. Check out the Toyota Bible on Pirate4x4 for more info than you ever wanted to know about it. One of the reasons it's so common is because that setup is flexy as hell, which is good for slow speed technical crawling. That's not so ideal for driving on the road, though. I think a block in the rear and homebrew sway bars are not your solution, though. You don't want to be higher, you want to be lower, and if you're planning on wheeling it, flex is good anyway. If I were you, I'd pull a leaf from that front pack, and then go to a six inch shackle. That should drop you roughly an inch and help level the front and rear. If that doesn't bring the handling into the acceptable range, consider completely redoing the suspension - I'm running an OME 2" lift with no sway bars, and I get some body roll but it isn't bad (you wouldn't clear the 35s you've got now though without some serious trimming and tubbing).
BoatRacer
New member
Thanks for the info! My head hurts after reading through some of that though 
I'm not ready to sacrifice the 35's just yet, around here I'm going to want them off road. I sure wish narrower tires where available in tall sizes though. I'm headed down to get the tires balanced and the exhaust replaced from the cat back today. I guessing the balancing will help with some of my issues. It's really bad around 45mph. I'm still reading into taming the body roll some. I don't want to kill the flex though, I might just have to deal with it on the road by going slower, ect.
I'm not ready to sacrifice the 35's just yet, around here I'm going to want them off road. I sure wish narrower tires where available in tall sizes though. I'm headed down to get the tires balanced and the exhaust replaced from the cat back today. I guessing the balancing will help with some of my issues. It's really bad around 45mph. I'm still reading into taming the body roll some. I don't want to kill the flex though, I might just have to deal with it on the road by going slower, ect.
BoatRacer
New member
I got around to some wrenching yesterday. I wish I had been smart enough to look closer at the LSPV before extending the bracket. The valve is broken, so it didn't make any difference in the end. It was a good effort I guess.
It does drive much better after balancing the tires and airing up to the proper pressures. I had a new exhaust welded on also, it's way better sounding. The only problem with it being quieter is all the other noises I didn't hear before. The throw out bearing being the loudest by, a new clutch assembly is now on my short list of repairs. The brakes will the very next items to be replaced, they are fairly non existent right now, it really doesn't want to stop. Pic's from yesterdays efforts.
It does drive much better after balancing the tires and airing up to the proper pressures. I had a new exhaust welded on also, it's way better sounding. The only problem with it being quieter is all the other noises I didn't hear before. The throw out bearing being the loudest by, a new clutch assembly is now on my short list of repairs. The brakes will the very next items to be replaced, they are fairly non existent right now, it really doesn't want to stop. Pic's from yesterdays efforts.
BoatRacer
New member
There is a bunch a little items I need to address too. Like shock bolts that are too short. It doesn't do much good to use a lock nut if the bolt threads never make contact with the nylon. You can see here, the spring clamps that have been pried back, and no, the card board insulator dose not stop the rattling! There are a lot of broken zerk fittings too. I replaced some, but still could not grease a couple of the steering cross over rod ends. They are just plugged up solid and won't except grease at all. The front wheel bearings have play too, so it looks like I will just pull the entire front end apart and rebuild it all. I need to learn how to do the knuckles anyway and it will be a good time to pull the diff and get the 5.29's set up that came with it. Sure wish I could afford to do it all right now, the weather is just starting to get nicer here.
KidVermicious
New member
That's a good looking bracket, too bad it didn't help. I don't know if I've ever heard a bad throwout bearing before, what does that sound like? I like being able to put a name to all my trucks funny noises .
eta - LowRangeOffroad makes a really good kit for doing your knuckles. $5 says you find gear-oil soup when you tear them down.
.eta - LowRangeOffroad makes a really good kit for doing your knuckles. $5 says you find gear-oil soup when you tear them down.
Last edited:
BoatRacer
New member
I really hoping it's just the throw out bearing. It sounds like a grinding metal on metal bearing noise. The second I put pressure on the clutch, it goes away. I've replaced them before on one of my cars that had the same sound. I'm a little fearful that some of it could be coming from the trans or transfer case. I changed both diff fluids and the engine oil and filter also, but ran out of lube before getting to either of those.
BoatRacer
New member
I've been collecting parts from craigslist deals the last couple days. Mostly interior stuff, but I got really nice bumper that I'll use until I can afford an ARB one.
I just picked up new LC rotors, wheel studs, pads, and used second gen V6 calipers, master/booster from a '95. I'm looking forward to making stop so I can get out and drive it more. Hopefully I will have a braking update after the weekend.
I just picked up new LC rotors, wheel studs, pads, and used second gen V6 calipers, master/booster from a '95. I'm looking forward to making stop so I can get out and drive it more. Hopefully I will have a braking update after the weekend.
BoatRacer
New member
Not as much progress to report as I wanted, but I did get a couple things done. Painted the calipers and got the new pads in them, painted the rotor hubs, removed and installed the new dual diaphragm booster/master cylinder. I removed the front seats to clean up the floors. The carpet was missing when I got it and a lot of dirt was stuck to the tar/sound deadener. I need to find a carpet kit or a nice rubber/vinyl floor mat. Does anyone know where to find replacement cables for the passenger seat back release? The back on mine folds down, but the cable is severed at the hinge to release the tracks.
BoatRacer
New member
A little progress was had today, although it's starting to become a much bigger job than I was hoping for right now. I knew the front end needed attention, but was hoping to just get away with brakes for this summer. After tearing it down a little ways, it became very apparent just how little maintenance, if any, was performed on this rig over the years. What grease was in the hubs, looks very thin and metallic grey, nasty. There are broken hub studs, missing axle snap ring, hub nuts that have been beaten off so many times with a chisel almost no corners are left, badly scored wheel bearings/races...ect. I'm going to need manual hub rebuild kits, hub studs/nuts, wheel bearings/races and seals, wheel studs and nuts, and new hub nuts, locking rings and washers. Next I'll tear down a knuckle and see what else to add to the list. Is there anything else I should be looking at while it's torn apart? I've never had a knuckle apart or checked trunion bearings before, truthfully I never herd of that part until searching here.
I now have the studs and bearing races removed, will sand blast and paint the hubs tomorrow at the race shop.
How she sits for now
I now have the studs and bearing races removed, will sand blast and paint the hubs tomorrow at the race shop.
How she sits for now
KidVermicious
New member
Knuckles are not a technically difficult job, though they are a dirty job. The FSM is a big help. I'd buy the complete knuckle rebuild kit with bearings from Low Range, it's got everything you'll need to do everything from the inner seals out - failed inner seals is why you found soup instead of grease in the knuckles. What it doesn't have is the birfield c-clips, and you'll probably break at least one taking the birfs apart, so get those ordered in advance. Hit your sporting goods store for a fish scale, you'll want that to set your trunion preload.
I did it with the axle under the truck, but I was in a hurry. If I were you I'd plan on pulling the axle and working on a bench. It'll be easier to get it clean before you tear into it, and it'll be easier to clean up the knuckles themselves if they're pitted or scarred.
Were those the stock shift knobs you pulled off? I've been looking for set...
I did it with the axle under the truck, but I was in a hurry. If I were you I'd plan on pulling the axle and working on a bench. It'll be easier to get it clean before you tear into it, and it'll be easier to clean up the knuckles themselves if they're pitted or scarred.
Were those the stock shift knobs you pulled off? I've been looking for set...
BoatRacer
New member
Thank you for the heads up on the C-clips.
The trans shifter said Mazda on it, the t-case knob was the correct one, but missing the top shift pattern plate. Ebay has good ones from time to time. I'm very picky about the shift knobs in the daily driver, I don't know why, but always have been. The 2nd gen SR5 black knob with the silver face and chrome numbers are really great knobs to find.
The trans shifter said Mazda on it, the t-case knob was the correct one, but missing the top shift pattern plate. Ebay has good ones from time to time. I'm very picky about the shift knobs in the daily driver, I don't know why, but always have been. The 2nd gen SR5 black knob with the silver face and chrome numbers are really great knobs to find.
Similar threads
